Retina MacBook Pro Updates Reportedly Due Tuesday, July 29: Minor Haswell CPU Updates Expected

Following yesterday's reported spotting of in-store digital signage from an Apple retail store in China showing upgraded specs for the Retina MacBook Pro, MacG.co now claims [Google Translate] the update is set to arrive tomorrow, July 29. The information comes from a reliable source who has accurately predicted MacBook Air, iMac, and iPod touch updates in recent months, although the source was off by a few days on the iPod touch update timing.

Few details on the new Retina MacBook Pros are available from the source other than that the update will include both 13-inch and 15-inch models and that only minor changes to the internal model number (J44a and J45a respectively) point to a simple speed bump.

mbp_retina_late_2014_chart
The in-store digital signage had shown details on three 15-inch MacBook Pro models, all carrying "Haswell refresh" processors clocking in at 200 MHz faster than their counterparts currently used in the Retina MacBook Pro line. Those new Haswell chips were introduced by Intel last week, and we noted at the time that the list of three dual-core and three quad-core processors appeared almost custom tailored for a Retina MacBook Pro update.

In addition to the processor upgrades, the signage also pointed to a bump in RAM for the low-end 15-inch model, moving from 8 GB to 16 GB.

While the Retina MacBook Pro upgrade appears imminent, the minor update is in large part a stopgap measure as Apple and other manufacturers await Intel's much-delayed Broadwell family of processors. Broadwell chips appropriate for the Retina MacBook Pro may not be ready until as late as mid-2015.

Update 1:22 PM: MacRumors has received word that seven new model numbers are indeed incoming to retail stores, likely corresponding to the three stock configurations of the 13-inch model and two for the 15-inch model, along with a maxed-out "ultimate" configuration of each as is commonly carried in-store.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Caution)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

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Top Rated Comments

Snookerman Avatar
143 months ago
Just *after* i bought my 13" Retina .....


They never bump these things up before i buy mine. :apple:
The Buyer's Guide (https://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#Retina_MacBook_Pro) does say "Don't Buy Updates Soon".
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AxoNeuron Avatar
143 months ago
I really hope that they add in an Nvidia GTX 880M, a 4K display, pre-release Broadwell i7 processors, a new type of hyper-density battery that has 10x the battery life, and slash the cost by $1000. I also fully expect a unicorn to be included, or at least as a configuration option.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thejadedmonkey Avatar
143 months ago
To NOT release a spec bump would be to overcharge your customers for technology that is now slightly outdated. Why would you do that?

You do know what company you're talking about, right? :cool:
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
OzyOly Avatar
143 months ago
Looking like a company desperatly searching through the parts bin in the hope of coming up with something that might attract new business. :rolleyes:

Because there is nothing new to put inside them (apart from a better dGPU). I'd wager they are holding back brand new features until the real update next year but as for CPUs, there is nothing. :(
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thekeyring Avatar
143 months ago
Just *after* i bought my 13" Retina .....


They never bump these things up before i buy mine. :apple:

Another way to look at it is: You never buy MacBooks just after a spec bump. ;)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GoneDrinkin Avatar
143 months ago
seems apple is doing un-noteworthy updates across their entire product line this year. :(

It's more Intel's fault than Apple's. Had Intel been on time with their chips, we would've seen a new and noteworthy MBP update. I guess all the major stuff has been pushed back to March 2015.

I'm sure by then they'll roll everything out together with many new bells and whistles.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)