Korea's NRRA Certifies MacBook Pro With Model Number 'A2159' [Updated]

Update: One eagle-eyed reader notes that the model number "A2159" appears to reference Apple's recently refreshed entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro with two Thunderbolt ports, suggesting the NRRA certification is a post-launch filing.

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Signs of Apple's upcoming MacBook Pro redesign continue to mount with news today that Korea's National Radio Research Agency (NRRA) has now certified unreleased MacBook Pro model A2159.


Regular readers may recall that an unreleased MacBook Pro with the same mysterious model number received FCC approval almost exactly one month ago. The identifier was also registered with the Eurasian Economic Commission in June.

First spotted by MySmartPrice.com, Korea's NRRA filing doesn't give away much about the unreleased MacBook Pro, simply describing the model as a "small-output wireless device" while confirming that it is manufactured in China.

The earlier FCC filing rated the notebook as 20.3V - 3A Max (equivalent to 61W), suggesting to some a refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro. However, Apple updated its higher-end 13-inch MacBook Pro in May and its entry-level 13-inch model with a Touch Bar last month, but that's not to say it won't refresh the entire line-up in the fall. Apple has refreshed its entire MacBook Pro lineup twice in a year only once before in the Retina era, in 2013.

On the other hand, details from multiple sources have been converging around the possibility that Apple is developing a 16-inch MacBook Pro featuring a new design and a larger display, perhaps enabled through slimmer bezels.


16-inch MacBook Pro rumors began with Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Back in February, Kuo said the notebook would launch at some point in 2019 with an "all-new design." He has not shared any further details since, but a recent supply chain report said mass production would begin in the fourth quarter of this year.

Kuo also believes the 16-inch MacBook Pro will debut with a new scissor switch keyboard design, which will eventually be used in to other MacBook Air and Pro models in 2020 and 2021. According to supply chain sources, the 16-inch display will be an LCD panel with a 3,072 × 1,920 resolution, supplied by LG.

Whatever the technical details turn out to be, with the previous EEC, FCC, and now NRRA filings all referencing the same mysterious A2159 number in the last few months, all the indications are that we'll see a new MacBook Pro quite soon.