16-Inch MacBook Pro Will Reportedly Use Intel's 9th-Gen Processors With Up to 8 Cores

Apple's widely rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro will be powered by Intel's 9th-generation Coffee Lake Refresh processors, in line with the 15-inch MacBook Pro released in May, according to IHS Markit analyst Jeff Lin.


If accurate, this means the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ will be configurable with up to an 8-core Core i9 processor with a 2.4GHz base clock speed and a max Turbo Boost frequency of 5.0GHz. The lineup also includes 6-core Core i7 processors. All of the chips are 45W with integrated Intel UHD Graphics 630.

Notably, this would mean that Apple isn't yet ready to use Intel's latest 10th-generation Ice Lake processors. These chips might not have been powerful enough for the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, as there are currently no 6-core or 8-core options, and they have low TDPs ranging between 9W and 15W.

Rumors suggest the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ will feature an all-new design with narrower bezels and a more reliable scissor mechanism keyboard. In a research note obtained by Forbes, Lin said the 16-inch display will have 227 pixels per inch, in line with a previously rumored 3,072×1,920 resolution.

Lin believes the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ will enter production in September, setting the stage for a fall release, but there is still some debate as to whether Apple will unveil the notebook in September or October. In the fall, Apple typically unveils new Macs in October, but it could always break with tradition.

There is some speculation that the 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ may be discontinued shortly after the 16-inch model launches, but TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said the 15-inch model will be refreshed in 2020.