Rumor: Next 15-inch MacBook Pro to Pack Retina Display

Lately talk of an Apple-branded HDTV and the iPhone 5 has dominated as far as Apple rumors are concerned. However, today brings us an Apple rumor of a different breed, one that speaks of an Apple MacBook Pro with a 15-inch retina display.

9to5Mac cites 'trusted sources' from Apple's supply chain in reporting that contrary to previous rumors, Apple's next 15-inch MacBook Pro will not feature a MacBook Air-like design. According to the site, Apple is instead opting for a slimmed down, more robust version of the current MacBook Pro. Aside from a slimmed down design, this new MacBook Pro will feature a dedicated power button key on the keyboard (similar to the MacBook Air), USB 3.0, a distinct lack of optical drive, two USB 2.0 ports, two Thunderbolt-sized ports, and an SD card slot. However, the most interesting feature is the rumored presence of a Retina display.

Already present on Apple's iPhone 4 and iPad 3, the 15-inch MacBook Pro Retina Display is said to boast multiple resolution modes that allow the user to adjust the sharpness and image sizes to their liking via presets with names such as 'big,' 'small' or 'optimal.' This represents a huge departure from the usual numbered resolution modes that computers users are used to seeing but will no doubt make changing the resolution a lot more user-friendly for the less tech-savvy of users.

Along with the Retina display and support for USB 3.0, expect Intel's newest line of Core processors under the hood. Apple's OS X Mountain Line is scheduled for this coming summer, and, considering the iPhone 5 likely won't launch 'til September, we're wondering if Apple is going to have a MacBook Pro announcement fill the gap at WWDC. If that's the case, we don't have long to wait until we see this new MacBook Pro make a debut.

_{Follow @JaneMcEntegart on Twitter.}