Apple hasn't offered a MacBook Pro with anything larger than a 15-inch display since 2012. That might change later this year, according to IHS Markit, which said over the weekend that the company is planning to announce a MacBook Pro with a 16-inch display in September.
IHS Markit's claims follow a February report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that said Apple could release a MacBook Pro with a 16- to 16.5-inch display sometime in 2019. The company didn't announce such a product during WWDC, where it revealed a bunch of operating system updates as well as an updated Mac Pro, but that doesn't mean a larger MacBook Pro can't make its debut before the end of the year.
Apple typically staggers new product announcements throughout the year. Just look to the events it held in 2018 (opens in new tab) for a guide: it revealed a new iPad in March; announced updates to macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS at WWDC in June; unveiled the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and Apple Watch Series 4 in September; and then showed off new iPad Pro, Mac mini, and MacBook Air models in October.
That means it wouldn't be unusual for the company to host at least two more events this year. If one's devoted to the iPhone and Apple Watch, that leaves room for an updated MacBook Pro to arrive just in time for the holiday season. Unfortunately, aside from the reports about featuring a 16-inch display, we don't have much information about how that new MacBook Pro might differ from its predecessors.
We suspect that most of an updated MacBook Pro's audience would be fine if Apple simply made the display larger. (Especially since it just refreshed the 13- and 15-inch models with faster processors.) They say that size isn't everything, but when it comes to laptop displays, an extra inch of diagonal screen real estate goes a long way. Hopefully we'll find out more about Apple's plans for the MacBook Pro soon.
