Late last year, Apple’s MacBook Pro got a long-overdue shot in the arm in the form of the MacBook Pro 16. This year, the MacBook Pro could be in line for another massive power boost, according to leaked benchmark data.
The data comes in the form of readouts from benchmarking tool 3DMark Time Spy, supposedly sourced by Twitter leaker @_rogame (the same person who alerted us to the possibility of future Macs getting AMD Navi graphics). These latest results compare the 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor found in the high-end MacBook Pro 13 from 2019 with a second MacBook Pro model, reputed to be a 13-inch model due to be released later this year. This device, according to the leaks, comes with a 10th-generation 2.3GHz Intel Core i7 chip.
If the benchmark information is to be believed, this year’s MacBook Pro 13 scored 12% higher than last year’s model on the CPU test. Graphically it did even better, posting a remarkable 29% score increase over its predecessor.
None of Apple’s laptops have so far featured 10th-generation Ice Lake processors, so this would be a marked step up from the eighth-gen offerings currently found in the MacBook Pro 13. It’s also worth noting that the benchmark pits an i5 against an i7, so the results perhaps aren’t quite so surprising as they might seem.
Still, the indication that Apple is willing to upgrade to the latest generation of Intel chips is good news for Mac fans. Apple is reportedly running out of patience with Intel after a number of high-profile delays have left MacBooks shipping without the latest processors, something which rumors allege has led to Apple working on its own ARM-based MacBooks.
This latest leak suggests the ARM MacBook — if it is indeed in the works — is not quite ready for prime time, with Apple instead sticking with Intel for the time being. Apple traditionally releases new MacBook Pro models in either May or July via press release, or June or October at an event. That means this 10th-gen upgrade could get a big unveiling in under three months’ time. If not, it would surely be a showstopper moment at WWDC 2020.
It adds to the ongoing rumors surrounding the MacBook Pro 13, which is expected to get much the same treatment as its larger sibling. That means a new Magic keyboard, redesigned thermal architecture, slimline bezels, and more. Throw the latest processors into the mix and Apple may have found a real recipe for success.