Intel’s next-gen Ivy Bridge mobile and desktop CPUs are reportedly set to launch at the end of April, and that very likely means that new MacBooks and iMacs (and possibly Mac Pros) will shortly follow. And it’s about time, at least for me – it definitely feels like upgrade season!
CPU World claims to have confirmed the release schedule (via MacRumors):
Ivy Bridge processors will be announced in the 4th week of April, between April 22 and April 28. The announcement will include only quad-core models: mobile Core i7 and Core i7 Extreme families, desktop Core i7, Core i5-3570K, i5-3570T, i5-3550, i5-3550S, i5-3450 and i5-3450S. The announced chips will be available for sale on April 29, and the reviews and benchmarks should be published on the same day.
Another round of Core i5 and i7 processors will be launched several weeks later, on June 3rd, while the final round of processors, including lower power Core i3 processors suitable for netbooks, will become available sometime in the third quarter.
Both the MacBook Pro (which is rumored to be ultra-thin like a MacBook Air) and the iMac are due for a refresh, although it’s unclear what Apple’s plans are for the Mac Pro, as there has been some speculation that they may discontinue their powerful desktop model, which has not seen a refresh since 2010.