The rumor of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display has strengthened from an analyst suggesting the laptop will launch before the release of the iPhone 5.
As Latinos Post reported, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated Apple will have a "soft launch" for two of their upcoming devices, being the 21.5-inch iMac and the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display. The purpose for the "soft launch" is to give more focus of the highly anticipated iPhone 5.
"Our survey shows that Apple will take the wraps off quite a few new products in September and October. From a marketing and sales point of view, too many new products in a short period of time is not a positive thing," stated Kuo.
According to CNET, NPD DisplaySearch analyst Richard Simm said the display for the upcoming 13-inch MacBook with Retina Display will feature resolution of 2,560x1,600 pixels. As CNET reported, that is high "compared to the current iteration's 1,280x800 pixel screen."
"The supply chain indications are that it's for a MacBook Pro 13.3 - not a MacBook Air," Shim said.
The new laptop is expected to be cheaper and weigh less than the 15-inch version.
As with the iPhone 5, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display's screen is rumored to be created by LG Display and Sharp. Apple's rival Samsung is also helping.
Simm stated, "With Samsung, if you look at the new [Retina] iPad, they had fewer issues reaching the higher resolution requests from Apple. They were the first vendor to get to volume with that panel."
It is unclear with Apple will announce the launch of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display during the Sept. 12 press conference where the iPhone 5 is scheduled to make its debut, but, going with speculation, it too will launch this month.