New 13-inch MacBook Pro appears on FCC, suggests refresh is imminent

Two open MacBook laptops, a 13-inch MacBook Pro and a 15-inch model, are placed side by side on a dark background. Screens facing each other create a mirror-like appearance. The refreshed 13-inch model weighs 1.37 kg with a thickness of 14.9 mm, while the FCC-approved 15-inch model is 1.83 kg and 15.

Despite overhauling its MacBook Pro range just weeks ago, Apple could be on the brink of releasing yet another MacBook Pro – this time a new 13-inch model.

Avid technology geeks have spotted a model number mentioned in FCC documentation, A2159, which matches with a model number that was first spotted in the Eurasian Economic Commission (ECC) database last month.

Apple products set for release have previously appeared in the ECC database a couple of months before they’re unveiled by Apple, as the company has to register and seek approval to sell the new products in such markets.

The latest leak is the clearest indicator yet that Apple had more up its sleeve when it comes to the MacBook Pro, although the new document in the FCC is pretty vague and doesn’t give much away on what’s included in the new Mac.

The document does confirm, however, that Apple has filed a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, which has ruled out the previous speculation at the company was going to re-launch its MacBook range or introduce a series of updated iMacs.

What’s more, because the new 2019 MacBook Pro models – released in May – all use the new A1990 model number, it’s likely this is another new machine to sit alongside those products, rather than a machine that outright replaces what Apple has already released.

Some have suggested that the new MacBook Pro is simply an upgraded model with more RAM. Indeed, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has previously suggested that Apple would launch the option of a 32GB MacBook Pro later in the year.

The company is also set to release a new 16-inch MacBook Pro in the coming months with an all-new design, though it’s unlikely such device would appear on the FCC database before it’s announced by Apple.

Unlike in Europe, where products must be registered in advance, Apple typically adds devices to the FCC database once they’ve been announced and before they go on sale – that’s why this new 13-inch MacBook Pro leak is particularly interesting.

Stay tuned to AppleMagazine for the latest news and rumors as and when we get them.

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