According to well-informed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple might launch a USB-C adapter with MagSafe functionality to return easy-on, easy-off functionality to a fully upgraded MacBook lineup, expected for unveiling at next week's "Hello Again" media event.
Kuo in a note to investors obtained by ÌÇÐÄVlog predicts the MagSafe-esque adapter will either be rolled out by Apple or a third-party, citing supply checks and continued customer interest in the venerable breakaway design. Apple began migrating its laptops toward an all-in-one USB-C charging and data transfer solution with the last year, a design shift expected to continue with revamped MacBook Pro models announced on Oct. 27.
In addition to the MagSafe adapter, Kuo predicts Apple's next-generation MacBooks to incorporate processors from Intel's Skylake family. Other notables include a new 2TB SSD storage tier and displays featuring an oxide panel for better image quality and energy efficiency. Screen resolutions should be identical to current-generation models, Kuo says.
The analyst goes on to reiterate , saying Apple is due to add a 13-inch model to its thin-and-light MacBook lineup. Also on the docket for the "Hello Again" keynote are two redesigned MacBook Pro versions featuring an OLED touch bar with fingerprint sensor, a keyboard with butterfly mechanism keys, Thunderbolt 3 and -- gasp -- a switch to USB-C. New hinges are anticipated for application in all new MacBook iterations.
Kuo also shed a bit more light on the OLED touch bar -- aka "" or "Control Strip" -- saying Apple plans to power the component with a sub-processor similar to the one found in Apple Watch. Whether the analyst is referring to the wearable's processor or the integrated display controller is unclear.
Finally, today's report notes Apple is working on updates for its all-in-one iMac desktop line, as well as a replacement for the Thunderbolt Display, but those models are due to arrive in the first half of 2017.
Kuo estimates MacBook shipments between 3.8 million to 4 million units in the fourth fiscal quarter of 2016, up 20 to 30 percent quarter-on-quarter but down 5 to 10 percent year-over-year. New MacBooks expected to launch next week will account for 40 to 45 percent of overall shipments during the coming quarter, he says.