A mysterious new MacBook Pro model from Apple has popped up at the FCC this week. This comes after Apple overhauled the MacBook Pro lineup in May with new Intel processors and a slightly revised keyboard design.
The model number mentioned in the FCC documentation, A2159, aligns with a model number spotted in the Eurasian Economic Commission (ECC) database last month. The ECC database has proven to be a reliable indicator of upcoming Apple device releases in the past.
The FCC document is pretty vague, but it does note that this is a 13-inch MacBook Pro, ruling out speculation that it could be a refreshed version of the languishing 12-inch MacBook or updated iMacs. The new 2019 MacBook Pro models use the A1990 model number, suggesting this is an additional new machine.
With the vagueness of the FCC filing, it’s hard to tell exactly what this new MacBook Pro is. One possibility is that it’s a spec-bumped model of the 13-inch MacBook Pro. Reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo earlier this year said that Apple would launch a revised version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the option for 32GB of RAM.
Apple is also apparently developing a 16-inch MacBook Pro, but it’s unlikely that it would slip through the FCC cracks ahead of schedule. Generally, new Apple devices hit the FCC database almost immediately after they are announced. That’s what makes this 13-inch appearance surprising.
- Kuo: 16-inch MacBook Pro, 31-inch 6K display, iPhones w/ upgraded Face ID & bilateral wireless charging coming in 2019
- New 16-inch MacBook Pro rumored to launch in fall with 3072×1920 display, spec bump refresh for 13-inch MacBook Pro & MacBook Air
- Apple announces more powerful 8-core MacBook Pro with updated butterfly keyboard design
- Envisioning Apple’s rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro with edge-to-edge display
