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Apple may not wait for WWDC to update 15-inch MacBook Pro and 27-inch iMac

If you’re planning on buying some new Apple hardware this week, it might be worth waiting a few days longer. Rumors are circulating that the company is planning to update their 15-inch MacBook Pro and 27-inch iMac lines sooner rather than later.

The news is being traced back to an anonymous source with a good track record, according to a report by MacRumors. Earlier this year, the 13-inch MacBook Pro was updated with a number of upgrades under the hood and the new Force Touch trackpad, all of which the site speculates will also reach the 15-inch model. It’s less clear what sort of updates might be in the works for the iMac.

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The site’s source is backed up by the fact that shipping estimates on Apple’s online store have been slipping for both products. This typically indicates a lack of stock, which can be attributed to the company selling through their remaining units ahead of the new product being released to the public. Similar stock issues have occurred previous to the release of other refreshed models, such as the latest MacBook Air and Pro 13 with Retina.

It might seem strange for Apple to debut new products so close to WWDC 2015 in June, but it’s likely that the event will focus on software rather than hardware — with the possible exception being a new version of the Apple TV. A relatively low-key release of these updated devices would ensure that iOS and OS X can be the focus at WWDC.

May 20 is apparently the date on which the new 15-inch MacBook Pro and 27-inch iMac will become available. However, with no official word from Apple as of the time of writing, this should still be considered a rumor. Still, we should know by Wednesday whether it was legitimate or not — and if the latter turns out to be the case, WWDC might well be the location for some new Apple hardware.

Brad Jones
Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…
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