MacBook Pro 2016 release date: June launch looking more likely as new 9.7-inch iPad Pro set to arrive next month

Rumors has it that a new, smaller iPad Pro will be revealed next month, making it more unlikely that Apple will release a MacBook Pro in March.Apple website

Rumors say Apple may be planning a surprise at its March event by unveiling the MacBook Pro 2016. However, recent speculations of a new iPad Pro hint that an Apple laptop launching next month is not plausible and it seems more likely that the new MacBook will appear in the middle of the year instead.

According to BreatheCast, International Data Collection Program Director Ryan Reith said in an interview that the iPad Pro serves as Apple's "stop-gap" solution, a kind of in-between until the Cupertino-based company eventually gives its Mac lineup a more portable design, fusing the iPad Pro's aesthetics with desktop-level internals.

If Apple is really following this path, then the recent news of an iPad Pro reveal next month makes it more plausible that the MacBook is really intended for a mid-2016 release.

However, instead of a follow-up, it seems that the upcoming tablet is a refreshed one. Under the hood, the new iteration carries the same features as the current iPad Pro, with an A9X processor paired with the same amount of RAM, rumored to be at least 4 GB. However, the supposed addition has a smaller, 9.7-inch display. The new tablet is also supposed to come out with its own Smart Connector and Smart Keyboard accessories and will also feature Apple Pencil support.

Should the rumors be proven true, then fans can expect that there will be no new MacBook Pro next month. The iPad Pro is considered to be a professional-level hybrid, and it is improbable that Apple will be launching two products that target the same market simultaneously.