13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro Said to Carry 'Unprecedented' Battery Design, Same Port Layout as 15-Inch Model

With multiple reports now indicating that Apple will be introducing its 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro at next week's rumored media event, details on the machine are also beginning to leak out.

According to a forum thread [Google translation] posted to Chinese site WeiPhone.com last week, the new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro will indeed be launching late this month. The report claims that it will carry the same thermal design as the larger 15-inch model, but with only one contact pad indicating that it will not include a discrete graphics chip.

The source reports that the 13-inch model will include an "unprecedented" battery design and offer the same set of ports seen on the 15-inch model: MagSafe 2, a pair of Thunderbolt ports, a USB port, and a headphone jack on the left and a USB port, an HDMI port, and an SD card reader on the right.

13 inch retina macbook pro display 1
The report's source has also added a pair of photos showing what is claimed to be the display of the 13-inch model wrapped in plastic atop the same part from the 15-inch model. It doesn't appear that part can be conclusively identified as for a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro given the poor quality of the photos and an inability to assess the thickness of the display assembly, but it does appear consistent with the 15-inch Retina display and lacks the "MacBook Pro" branding seen on the bezel of non-Retina models.

13 inch retina macbook pro display 2
The forum poster does have at least some track record of obtaining photos of unreleased product parts, as he previously posted a photo of the current 15-inch non-Retina MacBook Pro's graphics chip and surrounding logic board components a day before the machine was announced.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

iPhone Foldable Display Said to Feature iPad-Style 4:3 Aspect Ratio

Friday March 28, 2025 3:44 am PDT by
Apple's upcoming "iPhone Fold" will feature a foldable screen with a 4:3 aspect ratio, according to a Chinese leaker who previously leaked the book-style device's display dimensions. The Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station claims that Apple will adopt a "roughly" 4:3 aspect ratio on the inner display in order to achieve consistency between the outer display, as well as to ensure parity...

Top Rated Comments

dlewis23 Avatar
163 months ago
Not having discrete graphics could be a letdown.
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tingler Avatar
163 months ago
Apple's suppliers have been dropping the ball. I don't want to know about the product before Apple announces it. Somebody fix this.

Yeah, me neither. Wait, what am I doing on a MacRumors forum again?
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipodmac Avatar
163 months ago
iMac Please!
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yetieater Avatar
163 months ago
Apple's suppliers have been dropping the ball. I don't want to know about the product before Apple announces it. Somebody fix this.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mad Mac Maniac Avatar
163 months ago
Apple's suppliers have been dropping the ball. I don't want to know about the product before Apple announces it. Somebody fix this.

You sir, are on the wrong site.....
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Watabou Avatar
163 months ago
Hey there's actually been a lot of Mac news this week! What is this? Some kind of "Mac" rumors site? :mad:
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)