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MacBook Pro Air 2016 to be announced at WWDC 2016?

Promotional image for the MacBook Pro | Apple

This week, Apple will be giving fans and investors alike a peek into what it is cooking up in its Cupertino, California offices.

The multinational tech giant's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will be held in San Francisco, California, from June 13 to 17. During the much anticipated event, Apple is expected to share updates on its most popular products — including the iPhone, the Mac, and Siri — as well as the latest versions of its OS X, iOS, watchOS and tvOS. The conference could also see the unveiling of a new MacBook Pro and a new MacBook Air.

While it isn't likely that hardware will be the focus of this year's WWDC, a report from Apple Insider indicates that fans should expect announcements that could affect Apple's MacBook lineup. It is unclear if the specific changes to the MacBooks will be revealed during the conference or later this month.

According to Apple Insider, the upcoming WWDC probably won't see the unveiling of a redesigned MacBook Pro. And while it is possible that Apple could pre-announce a redesigned slimmer MacBook Pro with a Touch ID fingerprint scanner and a dynamic OLED touch bar, this rumored new laptop reportedly won't be shipping out anytime soon.

Meanwhile, MacRumors claims that Apple is planning on announcing new MacBook Air models sometime this month. Citing Japanese website Mac Otakara, the website says that the new MacBook Air lineup will begin shipping out in August.

The Mac Otakara report, which cites "a reliable Chinese supplier," indicates that the new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models will come equipped with Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports. The MagSafe 2, Thunderbolt 2, and USB-A ports found on existing MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models will all be removed in favor of a single USB-C port. The report also suggests that Apple will soon be discontinuing the 11-inch MacBook Air and will be focusing, instead, on the 13-inch MacBook Air and the 12-inch MacBook.

While the Mac Otakara report was unclear on whether or not Apple will be announcing its latest MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models at the WWDC, MacRumors indicates that the conference will generally be a no-hardware event. Nonetheless, the new models could be announced via a press release later this month, as was the case with the new 12-inch MacBook in April.

The Apple WWDC 2016 will kick off on Monday, June 13.