In the market for a new retina MacBook Pro? An iPad mini? An iPod Touch? You might consider checking out a buyer’s guide before you buy, to get a sense of where your particular product is in its release cycle.
For example, I am in the market for a new retina MacBook Pro, as my existing model is a bit long in the tooth. Checking the MacRumors buyer’s guide (click the Macs tab towards the top of the page), I see that the retina MacBook Pro is rumored to see an upgrade this summer.
I can wait that long, and I can see by the notes that if I do wait, I’ll likely get a Force Touch trackpad. Worth it. [EDIT: Turns out the rMBP already has the Force Touch trackpad. Still gonna wait, though.]
There are lots of buyer’s guides out there, each with its own take on the product release cycle and associated rumors. Might be worth checking a few different ones to make sure the rumors all line up.
Just so you know… The retina Macbook pros already have force touch trackpads:
http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/ (second item in the “bullet” list)
Only thing that’d be nice if they provide Airport Extreme, Apple Pencil, Smart Keyboard, etc. in “Other” categories. I think that’s pretty much it.
Absolutely good advice. If nothing else, know Apple’s tendencies. Macbook Pros tend to release at WWDC. iPhones in the fall obviously (though the SE….). I think we can assume Watch will get on a holiday cycle this year (last year was too close to the initial release). Etc etc…
@llahnoraa – I think those are viewed as inexpensive enough that you just buy them when you need them. After all, if I need a new keyboard, I need a new keyboard. And if I buy one just before a new version the new features aren’t likely as performance affecting as the upgrades in a computer.
The MacRumors buyers guide was indeed very handy, to help find the biggest savings on a retina MacBook Pro (MacMall is still around – who knew?) Couldn’t wait until June.
http://www.everymac.com is not bad, though a bit dated, since Apple does a lot more than “Macs” these days…
I’m also waiting for a rMBP refresh, and there is plenty to look forward to: 1) Skylake CPU, which is mostly about big power savings (I just built a Skylake desktop PC, and it’s impressive). 2) USB 3.1, ThunderBolt 3, fast SDXC, and the latest HDMI and/or mDP, etc. 4) More flash storage standard, preferably 750 GB or 1 TB. 3) A better discreet GPU than the current AMD M370X, or with a lot of luck, support for the new Intel Detachable Graphics over TB 3. Fingers crossed.