9to5Mac is reporting that Apple is going to announce a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro alongside the iPad Mini at a forthcoming product announcement event.
The website cites a “consistently reliable source at a high-profile US retailer”, who has learned of a new, smaller version of the current 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro.
According to the source, a 13-inch version of the Retina MacBoook will share the thinner, lighter style of enclosure of the 15-inch version, and will be sold in two configurations — with differing processor and storage options. The source also claims that the 13-inch Retina MacBook will be sold alongside the standard 13-inch MacBook.
The 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro was launched back in June to dropped jaws, and hinted at the future of Apple’s laptop line: slim, hi-res displays, SSD-only storage and no optical drives. While a 13-inch version seemed inevitable, it remains to be seen with certainty if now is the time.
Still, chances are that the reason a 13-inch version wasn’t launched alongside the 15-inch computer was that Apple was taking it easy on suppliers.
Whether a six-month window provides enough breathing room — and whether we’ll hear of a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro in the coming weeks — well, we’ll just have to wait and see. [9to5mac]