Rumors Of 13-inch MacBook Pro With Retina Display Production Delays Denied

Digitimes’ Aaron Lee and Joseph Tsai report that rumors to the effect that several notebook brand vendors have delayed or postponed mass shipments of a planned 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display are being contradicted by their sources in the upstream supply chain who are saying their supply status is stable.

Lee and Tsai say the sources indicate that Apple has demanded its upstream partners start supplying components for the 13-inch model in the third quarter and they’ve not yet heard anything about changing of schedule, and project that the new MacBook Pro will have a chance to launch before October to catch the back end of the back-to-school season.

They also note that unlike some Windows PC laptop vendorsm Apple has not reduced its shipment forecast for 2012 and is still expecting its notebook shipments to grow 30% on year, with Apple’s 2011 portable PC shipments having been 12.79 million units, according to IDC, which, with the 30% growth forecast, means that Apple’s MacBook series shipments are expected to reach 16.24 million units in 2012.

BGR’s Brad Reed says MacRumors has found a benchmark for what appears to be the 13-inch Retina-equipped MacBook Pro..