Apple's widely rumored 16-inch MacBook Pro is likely still coming based on recent supply chain checks by IDC analyst Jitesh Ubrani and Forbes contributor Brooke Crothers, but release timing remains unclear. Crothers is a former contributor to CNET, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal in Asia.

16-inch MacBook Pro concept

"We were expecting an announcement in October," Ubrani said in an email, according to Crothers. October came and went without an announcement, but Ubrani added that his research firm is "starting to see early signs" of the notebook within Apple's supply chain. "However, the timing of this is still uncertain," he said.

Crothers said he has heard similar, writing that "a source in Asia who talks to the Apple supply chain told me over the weekend that the 16-inch [MacBook Pro] is in production but the release date is unclear."

This information lines up with a recent DigiTimes report that claimed Apple will begin receiving volume shipments of the 16-inch MacBook Pro this quarter, possibly to sidestep a 15 percent import tariff on notebooks slated to take effect December 15. If accurate, mass production is likely underway.

Rumors suggest the 16-inch MacBook Pro will feature slimmer bezels around the display, a more reliable scissor switch keyboard, a standalone Touch ID sensor, and possibly a much-requested physical Esc key. Pricing is unknown, but would likely be higher than the $2,799 high-end 15-inch MacBook Pro.