Apple Didn't Release Any New Macs This Quarter for First Time Since 2000

[Danfango]

And here we are...everyone thought Apple would release new Macs regularly since they don't depend on Intel anymore.
Seems like Intel was not the problem.

Intel was one of many problems. They shot that one pretty damn well.

Anyway so we really need product increments so often. This isn’t the early 00’s any more. Performance increments aren’t that large in ARMland. We’re paying for power/performance ratio still over here which is a damn good position to be in.

 

[Alex Cai]

And the M2 Pro/Max 14 & 16" MBP refresh, and the M2 Mac mini & iMac refresh, those are still M1.

Probably waiting for 3nm, because using N5 or N5P is already behind the competition

 

[Abazigal]

This article is nuts. Apple has done an amazing job with their hardware refresh this year and all the writer can whine about is how Apple has nothing for Q4. Absolutely ridiculous.

 

[Gudi]

I'm not worried. I bet Tim Apple has a huge pipeline!

 

[Gudi]

And here we are...everyone thought Apple would release new Macs regularly since they don't depend on Intel anymore. Seems like Intel was not the problem.

You probably don't get what the problem was with Intel. It was not a lack of meaningless novelties every quarter of every year. They couldn't hit their promised energy efficiency and heat radiation targets. Now look at the M1 and tell me Apple Silicon isn't doing much better!

 

[Heat_Fan89]

It takes courage not to release a single Mac in a calendar year.

 

[J.J. Sefton]

I'm still waiting at the window-lit candle in hand, pining away for a 32" iMac with Apple Silicon. I may have to sell a few internal organs before I can afford it, but I'm ready to make that sacrifice!

 

[xnu]

"Can we still blame Intel?" ~ probably Tim Cook somewhere 2022
Hopefully next year will bring some innovation.

 

[neuropsychguy]

People complain when Apple doesn't release new or updated computers. People complain when Apple does.

 

[azentropy]

I found it odd they didn't release a M2 Mac mini, that seems like a very simple upgrade. Maybe that does mean they will release a M2 Pro version too and that wasn't ready.

 

[Zdigital2015]

This is called, “We’re trying to extract ourselves from China and it’s really hard but we’re never going to tell anyone so we just won’t release anything new until we can get at least on factory in Vietnam running at full capacity.”…uh, lengthening the Product Cycle due to Continuing Supply Chain Challenges.

 

[russell_314]

And the M2 Pro/Max 14 & 16" MBP refresh, and the M2 Mac mini & iMac refresh, those are still M1.

Those are going to be on a cycle and it’s not going to be annual. When the M2 MacBook Pro comes out, then they’re going to need to update it to the M3. I don’t think they updated the Intel MacBook Pro every year.

 

[russell_314]

You probably don't get what the problem was with Intel. It was not a lack of meaningless novelties every quarter of every year. They couldn't hit their promised energy efficiency and heat radiation targets. Now look at the M1 and tell me Apple Silicon isn't doing much better!

It doesn’t matter what Apple does, someone will complain. If they updated every year someone will be saying “Does Apple expect me to buy a MacBook every year”. If they don’t update every year “Why aren’t they updating? I don’t want to use an outdated laptop” 🤦‍♂️

 

[Pezimak]

You probably don't get what the problem was with Intel. It was not a lack of meaningless novelties every quarter of every year. They couldn't hit their promised energy efficiency and heat radiation targets. Now look at the M1 and tell me Apple Silicon isn't doing much better!

Actually in some scenarios and work loads Intel and AMD out perform Apple silicon, even the extreme variants.

 

[Gudi]

Actually in some scenarios and work loads Intel and AMD out perform Apple silicon, even the extreme variants.

Not in performance per watt.

 

[Pezimak]

This is called, “We’re trying to extract ourselves from China and it’s really hard but we’re never going to tell anyone so we just won’t release anything new until we can get at least on factory in Vietnam running at full capacity.”…uh, lengthening the Product Cycle due to Continuing Supply Chain Challenges.

Or they will only move to countries with the same none existent employee and human rights and dirt cheap labour. Not that I can say anything supporting this by buying their products.

 

[jonnysods]

Regardless, the Intel transition is almost complete. Eager to see what the Mac Pro will look like, I'm assuming it may wait until WWDC?

 

[falkon-engine]

If the delay yields 3nm chips for the 14”/16” pros with better power efficiency, higher clock speeds, possibly more cores and other custom silicon/accelerators then so be it. Apple packaged the same chip from the 13 pro/max into the 14 and 14 plus and sales are lackluster.

So… if apple is waiting on 3nm HVM for the new macintoshes, then so be it. Better to wait and release a blockbuster product rather than to release a mediocre product that will generate a lukewarm market response (a product that’s essentially a minor respin on existing tech).

 

[throAU]

No problem, the M1 pro/max/ultra machines are still way far ahead of the PC market in the mobile form factors.

 

[throAU]

People complain when Apple doesn't release new or updated computers. People complain when Apple does.

Exactly... people complain when apple DO release new or updated machines that make their current model obsolete.

People who aren't even in the market like making noise about things.

 

[Abazigal]

Let's do a quick recap of the products that Apple did release / refresh this year.

March
Mac Studio
Studio Display
iPad Air
iPhone SE

June
MacBook Air
13-inch MacBook Pro

September
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
Apple Watch Series 8
Apple Watch SE
Apple Watch Ultra
Apple Watch Hermès
AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

October
iPad (10th gen)
iPad Pro
Apple TV 4K (3rd gen)

While there were no M2 MBPs, I find that they are new and powerful enough that people should not be expecting annual refreshes. A 1.5 to 2 year update cycle for these products seems more likely, given that they probably sell in lower volumes than the MBA.

In all, we are looking at an impressive 8-month stretch that no other company appears to come close to matching. Not forgetting the annual updates of their OSes and services. In this context, it seems quite short-sighted to castigate Apple for missing their self-imposed deadline to the Mac Pro, or for the apparent paucity of Mac updates these few months.

 

[Morod]

It's okay, Applde. I forgive you. I'm way too broke right now to buy a new one anyway. 😁

 

[FightTheFuture]

Those are going to be on a cycle and it’s not going to be annual. When the M2 MacBook Pro comes out, then they’re going to need to update it to the M3.

I was thinking this too. Or they’re trying to give the new designs breathing room. For instance, an M2 MBP refresh may distract from the new M2 MBA design.

 

[CarAnalogy]

It could be that Intel was a big problem, while now there are new problems

I think with the Mac Pro they have the opposite problem of their other computers.

The Mac Pro doesn’t need to be efficient, it needs to be very powerful, and the new one of course has to be more powerful than the old one.

But the M series chips are made for efficiency and the current Mac Pro is already so powerful, it’s not a good fit anymore. All the rumors show that it doesn’t appear physically possible to make a more powerful computer than the current Mac Pro with Apple’s SoC fully integrated strategy. Especially for video, there’s still no replacement for expansion cards.

 

[Rogifan]

“Can’t innovate my…okay, fair point.”

Because lame, unfunny comments like this are certainly innovative…oh wait.