Apple Planning Five New Macs for 2022, Including Entry-Level MacBook Pro Refresh

[Lucas Curious]

This makes me think Apple is planning a bi-yearly refresh for Apple silicon macs. Wonder if should go for the M1 Max now or wait til 2023?

you know the deal. buy it when you need it. If you need it, that means you are actually making money with it and it will easily pay for itself. If your prediction is true than you would have spent 2 years trying to make money with a sloppier experience, meaning you have lost time and money in those 2 years while waiting for a slight upgrade. Also doesn't Apple have some contracts with business and yearly lease upgrades? I dont know anything about that but I would assume businesses lease their products because I worked for companies who never bought apple stuff. they only leased

Personally I upgraded because I was losing patience with the Intel+Monteray sloppy laggy experience. Those seconds add up in 2 years.

 

[CWallace]

I like the idea of a Air & entry level Pro. I can think of lots of things that could differentiate the 2:
- 13” display on the Air (where weight is priority) vs 14” on pro
- Bigger battery and more ports on Pro
- and of course more CPU & GPU cores on Pro

But we already have a 14" MBP with a larger battery, more ports and more CPU & GPU cores.

If Apple wants a cheaper MBP, then just offer the 14" model with an M2, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD and sell it for $1599 vs the $1999 for the current M1 PRO model.

 

[newdeal]

Maybe with their own silicon they can get their prices a little more under control with some of their machines. Maybe it is my imagination but the prices seem to really be escalating (at least in Canada, could be a currency thing)

 

[CWallace]

Maybe with their own silicon they can get their prices a little more under control with some of their machines. Maybe it is my imagination but the prices seem to really be escalating (at least in Canada, could be a currency thing)

Supply chain constraints mean everyone is raising their prices for components so Apple (and other OEMs) have to raise their prices in parallel.

We're also starting to see the effects of inflation in the US and other developed nations raising prices for many categories.

 

[kenaustus]

The entry level MBP is the most redundant of Apple's offerings

The least expensive Mac or iPhone or Watch will be the "entry level" product for Apple. As far as the Air goes, I like the current form factor and would be happy to see it continue, even as a budget level option. Flat sides are not that comfortable when the MBP is in in your lap. I might just have to go with the current M1 version - at my age I'll never notice the faster speed of the newer Air next year - assuming I live that long!

 

[Tagbert]

Since the launch of ultrabooks a decade ago, 13- and 14-inch devices have taken off. 15-inch and up is desktop replacement category. If you visit a university lecture theater, hardly anyone is carrying a 15-inch because it’s too bulky.

Yes, that is what people are looking for.

 

[Tagbert]

Time for certain lazy developers to get on with porting their software to natively support Apple Silicon. Many of them are using Rosetta 2 as a crutch and excuse to not get to work. Waiting until the last minute when Apple pulls the rug out from beneath them, stripping Rosetta from macOS. I don't understand this work ethic at all! Apple Silicon developer kits have been available for how long now?

I’m sure that are some specific apps that have not yet upgraded but, overall, the numbers are looking pretty good. About 67% already have M1 versions. Only 27% are still Rosetta.
https://isapplesiliconready.com/statistics

 

[Maclomania]

I guess Apple is trying to phase out the Mac's like iPhones. There is a new one every two years. After all, other than the size, there isn't much difference between iPhones/iPads and Macs. They are will all be designed pretty much with the same hardware going forward.

 

[shatalin]

Here is my take:

1. iMac Pro. 27” 5K 120hz Promotion Mini LED display. M1 Pro and M1 Pro Max.

2. All-new MacBook Air with Mini LED Liquid Retina display. 8 cores CPU, 9/10 cores GPU. Multiple colors, like champaigne gold, pink and others.

3. MacBook SE. Essentially a MacBook Pro 13” without a touch-bar and no Touch ID. M1 w. 7/8 cores GPU. Starting price $899

4. All-new Mac Pro. M1 Max Duo and M1 Max Quatro. Design (an hommage to PowerMac G4 Cube): three Mac minis stacked together. Inside there is a motherboard and a huge heatsink. External power brick with C5 power cord. 4 thunderbolt ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports, audio-out. Silver only.

6. Higher-end Mac mini with M1 Pro. 8/10 cores CPU, 14/16 cores GPU. 4 thunderbolt ports, HDMI, 2 USB 3.0 ports, audio-out.

5. All-new Thunderbolt Display. Mini LED 27”, 5k. An Apple A13 GPU (or some other) chip to enable 120hz Promotion.

 

[shatalin]

you know the deal. buy it when you need it. If you need it, that means you are actually making money with it and it will easily pay for itself. If your prediction is true than you would have spent 2 years trying to make money with a sloppier experience, meaning you have lost time and money in those 2 years while waiting for a slight upgrade. Also doesn't Apple have some contracts with business and yearly lease upgrades? I dont know anything about that but I would assume businesses lease their products because I worked for companies who never bought apple stuff. they only leased

Personally I upgraded because I was losing patience with the Intel+Monteray sloppy laggy experience. Those seconds add up in 2 years.

People who make money with it never ask such questions. Also, I think there will be no M2 in 2022 as it would cast a shadow on the Pro level products.

 

[AxiomaticRubric]

The 24" iMac definitely needs a better sibling. The 24" has a very nice display but the refresh rate kills the experience. After seeing ProMotion on the iPad Pro and the new Macbook Pros, using a 24" iMac is really disappointing.

 

[navaira]

What a difference when you don’t have to rely on intel.

A few years ago we thought Apple have given up on Macs entirely and became the iPhone and services company that used to make computers.

I'm here for the Macs and especially the "biggest Air redesign in history" makes me salivate, even though I'm typing this on perfectly fine M1 Air… but it's not biggestly redesigned in history yet!

 

[factory81]

I hope the MBP 13" doesn't get the same ugly redesign as the 14/16. Specifically the feet, old HDMI port, and old SD card reader. I liked the tapered, USB-C-only port design that the MBP 13 (and outgoing 16 Pro model) has.

The 14/16 are so bleh, design wise, that I am trying to convince myself that a maxed out M1 13" MBP would suffice.

It's like the minute everyone owns a USB-C to HDMI/USB/etc adapter, Apple decides to start adding ports-galore, even if the ports are outdated. So weird - like HP or Compaq hardware engineers took over the MBP product lineup....

 

[formerapplefan]

But we already have a 14" MBP with a larger battery, more ports and more CPU & GPU cores.

If Apple wants a cheaper MBP, then just offer the 14" model with an M2, 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD and sell it for $1599 vs the $1999 for the current M1 PRO model.

This is more or less the lower end mbp I was describing. So I am not sure where you are disagreeing with me?

 

[throAU]

This. The current 13 MBP is effectively redundant with the current M1 Air. A new entry level M2 MBP would be equally redundant with a new M2 Air. It would be pointless unless the M2 Pro can offer something significant the M2 Air doesn’t have, like maybe the legacy ports the 14in. Pro has as well as maybe a 14in. screen. I think we can safely assume the TouchBar won’t be kept.

That might work because presently it’s a big jump from the 13in. Pro to the 14in. Pro.

Pretty much. They should just release 11", 13", 15" MacBook Airs and be done with it.

Some people just want a big screen.

And yes, this is one of Apple's ways of up-selling you, but if they really want to crush the PC laptop market, a 15" Air with some ridiculous battery life due to running an M1/M2 (i.e., entry level laptop M series processor) would crush it. At the very least it would put a massive squeeze on Intel's margins.

 

[Realityck]

The entry level MBP is the most redundant of Apple's offerings

Yet it’s design that is more expandable than the 13" MBA slanted unibody. I have thought about the two 13" laptops competing, but if 13" MBP had updated multiple speakers, faster processor, updated screen, and still could easily retain the 3.0 lbs position, below the more powerful 3.5 lbs 14" MBP. The current 13" MBA at 2.8 lbs weight is in a interesting spot. People want it to have a larger screen and faster processor, but where does it really fit comparably? In the end both will be pitched for their differences, with the MBA staying petite and low cost, and the 13" MBP having more space for additional features with its compact size. Just my guess where it's going.

 

[m1maverick]

What a difference when you don’t have to rely on intel.

How so?

 

[dandeco]

Regarding the M1 13" MacBook Pro, it does seem like an odd duck, especially since compared to its' Intel predecessors, the M1 MacBook Air is VERY close to the M1 13" Pro in terms of speed and power, especially the 8-core graphics versions. The only real differences are that the 13" Pro has a slightly thicker case, a cooling fan, better speakers and microphones, and that Touch Bar. This is why I opted for the M1 MacBook Air, as I was upgrading from a late 2009 polycarbonate MacBook anyways and wanted to reserve a "pro" machine for desktop usage.
With THAT said, I am indeed hoping they come out with a revised high-end Mac Mini using the M1 Pro chip, as that's what I would want to upgrade to, to replace my 2012 quad-core i7 Mac Mini. Or if Apple comes out with an inexpensive "small form factor" version of the Apple Silicon Mac Pro (like the rumored "Mac Pro Cube"), I could save up some more and get that instead (but I'd still configure it to come with 32 GB of memory and a 1 TB SSD.)

 

[Warped9]

They should just release 11", 13", 15" MacBook Airs and be done with it.

I seriously doubt we will an 11 or 12 or 15in. entry MacBook. I do think the new Air as well a new entry Pro should be 14 inches.

 

[Skewlovevism]

How about this

Call them all MACBOOK, make 2 sizes.
14 inch, 16 inch

The PRO moniker would me only in a config (you choose pro, pro max, then your macbook is PRO, M1 = not PRO)
PRO doesn't need to be written on a computer itself.

I know, it's like a magic

 

[redpandadev]

The big question in my mind is whether the current M1 MacBook Air model will saved in the line-up, lowered in price to ~$899, with these new M2 MacBook Airs slotting in above it at $999 & up.

I think the M1 MacBook Air will remain in the lineup at $999, but they will adjust the lineup slightly, dropping the 7 core GPU model and making an 8cGPU/8GB/256GB model. The new M2 Airs will come in at $1299 to replace the entry MBP and the new entry MBP will be a 15" M2 based Mac at $1699.

 

[George Dawes]

I’d love to see a mini led backed iMac with ultra slim profile and a powerful Mac mini , oh and a gaming focused appletv

Hurry up santa !

 

[alfonsog]

I’ll probably trade or sell my new 16” base MacBook Pro and get the Mac Pro whenever it comes out… I’m just mostly using this in clamshell mode anyway, but I needed something to replace dead Mac Pro.

 

[caribbeanblue]

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

 

[azentropy]

I'm still thinking (or more like hoping) the refresh MBA is actually going to just be called the MacBook and possibly come in both 13" and 15" sizes. The 13" MBA will remain at the entry level and maybe even get a price cut. The 13" MBP will be discontinued.

So the lineup will something like:

13" MBA - $999 8/256 M1 (Possibly lower)
13" MacBook - $1299 8/256 M2
15" MacBook - $1599 8/256 M2
14" MBP - $1999 16/512 M1 Pro
16" MBP - $2199 16/512 M1 Pro