Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Planning Five New Macs for 2022, Including Entry-Level MacBook Pro Refresh
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
A MacBook Pro using the 14.2" chassis would have better battery life than one using the 13.3" chassis due to the larger internal volume for battery packs.
I don't know if this has been answered already, but I believe what this refers to is a replacement for the 13" MacBook Pro model that is still being sold and has the touch bar at the top of the keyboard.
Why does a “Pro” machine have an “entry level?” I know, I know… it’s all just marketing. But seriously: The entry-level MacBook is the Air. The crappy version of the MBP should be called the MBA: MacBook Amateur.
Either would be a big improvement over the initial, weak M1 Mini.
I need to replace my 2010 Mac Pro, and would like it to be with something that can take a 10Gbit NIC.
2022 is a long year, if it's going to be November then I might need to just replace with an MBP, which would mean a clunky external thunderbolt 10GE dongle and less bang/buck. If it's going to be February, that would be a different story.
A new Mac Mini in the footprint of the Apple TV would be fantastic and seems completely plausible given the tiny fraction of a silicon Mac that is actually the computer.
Even if all apple did was put an M2 in the 14 inch MBP and remove promotion (to get cost down) that would be an AMAZING computer for a larger segment of the market than the current 14 inch MBP.
The current M1Pro/Max laptops prioritized performance, specifically graphics performance which many (even pros) don't need. They did this at the expense of the epic battery life/thermals that people came to expect based on M1 Macbook air/pro.
A computer that LOOKS like a pro, has ports like a pro, and epic battery life at a lower price will be a best seller. In 2009 apple released the 13" MBP. It was basically the same as the 13" aluminum Macbook before it but calling it pro and giving it the same design language as the rest of the pro lineup was HUGELY successful.
Obviously no one but apple knows what they are going to do next but I wouldn't be surprised if they went this route again. The prosumer has always been Apple's bread and butter.
The current M1Pro/Max laptops prioritized performance, specifically graphics performance which many (even pros) don't need. They did this at the expense of the epic battery life/thermals that people came to expect based on M1 Macbook air/pro.
A computer that LOOKS like a pro, has ports like a pro, and epic battery life at a lower price will be a best seller. In 2009 apple released the 13" MBP. It was basically the same as the 13" aluminum Macbook before it but calling it pro and giving it the same design language as the rest of the pro lineup was HUGELY successful.
Obviously no one but apple knows what they are going to do next but I wouldn't be surprised if they went this route again. The prosumer has always been Apple's bread and butter.
This makes so much sense. The current 14 and 16 Pros, priced as they are, have limited market appeal no matter how capable they are. An M2 14in. Pro priced similarly to the current 13in. would be killer.
Absolutely not. The 11-inch MacBook Air had large bezels and a 16:9 screen. Apple will never bring back a laptop this size. People are missing the point here.
Just look at the dimensions of the 11-inch Air compared to the other MacBook Air models. It simply does not make sense.
| 13-inch MacBook Air (2008 original model) | 11-inch MacBook Air (2010) | 13-inch MacBook Air (2010) | 12-inch MacBook (2015) | 13-inch MacBook Air (Retina model, current) | |
| Height | 0.16-0.76 inch | 0.11-0.68 inch | 0.11-0.68 inch | 0.14-0.52 inch | 0.16-0.63 inch |
| Width | 12.8 inches | 11.8 inches | 12.8 inches | 11.04 inches | 11.97 inches |
| Depth | 8.94 inches | 7.56 inches | 8.94 inches | 7.74 inches | 8.36 inches |
| Weight | 3.0 lbs | 2.38 lbs | 2.96 lbs | 2.03 lbs | 2.8 lbs |
The size of the 13-inch MacBook Air was reduced over the years, even though the screen kept the same size.
The 12-inch MacBook is sort of a spiritual successor to the 11-inch MacBook Air. It is slightly smaller in nearly all dimensions, save for depth (due to the 16:10 screen ratio). The screen size in the 11-inch model is, in fact, 11.6-inch. I am not sure if the screen of the 12-inch MacBook is exactly 12-inch, but I assume so. An 11.6-inch 16:9 screen and a 12-inch 16:10 screen have about the same width (the 12-inch been only slightly wider). But the 12-inch screen is considerably taller, which results in a 12.5% larger area.
So, by reducing the bezels, Apple managed to put a 12-inch 16:10 screen in a form factor that is slightly smaller and considerably lighter than the 11-inch MacBook Air.
Now just look at a picture of the 12-inch MacBook. It has some quite large bezels compared to the brand-new 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros. In fact, the screen of the 12-inch MacBook (assuming it is really 12 inches) is 10.18 inches wide and 6.36 inches high, while its body is 11.04 inches wide and 7.74 inches high. Bezel size would be 0.86 inch x 1.38 inch.
The bezels of the 12-inch MacBook could be significantly reduced. Just look at the new 14.2-inch model. While the 14.2-inch model has a tricky screen ratio, I will assume it is around 1.54:1. It would result in a screen 11.91 inches wide and 7.73 inches high. Its body is 12.31 inches wide and 8.71 inches tall. It would result in a bezel that is 0.4 inch x 0.98 inch.
If a 12-inch MacBook could have this bezel size, it would be even smaller. But, looking at the 12-inch model, the size of the keyboard would make it impossible to shrink it even further. So, in order to reduce the bezels without shrinking the keyboard and making it less comfortable, Apple would have to increase the screen size.
A 16:10 12.5-inch screen would be 10.6 inches wide and 6.62 inches tall. The bezel size, considering the dimensions of the 12-inch model, would be 0.44 inch x 1.12 inch. So, it would be possible to increase the size of the 12-inch model to 12.5 inches and still have bezels larger than the ones in the 14.2-inch Pro model.
My take is that Apple may release a brand new MacBook Air next year to replace both the 13.3-inch MacBook Air and Pro. This new MacBook Air could have a larger version, with a 14.2-inch screen similar to the one found in the smaller Pro, and a smaller version, with a 12.5-inch screen or something similar. Apple could even release a 16.2-inch version, which would make a lot of sense, considering that the current larger Pro model is heavy and expensive compared to other large laptops available in the market.
In any case, due to the reasons above, I do not see an 11-inch model, or even a 12-inch, as a possibility. These screen sizes simply cannot fit the size of the keyboard and still keep small bezels.
Does it make sense that the Mac mini "pro" would get the new multi-color treatment? That seems more like Apple Silicon's baseline style, like the M1 iMac. The new M1P/M MacBook Pros are not colorful, but the rumor is the upcoming M2 baseline MacBook Air will be. Could it be the upcoming colorful Mac mini will instead be the M2 baseline Mac mini? If so, will there still be a Mac mini Apple Silicon replacement for the Intel "pro" model?
Apple is working on five new Macs for launch in 2022, including a new version of the entry-level MacBook Pro, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that he expects Apple to launch five new Macs in 2022, including:
- A high-end iMac with Apple silicon to sit above the 24-inch iMac in the lineup
- A significant MacBook Air revamp featuring the "M2" chip and a new design
- An updated Mac mini
- A new version of the entry-level MacBook Pro
- A new Mac Pro with Apple silicon
While there have been a large number of rumors around Apple's iMac, MacBook Air, Mac mini, and Mac Pro updates, Gurman's mention of a new entry-level MacBook Pro stands out. He previously mentioned that a next-generation entry-level MacBook Pro would contain the same M2 chip as the next-generation MacBook Air, featuring the same number of CPU cores as the M1 chip, up to 10 graphics cores, and improved performance, but this is the first time that the machine has been mentioned in over half a year.
The introduction of Apple's latest high-end MacBook Pro models, which feature larger displays, scrapped the Touch Bar, and added more ports, seems to have left the entry-level MacBook Pro in something of an odd position in the Mac lineup, leading to speculation that it could be discontinued and replaced with a high-end version of the MacBook Air, but Gurman's reaffirmation suggests that a new entry-level MacBook Pro is still on the way for 2022.
Details about the new machine are unclear, but there are significant questions around how the new entry-level MacBook Pro will take the middle ground between the new M2 MacBook Air and the current high-end MacBook Pro, and whether aspects such as the Touch Bar will remain.
Refreshes of the 24-inch iMac and high-end MacBook Pro were noticeably absent from Gurman's list of expectations for 2022. While these machines were updated this year, their absence from Gurman's list could add clout to the theory that Apple is not planning to update its Apple silicon Macs annually.
Beyond the Mac, Gurman mentioned that he also expects to see an iPhone SE with 5G, new AirPods Pro earbuds, and the introduction of Apple's first mixed augmented and virtual reality headset in 2022.
Article Link: Apple Planning Five New Macs for 2022, Including Entry-Level MacBook Pro Refresh
Something that small you're probably committing to the dongle life. Maybe two Thunderbolt 4 ports, including one for power.
Last edited:
I've always liked the idea of a Mac squeezed into Apple TV size. Cool concept, a "web Mac".
Or think of it in terms of an Apple Silicon version of a Raspberry Pi (yeah, Apple Pi). It could be a hobby machine. Could non-volatile memory be wired into the Unified Memory Architecture?
Or both.
Last edited:
I would not expect the "Mac mini Pro" to come in any color other than Space Black (as the current 2018 Intel model is).
That's why I think maybe the upcoming colorful Mac mini in everyone's rumors is really the M2 baseline version, much like the rumors for the upcoming M2 MacBook Air.
Which leaves the question: Will there be a Mac mini "pro" that uses M1 Pro/Max to replace the Intel "pro" model?
I wasn't aware of any rumors of the M2 Mac mini coming in colors. Interesting it is pans out.
That is what many of us are expecting - effectively the 2018 model, but with M1 PRO and MAX.
That was in this piece: "Proser [sic] says he has 'heard' that Apple is testing two-tone color options for the Mac mini, similar to the newly released 24-inch iMac."
Totally agree. Jobs would have never allowed an entry level MacBook Pro because he cares about the brand. The goal is to make the best MacBook Pro affordable to everyone. I was expecting a drop in price after the introduction of the M1, since Apple didn't have to pay Intel for its processors. What is observed, is the complete opposite. I guess Apple went with the most profitable strategy.
*cough* Mid-2009 13" MacBook Pro *cough*
That was effectively the 2008 unibody MacBook re-branded as a MacBook Pro.
You could even go back to the 12" PowerBook G4, as well, since it was "entry level" compared to the 15" and 17" models.
Why would Apple drop the price of their MacBook after introduction of M1? Did Apple drop the price of iPhone after they switch from Samsung to A4?
Which company in history has ever said, "We are the leader and offer the best performing product on the market. Let's sell it for less!"