Apple to Unveil 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro With Unchanged Design Next Month, Claims Original MacBook Pro 'Notch' Leaker

[transpo1]

If they're so good at planning things years in advance, then why can't they properly plan the right quantity of chassis years in advance? i.e. they wouldn't make the extra spare chassis in the first place. They would be able to plan just the right amount to produce, and if there's more demand then supply, then they can increase production during the year (which is what they're doing now)

Because the market changes YoY

 

[transpo1]

It could be that Apple has a supplier contract still in force with the TouchBar manufacturer so they're obligated to take them (as in cancelling it unilaterally either isn't worth the cost or if they supply other parts to Apple, Apple does not want to ruffle their feathers by cancelling).

Clearly, they do have extra TouchBars laying around.

Tim must have said “Don’t let them go to waste, folks!”

 

[Tagbert]

I was pretty astonished it's still 'a thing', yet according to that keynote it is the second-best selling Macbook. Gotta be honest since the launch of the 14" and 16" Pro and Max models I've been trying to figure out who's buying it. MBA seems to have your needs covered if you don't need the bigger screens of the Pro and Max. Are there really -that- many people who specifically want it for the (imo) pointless touchbar with no function keys...

Besides the touch bar that may still have a few fans, the main benefit of the 13 MBP is the fan. It does keep the SOC from heat throttling when doing extended high performance tasks. Most people don’t need that, but some do and others think they do. This gives them that option.

 

[anshuvorty]

Clearly, they do have extra TouchBars laying around.

Tim must have said “Don’t let them go to waste, folks!”

This is the exact same mentality that kept the butterfly keyboard for as long as it did...

 

[kyjaotkb]

You guys don't get it. The Macbook Pro 13" is the computer for people who need the ability to work outside in the sun. I have a 14" M1 Pro and had never, ever heard the fan, until I decided to work in my garden this week on a sunny day. The fans finally kicked in around noon as the computer was toasty hot. An Air just wouldn't have allowed me to continue crunching through pivot tables at full throttle!

 

[sublunar]

I would say the 13 inch MacBook Pro is more there to show consumers who do a bit of research that either the M2 air or the m1 pro 14” is the ‘obvious’ buy.

It’s the choice that’s not really a choice.

 

[deconstruct60]

It's quite obvious that the entry-level M2 MacBook Pro will soon be on the way out. I'm pretty sure that this would be its last update.

Tim Apple here is just milking the last cent out of every product (just like the iPod touch and Apple Watch Series 3 which are outrageously outdated and yet Apple still refuses to kill them (until a few weeks ago for iPod)). Timmy sees that he can still get a few more cents out the entry-level M2 MacBook Pro, so he just slapped a new chip into it.

It isn't just a cost thing. It is also a risk mitigation thing. This way Apple has two productions to put M2 SoC into . If the logistics on some unique MBA component hits a bump , then the MBP 13" can 'soak up' the excess M2 product due to the drop in MBA 2022 production. Vice versa. They have multiple places to stuff M2's into so can keep the M2 product running at a steady rate . (and yes that also saves money. )


However, also ignoring factor that the MBA 2022 has some narrow parts where it probably doesn't work so well. If doing 1-2 hours high level workloads then not having a fan is likely an issue. Even more so if have the SoC config that the MBP starts off with 8CPU-10GPU.


The other factor is that Apple Industrial design is a chokepoint. If the MBA required a from scratch new chassis then there is probably not bandwidth to get another laptop chassis out of . (even more so if also tweaking/evoling one or two other desktop chassis at the same time. The Mac Pro and at least a lower end Mini are due. ). This is a clear pattern that has been evident from Apple for last decade or so. Took 3+ to work way out of that keyboard pothole they fell into. This isn't the super rapid , super wide development front track record. They spend more time on fewer products. (and just iterate taking turns on focus. )

The ability to walk and chew gum at the same time is limited. the pandemic (and limited lab access ) has likely made that limitation even worse over a year ago. Even if originally planned to do updates for both in a 2018-2019 plan for 2020-2021 work then that plan was likely blown up by the pandemic. So if had to toss one to save the timeline for the other, then MBP 13" probably would get tossed from update. First, it is the 2nd best selling laptop they have (MBA being first. So gets first priority). Second, have rest of MBP line up in 14/16 that would have gotten a refresh . Again if the MBP 14/16" need make up time resources in 2020-2021 then yank those off of the MBP 13" product. If only have a fixed set of resources then it is a zero sum game. For one product to recover time another product has to "loose".

Just look at how little time they spent talking about the MBP and how they simply glossed over it, and you'll know that it's being more and more of the odd one out by the day

They both had a M2 and the exact same macOS version. So what were they suppose to spend lots of time on? The performance is also better. The MacOS features just covered are also better.

For example , spatial audio is mainly coming out of the new M2 processing (not the speaker hardware directly). So some upgrade there.

Not changing the MBP 13" means get the non binned down M2 at the same price as the M1 version. So get a bump of 2 GPU cores for no more money. The MBA does have a cost bump ( one major reason holding the M1 MBA around). There would have been zero good reason to hold the old M1 MBP 13" around in same kind of role. So had to hold the line on costs. ( Suspect trading touch bar for cheaper keys might have worked to cover the M2 unit cost increase , but if don't have a new cheaper case then not an option. )


Besides the M2 everything else is exactly the same . So nothing to talk about. So shorter talk.

There is a pretty good chance this M2 MBP 13" will still be the 2nd best selling laptop in the line up. If the discounts for the M1 MBA are consistently very high though it may loose that 'crown'. I doubt Apple will care much as the M2 MBP 13" will still probably sell more than the MBP 14" will.

M2 MBP 13" entry standard configuration 8 cpu 10 gpu 8GB 256GB $1,299
M2 MBA 13" "better" standard configuration 8 cpu 10 gpu 8 GB 512GB $1,499

A fair number of folks are going to walk into a store with just standard figurations and just buy the cheaper one of those two if primarily want 10 GPU cores and want to spend 2+ hours a day gaming hard on the unit.

 

[transpo1]

I would say the 13 inch MacBook Pro is more there to show consumers who do a bit of research that either the M2 air or the m1 pro 14” is the ‘obvious’ buy.

It’s the choice that’s not really a choice.

I agree. And due to supply chain and other constraints, they haven’t revamped that mid-range model yet. Plus, they have some TouchBars to use up

 

[hatchettjack]

Touch Bar is amazing!

 

[jav6454]

This rumor aged like fine wine.

 

[jav6454]

It's not just "milking the last cent out of every product."

I strongly believe it is because this outdated chassis still exists in significant volume in their inventory, so much so, that Apple needs to sell them or else they will stand to lose money.

I also don't think it has anything to do with the popularity of the Touchbar and folks wanting a Mac with the Touchbar.

Or quite simply, the machine sells quite popularly contrary to your belief and Apple is making more of it.