Gurman: Redesigned iMac Pro, New AirPods Pro, and More to Launch This Year

[newyorksole]

If AirPods Pro get an update, hopefully Apple also has something in store for the AirPods Max. Would be really nice if they figure out a way to get lossless audio to their premium wireless headphones.

I use my AirPods Max everyday and cannot wait for an update. It better not go the way of the HomePod!

I think their cadence is going to be every 3 years though.

AirPods - Released 2016, 2nd Gen. 2019 and then 3rd Gen. 2021

AirPods Pro - Released 2019, 2nd Gen. likely for this year

AirPods Max - Released 2020, 2nd Gen. prob 2023

 

[JippaLippa]

I really hope for this damn mac mini M1 max.
If not I'll have to sell my lungs for the imac pro.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Rumour has it, Gurman gets a percentage of MacRumors page view revenues. 😝

Lol, you forgot about 9to5mac and AppleInsider.

The funny thing is AppleInsider didn't mention his name in the headline they straight up said "Report reiterates" 😝

New iMac Pro & AirPods Pro included in 2022 refresh, report reiterates | AppleInsider

Apple's plans for 2022 include an iMac Pro redesign, a major update for AirPods Pro, and a slew of other launches, a report on Sunday confirms.

appleinsider.com

 

[theluggage]

I wonder if the iMac Pro branding is code for "silver and space gray only"?

Well if you look at all the machines with newly-designed cases released so far (i.e. the 24" iMac and 14/16" MPBs) as well as the rumours for the 2022 MacBook Air - that would look to be the case: colour choices are something for the consumer-oriented M1 machines.

There's also a logical reason why that makes sense - the "pro" machines are going to sell in much smaller numbers than the "consumer" machines, there will quite likely be more BTO options (the iMac Pro could be covering a price range of anything from $2000 to $5000 (and beyond if it replaces both the core-i 5k iMac and the Xeon Mac Pro). Permute those options with 5 colour choices and you have a logistical nightmare. It's not like "BTO" means what it says - these upgrades are all soldered-in so Apple will have to try and anticipate how many of each spec to make, and really don't want to have to worry about how many to make in each colour. To put it another (simplistic) way - if a store sells 10 MacBook Airs for every 1 iMac Pro then they can afford to stock a range of colours for the MBA but they don't want to be stuck with a pink iMP.

As for the "pro" name: Apple don't have to follow any logic beyond "pro means better than the one without 'pro'" - but if you want to try and predict you need to assume some logic, in which case:

Apple have decided to use "Pro" to distinguish the 10 CPU, 16 GPU version of the M1 from the regular 8 CPU, 8 GPU M1. So the only sensible approach going forward is to reflect that in the product name. So if the 5k iMac replacement has an M1 Pro or better chip, it would make sense to call it the iMac Pro. The only current ASi product that breaks that is the 13" MBP which is quite likely to be obsoleted by the rumoured Air replacement (or, if it is replaced, would be more sensibly named just "MacBook").

...but that's assuming that marketing is logical - and these are the guys who named the next processor up "M1 Max" despite the fact that there are two even more powerful chips in the pipeline which will have to be called something silly like "M1 Ultra" and "M1 Extreme"... Obviously nobody learned the lesson from "OS X Lion".

 

[FasterQuieter]

Saw this in my feed reader and read “Gunman redesigned iMac Pro…” That would have been an interesting rumor.

 

[Shirasaki]

If AirPods Pro get an update, hopefully Apple also has something in store for the AirPods Max. Would be really nice if they figure out a way to get lossless audio to their premium wireless headphones.

Nope. Wait for refreshed AirPods max 2. That one will have proper implementation of lossless and other stuff.

 

[Warped9]

Finally a rendering that resembles what the new big iMac will most likely look like.

 

[schneeland]

Nope. Wait for refreshed AirPods max 2. That one will have proper implementation of lossless and other stuff.

I was probably not precise enough - AirPods Max 2 with lossless support is exactly what I'm hoping for.

 

[emulajavi]

The iMac chin without the apple logo looks bad.

The same happens with the MacBook Pro without the MacBook Pro letters below the screen.

 

[jz0309]

gotta up your game Gurman or do you want us to keep yawning?????

 

[Warped9]

The iMac chin without the apple logo looks bad.

It doesn’t look bad without the logo, but it would look better with it.

 

[blairh]

Seems like no one knows if this new iMac is coming this spring or not.

 

[kesenwangs]

That was my last year.
iPad Pro redesign ✅
M1 MacBook Pro ✅
iPhone 13 Pro ✅
Apple Watch Series 7 ❌ Not enough change from prior year

The battery life alone compared to the series 6 has me completely satisfied with the upgrade. No more having to charge before bed lol

 

[anthogag]

Maybe this one time Apple can let Gurman officially announce the event.

The new AirPods Pro needs to recognize my voice. Saying "hey Siri" before every command gets tedious.

 

[ArrayDecay]

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman outlined his expectations for new Apple products this year.

Gurman reiterated that Apple is planning to launch a third-generation iPhone SE with 5G and a faster chip, a new iPad Air, and at least one new Mac powered by Apple silicon this spring, with an Apple Event likely to take place in March or April.

The new iPhone SE is expected to have the same outward design as the current model, including a 4.7-inch display with a Touch ID home button.

Japanese blog Mac Otakara recently reported that Apple is planning to release a fifth-generation iPad Air as early as this spring with similar features as the sixth-generation iPad mini, including an A15 Bionic chip, 12-megapixel Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage support, 5G for cellular models, and Quad-LED True Tone flash.

Gurman expects Apple to launch a larger iMac powered by the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips this year, and he believes this computer will have iMac Pro branding and a similar design as the 24-inch iMac released last year. A high-end Mac mini configuration powered by the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips is also expected to be released this year.

Gurman said that Apple is planning a "big update" to the AirPods Pro later this year, with oft-accurate analyst Ming-Chi Kuo having previously claimed that a launch is planned for the fourth quarter of 2022.

Gurman and Bloomberg's Debby Wu have previously reported that Apple has tested a more compact design for the second-generation AirPods Pro that would eliminate the stems that drop below the earbuds. If this ends up being the final design, the new AirPods Pro could look similar to Apple's Beats Studio Buds released last year.

Gurman and Wu also claimed the new AirPods Pro will feature motion sensors for fitness tracking capabilities alongside the Apple Watch.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the new AirPods Pro will have a "significantly upgraded" wireless chip compared to the H1 chip in the current AirPods Pro. The chip powers audio-related functions like active noise cancellation, and improvements to this technology could result in improved battery life for longer listening time per charge. Kuo also expects the new AirPods Pro to support lossless audio available through Apple Music.

The new AirPods Pro charging case will be able to emit a sound to help users find it when misplaced, according to Kuo. It is likely that the next AirPods Pro will also have a water-resistant charging case, like the third-generation AirPods charging case.

Article Link: Gurman: Redesigned iMac Pro, New AirPods Pro, and More to Launch This Year

An upgraded Mac Mini would turn my frown upside down.

 

[CrapShack]

There is no way a larger iMac could have that stand. It would tip over constantly. The 24" is unstable enough...

 

[anthogag]

If AirPods Pro get an update, hopefully Apple also has something in store for the AirPods Max. Would be really nice if they figure out a way to get lossless audio to their premium wireless headphones.

You can use the lighting to 3.5mm cable to get lossless.

 

[Warped9]

There is no way a larger iMac could have that stand. It would tip over constantly. The 24" is unstable enough...

I expect a proportionately larger pedestal.

 

[bradman83]

Also predicted by Gurman: Temperatures in the northern hemisphere will start to warm up in the second quarter as they cool down in the southern hemisphere.

 

[boss.king]

I doubt it will happen, but hope the iMac Pro comes in an assortment of different colors like the standard iMac.

It would be nice to see some options in the Pro lines, but unfortunately Apple seems to be set on the idea that pros hate colour.

 

[Unami]

Also Gurman: "The sun is going to set again tomorrow. Now, where is my money, Bloomberg?"

 

[Student of Life]

Finally a rendering that resembles what the new big iMac will most likely look like.

Add the Apple logo in the front and im sold.

 

[StupidOpinion]

The iMac chin without the apple logo looks bad.

The same happens with the MacBook Pro without the MacBook Pro letters below the screen.

i like it better this way. back in college, i covered my macbook pro's apple logo with a Pikachu sticker

 

[StupidOpinion]

i read some rumors about an all performance 12 core CPU for the iMac. i wonder how much more this would cost over the 10 core CPU. aside from a possibly extremely expensive arm based Mac Pro, i have to assume that this 12 core computer would be the fastest computer until spring of 2024.

 

[majus]

the dude is literally Nostradamus.

As a descendant of Nostradamus, I will say that Gurman's predictions are as not as indecipherable as Nostradamus' were, which could have been anything over about a couple of years to a century or more in time. Gurman's are more direct and thus provable.