Mac Mini Refresh, New Low-Cost Notebook, Apple Watches With Larger Displays and More Coming This Fall

[bkkcanuck8]

There was a time when Apple was first to get the newest Intel CPUs before anybody. Now they are late by almost one year.

The laptops Apple makes uses the Intel chips with Iris Graphics. These chips with their "more advanced" graphics require a larger die size. When Intel comes out with a new chipset they typically start with the chips that are smaller in die size first for reasons of economics until the manufacturing process shakes out. About a year after that they introduce the ones with the Iris graphics. If the chip gives you a typically rather small speed bump, but switching to the new version gives you a substantial GPU drop - that just does not make sense. It would mean integrating the new chips just for marketing purposes -- and would be rather stupid for the end-user.

 

[budselectjr]

How hard would it be to put FaceID on the Mac Air?

 

[HandsomeDanNZ]

I'd just like them to bring out a nice, powerful, fanless quadcore Mini, so I could replace my ageing iMac with it, upgrade to a nice large screen monitor (5K) and re-do my home office as a home office/home theatre.

 

[R.P.G]

Macbook Pro - Just processor upgrades? no keyboard change???

 

[PickUrPoison]

dude, you sound like a woman in an abusive relationship. Apple ****ed you long and hard. Don't thank them now that they've thought about stopping.

Why can’t someone be happy Apple might be updating the mini rather than discontinuing it?

In 2014 Apple repositioned the mini toward the home market and the so-called switchers. Gone was the quad core option, the Mac mini Server, dual drive bays, 45W TDP CPUs, replaceable RAM, etc.

Instead, it became a re-packaged version of the 13” MacBook Pro, just like the entry level 21.5” iMac. The same design was utilized in three different form factors. So we got 15/28W mobile CPUs and soldered RAM.

You can disagree with that decision, but it was a business decision. Why would you take it so personally and think you were being abused and getting screwed “long and hard”? That’s kind of... weird.

It’s not about you, or what you might want for your perfect Mac mini. Apple is in business to make money, not to make you your dream machine.

Would it have been better to cancel it altogether? That’s what would normally happen to a product that doesn’t have sufficient demand to justify the resources it takes to keep it in the lineup. The mini could have easily gone the way of Xserve and the 17” MBP. That’s what usually happens when an Apple product only sells hundreds of thousands if units instead of millions.

But by re-using the 13” MBP design, they were able to piggyback on the hardware engineering and procurement already in place for 3-5 million laptops. The mini, in its new, even “mini-er” incarnation, lived on. You may feel like you got screwed in the process, but business isn’t about feelings. It’s about profit. And make no mistake, Apple’s in business to make a profit.

 

[fairuz]

Macbook Pro - Just processor upgrades? no keyboard change???

By buying the 2015 rMBP in 2017, I basically got a processor downgrade mainly to have the better keyboard. Like really why would I give a crap about the processor speed of my personal laptop in 2018? Apple needs to fix this keyboard issue right now.

 

[Brien]

Assuming they use what they've learned from the iPhone X in regards to rounded corners/bezels/etc., they could easily bump up the screen size/resolution:

(quick example)

 

[fairuz]

dude, you sound like a woman in an abusive relationship. Apple ****ed you long and hard. Don't thank them now that they've thought about stopping.

How did Apple screw anyone over? People can freely switch to a non-Mac desktop, and many did.

 

[FrozenDarkness]

Macbook Pro - Just processor upgrades? no keyboard change???

I'd almost guarantee a keyboard change. Apple would be stupid to sell a product that they have to warrant for 4 years right off the bat.

 

[zulkiflim]

Assuming they use what they've learned from the iPhone X in regards to rounded corners/bezels/etc., they could easily bump up the screen size/resolution:

(quick example)

Ohhh. That is so much better !! Would buy that immediately

 

[NetMage]

There was a time when Apple was first to get the newest Intel CPUs before anybody. Now they are late by almost one year.

From what I can see the chips Apple would use were launched in Q2 2018, and Intel isn’t typically going to ship in large quantities on launch date.

Exactly what 8th generation chip did you think Apple would use that was launched earlier?

 

[RedGala]

Bring on the Apple Watch! My series 0 is in dire need of a replacement.

I'm happy I waited this long to get a new watch. Our patience shall pay off, my friend.

 

[PickUrPoison]

<snip>

I don't think, we will have SSD only setup. If expensive machine like iMac ships with 5400 RPM HDD, how can we expect SSD in a low cost Mac Mini?

It depends on how you define low cost. It sure wouldn’t be $499. Right now, $499 gets you a 1.4GHz CPU/4GB RAM/250GB HDD mini.

If you want a 2.6GHz/8GB/256GB SSD config, that’s currently $899. I’d expect similar pricing for a refreshed mini.

 

[fastasleep]

There was a time when Apple was first to get the newest Intel CPUs before anybody. Now they are late by almost one year.

The various iterations of a generation of Intel chips get released over a year or longer. Just because *some* 8th gen chips shipped last year doesn't mean they're the same type that'd be used in current Macs, and guess what — they aren't! Also, people in this forum often base how "late" a chip is to make it into a Mac based on when they were "launched" which in Intel-speak means they announced it. Sometimes they haven't shipped for 6 months or longer after those announcements. And sometimes the first month or longer, chips are in short supply and may only see limited release before they ship en masse in something as popular as MacBook Pros. So, kinda hard for you to say something is a year late when you don't even know what chips are shipping in the new Macs.

 

[asiga]

Do we really need another low cost notebook? There is macbook and macbook air. They should merge those and leave it as it is. Just give more ports for crying out loud. Who wants a notebook with just one port that can't even be charged at the same time when using another peripheral
All we need is macbook, macbook pro line when it comes to notebook line. No need for mess

In fact, the currently missing MacBook is not a low cost one, but one very light and with a big screen (in the lines of the newly announced Acer Swift 5: 15.6 inch below 1kg). So I’m highly disappointed to read that Kuo lowers the expected screen size of the new MacBook to 12’’

They make phones larger and larger so that they are annoyingly uncomfortable, while they don’t put larger screens where they are really needed: Ultralight MacBooks.

If my 13’’ MBA doesn’t have a worthy substitute in the coming months (where worthy means equal or larger display with a lighter weight), then I’ll choose another brand that does offer it.

 

[PickUrPoison]

From what I can see the chips Apple would use were launched in Q2 2018, and Intel isn’t typically going to ship in large quantities on launch date.

Exactly what 8th generation chip did you think Apple would use that was launched earlier?

OP might be referring to Coffee Lake S for the iMac, some of those chips like i5-8400 and i7-8700 were announced 4Q2017, though were in short supply until 1Q2018.

Apple might have been waiting for the rest of the parts they need for the iMac lineup which weren’t announced until April, like the i5-8500 and i5-8600.

 

[asiga]

Finally! Kill the MacBook Air, and give the MB two USB-C ports.

Yes, but only if it has a decent size (at least 14’’) in light weight (not more than 1kg). Otherwise, if it’s going to be 12’’, they’d better keep the MBA (and no, the 15’’ MBP is not an alternative: 1.8kg is way too much for traveling with it). All what is needed for replacing the MBA is a 14’’ MB at 1kg.

 

[bkkcanuck8]

In fact, the currently missing MacBook is not a low cost one, but one very light and with a big screen (in the lines of the newly announced Acer Swift 5: 15.6 inch below 1kg). So I’m highly disappointed to read that Kuo lowers the expected screen size of the new MacBook to 12’’

They make phones larger and larger so that they are annoyingly uncomfortable, while they don’t put larger screens where they are really needed: Ultralight MacBooks.

If my 13’’ MBA doesn’t have a worthy substitute in the coming months (where worthy means equal or larger display with a lighter weight), then I’ll choose another brand that does offer it.

I would think the MacBook Pro 13" would be the normal substitute. It weighs the same as the old MacBook Air, similar screen size, more power... all that needs to be fixed is the keyboard has to be made a little more resilient (I like the keyboard, but it should be either made more resilient or cheaper to fix).

 

[ignatius345]

what if the k

eyboard were reliable but felt just as it does now? you wouldn't be happy, would you?

No because it’s terrible to type on.

 

[tresmith]

I want a "powerful" 13 inch macbook with retina, magsafe, and ports...and I'm good.
[doublepost=1531376564][/doublepost]

In fact, the currently missing MacBook is not a low cost one, but one very light and with a big screen (in the lines of the newly announced Acer Swift 5: 15.6 inch below 1kg). So I’m highly disappointed to read that Kuo lowers the expected screen size of the new MacBook to 12’’

They make phones larger and larger so that they are annoyingly uncomfortable, while they don’t put larger screens where they are really needed: Ultralight MacBooks.

If my 13’’ MBA doesn’t have a worthy substitute in the coming months (where worthy means equal or larger display with a lighter weight), then I’ll choose another brand that does offer it.

Agreed. I feel that they could put in a 14 inch display with small bezels and keep the same footprint as the 13 inch macbook. They can go 14 inch and 16 inch and replace the 13 inch and 15 inch models. This way they would have a 12", a 14" and a 16".

Then they would only have one line of laptops instead of two. The 12" would be consumer only. The 14" would have a mix of consumer/pro features, and the 16" would be pro only.

As Steve Jobs use to famously say "too many skus". And Apple is definitely in the too many skus world. They really need to simplify things.
[doublepost=1531376730][/doublepost]

Assuming they use what they've learned from the iPhone X in regards to rounded corners/bezels/etc., they could easily bump up the screen size/resolution:

(quick example)

They should not only increase the screen size, they should increase the size of the watch. I would like to see them go up to 46mm.

 

[bwreynolds72]

Yes! Mac mini with Thunderbolt 3 perhaps? Would definitely get me an eGPU...please and thank you.

 

[jellyjeff]

I'm conflicted. I got all excited because i saw the headline, then i realised it was just a rumour, then i remembered this is a rumour website, then i saw the potential updates coming, then i remembered i can't afford any of them, then i vented. The entire internet experience in 15 seconds.

 

[44267547]

Looking at the entirety this thread, you can see the passion for those for the Mac Mini update. I think we already know primarily know what to expect with the Apple Watch and iPhone rumors, but the majority of these comments and members are seriously looking for a Mac Mini update, which should be really interesting to see if Apple does execute.

 

[freezelighter]

I have a 2017 iMac with a fantastic display, what is the significant upgrade going to do?

OLED iMacs

 

[skinbubble]

Along with many in this thread, I am EAGERLY awaiting the (hopefully) new Mac Mini. I was just ready to pull the trigger on a Windows-based desktop. Come out before mid-September and I will get a new Mac mini.