New MacBook Pros With M2 Pro and M2 Max Chips Now 'Well Into Development'

[chucker23n1]

Single core jump should remain the same of course, but multicore more with rumored 12 cores instead of 10 (I expect 25% instead of 18%),

If those two added cores are presumed to be p-cores (are they? I can't find much info on that), that's a 10+2 instead of 8+2 setup. If we assume the same clock rate bump, that would indeed be a 38% improvement.

Of course, as always with additional CPU cores, diminishing returns.

plus the GPUs will be significantly faster and also more of them.

Sure, GPU is a different matter. So is e-core speed.

 

[chucker23n1]

1) Your citation references major hardware changes, whereas my commentary includes speed bumps and the like.

No, it references any MBP update.

2) You ask Why not? The answer is because Apple is a tech vendor losing sales every day right now

???

It's a hugely popular product. They aren't "losing sales". Nobody is complaining that the existing MBP is weak or outdated.

I don't think they'll wait 26 months to upgrade them (but they did wait 23 months the previous generation). But 12 months, then another 14 months? Sure, why not.

due to not having 14"/16" M2 MBPs in the line. In tech one moves forward or dies.

By this logic, they should make a new generation every three weeks.

Why redesign? Because M1 MBPs reduced i/o competence by reducing Thunderbolt ports from 4 to 3.

And gained more useful ports in the process.

 

[Bodhitree]

Well, there have been good deals on 14” and 16” MacBook Pro’s at Amazon and other places. You can get 500 euros off retail. So it seems logical to me these are in the last few months of their cycle.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Think it's going to be difficult to get people with M1 Pro/Max MBP's to upgrade when it works so well already. Any improvements will be minimal and probably not very noticeable in every day use for the majority of current M1 MBP owners. Especially when the design is identical. Apple is painting themselves into a corner.

Agreed, "people with M1 Pro/Max MBP's" are not the one's who will be upgrading to M2 MBPs. The market for M2 MBPs is all the rest of us who did not yet buy an M1 MBP.

 

[transpo1]

Unlikely. Keep in mind that Face ID would actually be no more convenient than Touch ID, because in order to authorise its use (for example, a payment) the user must still press a button in order to confirm they are actively in control of the authorisation.

If anything Touch ID is more convenient because the user must choose whether or not to place their finger on the button sensor, which combines both the authorisation and the confirmation in a single action.

Absolutely. I don’t want (and don’t need) Face ID on a desktop or laptop.

 

[Macalway]

Nice

People here know about the 3nm and such. The next version is going to be something.

Until then, this will do

 

[opeter]

I'm hearing rumors about mac mini pro but I'm waiting for mac mini m2. I wonder if that is due sometime this year?

There's already a "mac mini pro". It is called Mac Studio.

Mac Studio

The ultimate pro desktop. Powered by M4 Max and M3 Ultra for all-out performance and extensive connectivity. Built for Apple Intelligence.

www.apple.com

 

[scaramoosh]

I don't see them coming until next year.

 

[CWallace]

You ask Why not? The answer is because Apple is a tech vendor losing sales every day right now due to not having 14"/16" M2 MBPs in the line.

Apple is losing sales due to not having product available to sell. If you want a base model MacBook Pro, they are available today, but if you want more RAM and/or more storage, delivery slips to next month.

In tech one moves forward or dies.

Well that explains Intel...

Why redesign? Because M1 MBPs reduced i/o competence by reducing Thunderbolt ports from 4 to 3.

As noted, this was to use the bandwidth to add back ports like HDMI and MagSafe that people have been complaining about losing since 2016.

 

[grouch]

Hopefully they don't screw up the storage speeds in any more laptops...

 

[Allen_Wentz]

No, it references any MBP update.



???

It's a hugely popular product. They aren't "losing sales". Nobody is complaining that the existing MBP is weak or outdated.

I don't think they'll wait 26 months to upgrade them (but they did wait 23 months the previous generation). But 12 months, then another 14 months? Sure, why not.



By this logic, they should make a new generation every three weeks.



And gained more useful ports in the process.

Sure the M1 MBP was a popular product. But this is tech, and was does not cut it. M2 Apple boxes including the low end M2 MBA laptops have been out for quite a while now, and the stronger/cheaper Studio was introduced. Yes, the existing M1 MBP is outdated.

Lots of folks like me are (today) waiting to see what new M2 MBPs bring. Buyers waiting and not buying is death for a tech company.

As to your opinion that M1s gained more useful ports in the process I would suggest that although many low end users may agree with you, many higher end MBP users (the ones who buy those $4k+ MBPs) may disagree. E.g. I do not need a slow SD card port, I use much faster CF Express that I need to dongle to Thunderbolt. TB ports can drive docks that meet all manner of needs, but what you consider to be more useful ports only suit specific lower end usages.

 

[jz0309]

Why redesign? Because M1 MBPs reduced i/o competence by reducing Thunderbolt ports from 4 to 3.

I certainly was a proponent of 4 TB ports BUT they have decided to give us legacy ports, they will not change that design any time soon. People seem to love SD card and HDMI ports - I don't care for them...

 

[scaramoosh]

I use much faster CF Express that I need to dongle to Thunderbolt. TB ports can drive docks that meet all manner of needs, but what you consider to be more useful ports only suit specific lower end usages.

I agree with this.... why has everything switched to SD? They suck!

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I certainly was a proponent of 4 TB ports BUT they have decided to give us legacy ports, they will not change that design any time soon. People seem to love SD card and HDMI ports - I don't care for them...

Unfortunately I suspect that you are correct that they will not change that [sucky] design any time soon.

 

[applesed]

If 3nm is ready by summer next year...please Apple stop...we dont want a new 5nm Mbp , we can wait for 6 months instead of waiting for more than a year
But i guess if the new Mbp are already in development and testing is too late....so we get 5nm in the fall/winter and next 3nm change in late 2023 or spring 2024....

I don't think going to be a 3nm mbp in less than a year after this new m2, unless they treat this like a processor bump, which is what it actually feels like.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Apple is losing sales due to not having product available to sell. If you want a base model MacBook Pro, they are available today, but if you want more RAM and/or more storage, delivery slips to next month.



Well that explains Intel...




As noted, this was to use the bandwidth to add back ports like HDMI and MagSafe that people have been complaining about losing since 2016.

The reduction of Thunderbolt ports was a build decision that substantially reduced the overall versatility of the higher-end M1 MBPs for pro usages - - exactly the users one would think high end MBPs are intended to sell to. A wrong decision by Apple for the high end - - but then again Apple has a long history of making decisions that hose their high end customers.

 

[rebl]

What about the Mac Studio with the M2?

 

[yyzguy]

True powerhouses. I upgraded from a late 2012 MBP to a M1 Pro and I hardly notice a difference with what I mean doing. Let’s see if it will last me as long as the old MBP did (it’s still running fine actually! I only upgraded because I wanted the redesigned Mac 😅). Shows what a great machine that Mac was

I’m still rocking my 2013 MBP, waiting for 3nm because I’m guessing it too will be good for 10 years.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

What about the Mac Studio with the M2?

Mac Studio with M2 is an interesting question:
A) The M1 Studio was an entirely brand-new product and
B) the M1 Studio started at the high end of the M1 series.
E.g. I have been considering purchase of a Studio and/or M2 MBP because my Intel MBP is reaching EOL, and while I will not buy an M1 MBP without seeing the M2 MBPs I would buy an M1 Studio and have no compelling need to see what M2 Studios might look like (although I would like to see the new Mac Pros, just to verify that they indeed are above my needs as expected).

So my thinking is that Apple has lots of other products that they will update (MBPs, Minis, iMacs, Mac Pros) prior to updating the Studio to M2 - - unless a Mini M2 update was to somehow step on the Studio and necessitate a quick M2 update to Studio.

 

[Manzanito]

If 3nm is ready by summer next year...please Apple stop...we dont want a new 5nm Mbp , we can wait for 6 months instead of waiting for more than a year
But i guess if the new Mbp are already in development and testing is too late....so we get 5nm in the fall/winter and next 3nm change in late 2023 or spring 2024....

Who is we?

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

i think if Apple postpone we could have 3nm by June 2023

That’s not how that works at all.
To start with, Apple do not have to wait an entire year to update their MacBook pros. In fact they rarely do, check out this timeline of the 15-16 inch…
October 2013
July 2014
May 2015
October 2016
June 2017
July 2018
May 2019
November 2019
October 2021
They don’t have to wait an entire year, if they have an update ready for summer 2023 they’ll release it in summer 2023.
But also, you’re forgetting about the most important thing, almost all processor companies, including Apple, start new manufacturing processes on their lowest end chips.
For 7nm, it was on A12, then A12X
For 5nm it was on A14, then M1, then M1pro/max, then M1Ultra.
This idea that Apple is going to start with 3 nm in one of their most powerful top-of-the-line processors just does not line up with how Apple, or the majority of the industry, has ever done it.
3NM will more than likely start in an A17 for the iPhone, then a M3, then an M3pro/max.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Why redesign? Because M1 MBPs reduced i/o competence by reducing Thunderbolt ports from 4 to 3.

well, i’m sure Apple did all of the proper market research to find that one of those four USBC ports was always either a dedicated charging port, or used to connect some type of SD card or HDMI dongle.
It’s a very, very rare instance where anyone ever used all four USB-C ports for strictly USB-C peripherals.

 

[Cromulent]

Mac Studio with M2 is an interesting question:
A) The M1 Studio was an entirely brand-new product and
B) the M1 Studio started at the high end of the M1 series.
E.g. I have been considering purchase of a Studio and/or M2 MBP because my Intel MBP is reaching EOL, and while I will not buy an M1 MBP without seeing the M2 MBPs I would buy an M1 Studio and have no compelling need to see what M2 Studios might look like (although I would like to see the new Mac Pros, just to verify that they indeed are above my needs as expected).

So my thinking is that Apple has lots of other products that they will update (MBPs, Minis, iMacs, Mac Pros) prior to updating the Studio to M2 - - unless a Mini M2 update was to somehow step on the Studio and necessitate a quick M2 update to Studio.

That is a reasonable guess as to what will happen with the Mac Studio M2.

 

[skitidetdu]

Many years ago there were a patent that proposed using the gpu to run plugins in Logic and other DAWs. As I don’t use any video editing software but do work with heavy audio sessions I’d really like to see this feature come to life now with these insane amount of gpu power not being used in my workflow.

 

[fakestrawberryflavor]

I see them dropping in the Spring, that's an 18 month cycle.

If they drop this Fall, on a 12 month cycle, that means M2 was so delayed they are rushing to get its generation out to allow room for the upcoming M3 generation which is likely on target for Fall of 2023.