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Top Five Most Exciting Apple Products Coming in 2022
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Maybe WWDC, but realistically mid/late summer or fall. It will be during an official event.
No one knows that, except Apple employees. We can hazard a guess based on previous release history, but even based on that, a few people steadfastly thought there would be an announcement about M2 MBA's at the March 'Peek Performance' event, and those people were proved wrong.
I'd be surprised if there is no announcement about the replacement for the M1 MBA and 13" MBP before October. The models will be two years old by then.
Looking forward to seeing the redesign of MacBook Air. Hopefully it comes in bright colours like the iMac.
There were many products in the past, that Apple didn't update for years, some products were simply discontinued rather than upgraded.
Just to name a few
Mac mini 2014 -> 2018
Apple Mac Pro 2013 -> 2019
iMac Pro 2017 -> never got an update
I'm actually not sure. The thing I'm seeing is that there's an unfilled market space.
Imagine Tim Cook or Eddie Cue explicitly want a laptop. You can say that's an iPad Pro, but if I want a laptop, who can I get that from? They're not going to be doing heavy production work and don't need the RAM or processor (or bulk) of a MacBook Pro. They shouldn't have the same entry level laptop as a grade 5 student. Apple doesn't make a computer for them. We don't even have to go to that extreme... forget someone making tens of millions of dollars a year... we can start at 6 figures. If I'm not buying a laptop from Apple for my Keynote, Excel, emailing, Zoom board meetings, then whose laptop should I buy?
Maybe the differentiator is materials or design. Maybe it's a crazy 4K webcam.. If I have over $2K to spend on my laptop and I don't need you to put that into horsepower, what else can you give me?
I don't think it would be "low end," as the current M1 MacBook Air has more than enough power for the standard productivity apps that most executives use. Heck, I'm still using a 2015 13" MacBook Pro as a backup to my 2019 iMac, and it runs Microsoft Office just fine. Maybe if the new MBA comes in a "serious" color, such as silver or space gray, that would be the choice for executives.
Another thing to consider is that, in the several major global consulting corporations I've worked for, the IT department dictates what kind of computer you get, even for executives. The creative departments that use Adobe CC get MacBook Pros or iMacs. Everyone else gets Windows laptops, and the IT people grumble a bit about the Macs because they aren't "standard." And I can't speak for all companies, but cost cutting is a major issue with my company and our clients, especially since the start of the pandemic. Just because someone is a six-figure-salary consultant doesn't mean they can have a $2,000+ laptop when a $1,200 one is all they need, or that they can fly to meetings in person when they can do it on Zoom, and so on. In other words, I question whether there would be enough of a market for an Executive MacBook. But it's fun to speculate.
What! No Mac Mini in the list?!?!
We're five months into 2022 with the Worldwide Developers Conference on the horizon, to be followed not too long after by Apple's September event. The second half of the year is shaping up to be exciting, as rumors suggest we can look forward to an array of updated Macs, iPhones, and accessories set to launch. In our latest YouTube video, we rounded up the five products we can't wait to get our hands on.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
What do you think of our list? What are you looking forward to from Apple? Let us know in the comments.
- MacBook Air - The MacBook Air is getting its biggest refresh since 2010, which puts it at the top of our list. Apple is going with a fresh iMac-like design, which means the MacBook Air is expected to get fun new colors and off-white bezels and white keyboard like the 24-inch iMac. It's also going to get a new look, with Apple finally abandoning the tapered look for a more streamlined MacBook Pro-style look. Rounding out the upgrades, the MacBook Air is expected to be one of the first to adopt the M2 chip, a follow up to the M1. The M2 is rumored to feature an 8-core CPU and a nine or 10-core GPU.
- Mac Pro - The Mac Pro is perhaps the most exciting product coming in 2022 because it will see Apple finishing its transition to Apple silicon. After the Mac Pro comes out, Apple will no longer be reliant on Intel chips, and the Mac Studio has shown us that the Mac Pro's Apple silicon chip is going to be impressive. The Mac Pro is expected to feature a chip that has up to a 40-core CPU and a 128-core GPU, double the M1 Ultra.
- iPhone 14 Pro Max - All of the iPhone 14 models will be an upgrade over the iPhone 13 models, but we picked the 14 Pro Max because it's going to get all of the bells and whistles. It will not have a notch, with Apple instead implementing a dual display cutout look with a pill-shaped cutout and a circular cutout. It will come in new colors, include camera improvements, and have a faster A16 chip, which actually won't be coming to the iPhone 14 and 14 Max.
- AirPods Pro - Apple is finally going to refresh the AirPods Pro in 2022, and they could have an all-new design that does away with the short stem at the bottom. Apple is testing a more rounded, compact shape. There are also rumors that the next-generation AirPods will feature support for Apple Lossless audio and improved Find My integration that will let them play a sound if they're lost.
- Apple Watch Series 8 - Last but not least, the Apple Watch Series 8 launch is going to be interesting because there's a new model coming this year - a rugged model. In addition to the standard Apple Watch Series 8, Apple is rumored to be working on a more durable version of the Apple Watch aimed at athletes, hikers, and those who use the watch in more extreme conditions. A body temperature sensor and car crash detection are also rumored features.
Article Link: Top Five Most Exciting Apple Products Coming in 2022
I'm holding out for the iPhone 15 Pro Max in the hope that it gets the rumored periscope lens. The camera is the most important feature to me, but I didn't travel much during the first two years of the pandemic, so my iPhone XR has served me just fine. My wife lives on her iPhone, so I got her a 13 Pro Max, and the camera is much better in low light than mine is. But 10x optical zoom, if true, would be the killer feature for me. I have a Sony a6000 mirrorless camera with multiple lenses, but I only use it on "serious" amateur photo shoots.iPhone 14 Pro Max.
I am getting anxiously excited. Mark my words: It will be the product of the year
The thing that makes an entry-level computer good is its low price, and Apple may keep the Air as their entry-level computer, which means that a new 13" MacBook would be more expensive.
So ignoring the price, the 15" MacBook would be better than the 13" MacBook because it would have a larger screen, better cooling due to its larger size, slightly better speakers in the same way that the 16" MBP has slightly better speakers than the 14" MBP, and longer battery life. The 13" MacBook would be better than the 13" entry-level Air because it would have the M2, better screen, better speakers, probably MagSafe, and maybe SD.
You have a point. It’s kinda like the old Edition Apple Watch then? It’s kinda hard to think of consumer-level hardware that could be upgraded to put the laptop at a $2,000+ price point, though. Larger hard drives than on the MBA, perhaps?
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True, though I hope this never happens again.
Especially since Apple has no public roadmap, by 2016-2018 it was definitely concerning to see a lack of commitment to the Macintosh. I wish for all products to get a stable cycle - 18, 24, 30 months - whatever, but predictable.
Me, too. I've admired it since Steve Jobs pulled it out of the inter-office envelope. I had the second model and loved it, but I no longer need a portable.
Sorry to keep on with my Apple laptop strategy thoughts, but the idea is getting clearer in my mind and I think I've framed it better conceptually now.
The lesson from desktop
The return of the iBook and MacBook PRO
The lesson from desktop
- The iMac went for about 10 years in this aluminum and black industrial design that was supposed to take care of everyone from kids and grandma to hotel lobbies to creative directors at ad agencies. Far too broad to be perfect for any one target.
- With the M1 iMac, Apple returned to what made the iMac famous. It once again became a friendly and colourful consumer computer. Very much for kids, schools, and family computers. They pushed the iMac down market.
- By recommitting (verbally) to the Mac Pro, Apple made it clear that they haven't given up on their most demanding Pro customers.
- iMac is super family friendly. Mac Pro is super high end.
- There are people who are not the market for a colourful family computer OR the super high end. This could be our ad agency creative director.
- All that cleared the space for Mac Studio to be possible.
The return of the iBook and MacBook PRO
- These whispers of the colourful MacBook Air make me think of it more like the classic (and colourful) iBook.
- Like the M1 iMac, it's a clarification of Apple's friendliest ethos.
- If we're being honest, it's felt silly that Apple's intro level laptop (that you'd give a grade 5 student) was this sleek and thin, industrial wedge and that's the same laptop meant for a highly paid executive.
- By adding the SD card reader and HDMI port, as well as more Thunderbolt ports back in to the MacBook Pro, they've recommitted that this thing is for the most demanding portable customers. The video renderer and the 3D artist. Not the exec.
- And that clears space for something like a MacBook Studio to be possible.
- Because there are a lot of people who a colourful laptop with a white bezel is not going to be for. And we don't all need the most powerful laptop Apple can make.
What I want is an M1 Pro or M2 Mac Mini with lots of ports. If that's "right out" I want a 27" iMac with lots of ports.
This is the gap that the original MBA filled. It was crazy expensive, and really geared towards execs who wanted the lightest and sleekest possible notebook. You paid a premium for something that slim.
Maybe in 2022 that means a Titanium chassis that would set it apart (tho heavier...)? mini-LED, Titanium, 1080p webcam, 14 and 16" screen sizes (notched), 20hr+ battery, and a free U2 album pre-downloaded.
There are three levels of desktop. (And people here even seem to want a forth in between mini and studio).
Laptops will have two levels, so I dont think a middle level is outrageous to expect.
Also marketing 101 you need a middle option for everyone to choose because that's where most people see themselves.
Laptops will have two levels, so I dont think a middle level is outrageous to expect.
Also marketing 101 you need a middle option for everyone to choose because that's where most people see themselves.
Wtf, are you delusional? You're actually suggesting the so called "iPad Pro" running its pathetic toyOS? As if. No mate, us MBP/MBA users love the laptop form factor, with macOS, filesystem, *nix terminal, sideloading, and decent RAM, so that we can do real work. Add in permanent physical keypad that doesn't require a heavy counterweight to stop it falling over, and ports. Sure, good for you that you are iPadified, but give up on trying to push your religion onto us, and stop knocking on doors and bothering people on the weekends. We were talking about laptops, so go away, you weren't invited.
+ proper external display support which I think anyone and everyone in the corporate world enjoys and prefers...
While I agree with you, could you take it down a notch? You're scaring the straights...