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February has been a relatively quiet month for Apple so far beyond the new HomePod arriving to customers, but things should pick up soon. Apple is rumored to have at least three new product announcements planned for the period of March through June, including a new Mac Pro, a 15-inch MacBook Air, and its long-awaited AR/VR headset. Apple often introduces a new iPhone color or two in the spring too, and that tradition could continue this year.

Mac-Pro-VR-Headset-New-iPhone-Color-Triptych-Feature.jpg

Below, we have recapped what to expect from Apple this spring based on the latest rumors. As always, Apple's plans could change at any time.

New Mac Pro

Mac-Pro-Feature-Teal.jpg

Apple is widely expected to release a new Mac Pro with Apple silicon this year. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the high-end desktop computer will be available with a new M2 Ultra chip, which would make it the fastest Mac ever. He expects the new Mac Pro to have the same design as the 2019 model, but lack user-upgradeable RAM. A higher-end "M2 Extreme" chip for the computer was apparently cancelled.

Last month, Gurman said Apple was internally testing a new Mac Pro running macOS 13.3, which is expected to be publicly released this spring. Given this, it's possible that Apple could release the new Mac Pro and macOS 13.3 around March or April, but there is still no definitive timeframe for the computer's release this year, so there remains a chance that the new Mac Pro is announced at WWDC 2023 in June or later in the year.

AR/VR Headset

apple-ar-headset-concept-1.jpeg
Apple Headset mockup by Ian Zelbo

Apple has been rumored to be working on a headset with both augmented reality and virtual reality capabilities for years now, and rumors suggest the company will finally introduce the device in 2023. Last month, reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the headset is likely to debut at an Apple Event this spring or at WWDC in June.

Apple's headset will reportedly feature dual 4K micro-LED lenses, over a dozen cameras, M2 and H2 chips, advanced eye and hand tracking, a physical knob similar to the Digital Crown on the Apple Watch, an iOS-like interface with a grid of apps, the ability to function as an external display for a Mac, and more. Apple is expected to give developers time to create AR and VR apps for the headset before releasing it later in the year.

15" MacBook Air

MacBook-Air-M2-Chip-Purple-Feature.jpg

Apple's supply chain started production of display panels for a new 15.5-inch MacBook Air this month, according to display industry analyst Ross Young, who has a very good track record with rumors about future Apple products over the past few years.

Young expects the new MacBook Air to launch in early April, but it is possible that an announcement and pre-orders could occur sooner. Apple often holds a spring event to announce new products, such as in March 2022 and April 2021.

A new 15-inch display size option would be the largest ever for the MacBook Air. Young did not provide any additional details about the new model, including whether it would be equipped with the M2 chip or the next-generation 3nm-based M3 chip, which Apple has yet to announce. Apple's chipmaking partner TSMC began mass production of 3nm chips in December, but it's unclear if the M3 chip would be ready by April.

New iPhone Color?

purple-iphone-12-and-12-mini.jpg

Apple often releases at least one new iPhone color in the spring, and that tradition could potentially continue this year.

At its March 2022 event, Apple introduced a new Alpine Green color for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, and a new Green color for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini. In April 2021, Apple made the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini available in Purple.

In the past, Apple released a new (PRODUCT)RED color for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 series.

Article Link: What to Expect From Apple This Spring: New Macs and More
 
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Assuming there is a Spring event, it should be the most anticipated event in a very long time — in part because it will hopefully be a live event which we haven’t seen since 2019!

I just hope they get Joz, Ternus, or Fed to announce the headset — none of poor presenters they have been using just for the sake of diversity.
 
I also wonder what is going to be the new Spring 2023 Apple Watch Bands and iPhone cases color going to be.


 
while I am curious to see what Apple has to offer, I do not have any immediate need for any of the products mentions.
Going onto 2 months of Mac Studio, waiting for periscope lens and USB-C for my next iPhone, and I will not comment on AR/VR because I have nothing nice to say about that ...
 
I also wonder what is going to be the new Spring 2023 Apple Watch Bands and iPhone cases color going to be.


An orange and/or purple Ocean watch band for my Ultra would be an immediate buy!
 
Mac Pro silicon needs to get away from “Pro, Max, Ultra” etc. It just needs a starting CPU core option with multiple upgradable tiers, and same for GPU and RAM. I Realize that it may not happen this time, but needs to be the longer play for sure. Massive chips that won’t go in anything else by a long shot, even Mac Studio.
 
Assuming there is a Spring event, it should be the most anticipated event in a very long time — in part because it will hopefully be a live event which we haven’t seen since 2019!

I just hope they get Joz, Ternus, or Fed to announce the headset — none of poor presenters they have been using just for the sake of diversity.
Yep, I miss in person events. There's special magic in them.
 
I know notebooks rule, but it's odd/interesting that the entire lineup (minus the Mac Pro, of course) has been Apple Silicon-ized, TWICE, while the 24" iMac has gone nearly two years (come April) without being touched. Seems they could drop the M2 in those at some point and make those a better proposition. Who's actually buying those models in any numbers these days, nearly two-years-old and the rest of the lineup squarely into M2-ville? They're not a good buy. If someone gave me one - or I won one in a contest - I'd be happy to own. But the idea of spending $1,499+ on something that is surely on the cusp of being upgraded/replaced is a complete no-go. Even the 16/256 refurbs at $1,439 aren't as tempting as they once were. Thinking back to how this was their signature model at one point, now it gets the least attention/push.

As for the upcoming Mac Pro, will not having user-upgradeable RAM chap the very crowd it's aimed at? Isn't one of the hallmarks of a "pro" tower the ability to open it up and add, tweak things as your workload/workflow/needs demand? We all know the prices Apple charges for RAM upgrades on the other stuff. If it's the Super Special™ variety for these new Pro Towers, an someone wants to put 64-128GB RAM in theirs, that'll be about a $8 gazillion computer! o_O

I miss the days of buying the affordable base Mac, then going to Crucial, OWC, etc. and buying the RAM I needed - at an affordable, reasonable price - and putting in double or triple the stock RAM. Never had a problem from any of those companies. These days you gotta spend $200-400 (or more) extra, on day of purchase, just to give the thing some legs. With everything welded shut/soldered on, there is no going back, a year down the road, and adding your own. It's become very expensive to buy a Mac, factoring in the upfront cost of extra RAM. At some point, 16GB will become standard across the entire line I would imagine? Soon? Two years from now? Ever?
 
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Yep, I miss in person events. There's special magic in them.
I don't know. I kinda like not hearing the forced seal-clapping and "woooo!" from an audience (or, worse, NO reaction when the presenter is obviously expecting some :D ). These pre-produced things are error/glitch free and pretty neat to watch (the editing, transitions, graphics, etc.). Trotting out a fear-of-public-speaking CEO of some third-party tech/gaming company to rattle on for 10-12 minutes, live on stage while trying to sound breezy/witty/hip, is painful. The video-based events/presentations can bypass all that awkward, dead space of past live events. I've grown to like them. They seem a bit tighter/more focused overall.

Post-Steve, these things just aren't what they used to be. I had the joy of watching all those 1998-2010-ish Macworld (including New York, Paris and Tokyo), WWDC, NAB, standalone events, etc. with Steve holding the stage for 90+ minutes...and never once glancing at the clock and thinking "when is this going to be over?!", which is about all I do now with Tim and his rotating cast of presenters. Wanna talk about "special magic". Those too young to have sat through those - either in person or online - as they happened really missed something special; thankfully they're mostly all on YouTube.

That January 2007 introduction of the iPhone is the best presentation/product unveiling I've ever seen. Perfection (and, reading the behind-the-scenes story of it all, with a flaky, barely-reliable demo model, technical hurdles galore and last-minute tweaks to the presentation and features to be highlighted, it's nothing short of a miracle that it went as well as it did). It could've (should've?) been an absolute train wreck!
 
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If there's going to be a new Mac Pro there most certainly will be an 8K (or greater resolution) monitor, it's where the puck is going. Using the 6K Pro XDR's pixel pitch of 218ppi this would yield a 40–42" panel for an 8K Pro XDR display.

Seeing how Apple has more-than-made its ROI on the current 32" XDR panels since their 2019 release I should expect them to be repurposed for a 32" iMac Pro.

Them's my reckonings.
 
I like to see the larger IMac return to its glory in a new design using M2 Pro/Max SoC's.

I also like to see what the Mac Pro turns out to be like.
Same here, but I honestly don’t know if it’s gonna happen. With the price of the Studio Display and the M2 and M2 Pro Mac mini, I don’t know if we will see this. I think all-in-one serves a great purpose, and I’m a fan. But unsure of what’s going to come with it beyond the 24”.
Hate to keep repeating myself, but all I’m really interested in is HomeKit being fixed.
you are not alone. All of us who upgraded to the new architecture before it was pulled are anxiously awaiting too. I miss my stereo pair of HomePod minis! 2 months now I’ve been without them. Stuck in configuring and can’t do anything else
 
Why do I feel that the Mac Pro is going to be underwhelming?
Because the past two redesigns/rollouts were? A trashcan with nowhere to go, thermally, and then an over-designed Ive tower with the whole "premium wheels" and $1,000 display stand silliness. I'm so thankful those models aren't where I live and breathe, and have never needed for my modest vector-based illustration/design work. I'd be inconsolable! :p "I gotta buy what? For how much?!"

At one time, Apple didn't try to get cute with their workhorse, professional-targeted towers. They were still attractive, for whatever that might've counted for, but they were what they were: large enough boxes with a boatload of ports/slots and an entire side that came off to allow people to cram in whatever they wanted: RAM, specialty cards, a can of corn, etc. They sat on floors or on tables in non-boutique production environments where Stuff Got Done. That they kinda vanished into the environment, vs. perpetually lunging for design awards, was one of their best features, even if we didn't realize it at the time. :)

Then somebody decided they should be works of art, and here we are. Sometimes "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" even applies to outfits like Apple.
 
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