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Apple is widely expected to unveil a new Mac next month, but with the high-end Mac mini, the 27-inch iMac, and the Mac Pro all still featuring Intel chips and Apple's M1 machines from 2020 now reaching almost 15 months in age, it is not immediately clear which new model the company is planning to announce next.

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Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who often reveals accurate insights into Apple's plans, reported early last month that Apple was planning to host a special event on or around Tuesday, March 8. Despite no sign of event invites being sent out, the launch of new devices is still expected to occur very soon.


The spring Apple event is expected to at least include the announcement of the third-generation iPhone SE and the fifth-generation iPad Air, and a recent report from Gurman claimed that the event will include the announcement at least one new Mac powered by Apple silicon chips. Overall, Apple is expected to launch five new Macs this year:


Laptops
  • Redesigned MacBook Air with M2 chip and multiple color options
  • Refreshed entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip


Desktops
  • Redesigned high-end 27-inch iMac with M1 Pro and M1 Max
  • Redesigned high-end Mac mini with M1 Pro and M1 Max
  • Redesigned Mac Pro with Apple silicon


Gurman suggested that the Mac unveiled at the spring Apple event may be either the new mini-LED iMac or the Mac mini, with the other three models apparently being unlikely to emerge before the fall.

There have been no indications that the redesigned MacBook Air or Mac Pro will be arriving next month, and it currently looks like the announcement of the Mac mini is the most likely eventuality. Not only was the Mac mini rumored to launch at Apple's October event last year alongside the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro Models, but the Mac mini release date rumor comes by cross-referencing credible recent reports from display analyst Ross Young and Gurman.

In December 2021, Young said that a new iMac Pro model with a mini-LED display was going to launch in the spring, and Gurman also floated the possibility of this machine being announced at a spring event, likely in March or April. Now, Young says that he no longer expects the new iMac Pro to launch in the spring, with a "summer" launch seeming more likely for the high-end all-in-one device. Panel shipments for the iMac Pro are expected to begin in June, and a release could follow in August or September.

Apple has been rumored to be working on a Mac mini to replace the Intel-based models that are still in the product lineup for some time. Apple updated the entry-level Mac mini with the M1 chip in November 2020, but the high-end offering is still the Space Gray model with an Intel processor from 2018. It is this high-end model that is expected to be replaced this year with an Apple silicon model that features the first redesign since 2010.

The new device is expected to feature the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips from the MacBook Pro, up to 64GB of memory, four Thunderbolt ports, a design with a "plexiglass-like" top, and more. For more information about what to expect from the high-end Mac mini, see our detailed guide.

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Taking all of the available evidence into account, this means that the high-end Mac mini is likely the new Mac that will announce at Apple's spring event, but it is possible that the company could unveil more than one Apple silicon Mac at the event.

In December, Gurman was first to report that Apple was planning to launch an updated entry-level MacBook Pro with the M2 chip and no Touch Bar this year. While this machine was generally been assumed to be arriving later in the year, a recent report from DigiTimes claimed that this model is set to arrive as soon as March. Lining up with this, the reputable leaker behind the correct rumors about the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models last year also recently claimed that the new 13-inch MacBook Pro will debut in March.

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A March unveiling for the updated entry-level MacBook Pro seems questionable since this would be the debut of the M2 chip, which may make more sense to appear in a redesigned Mac such as the MacBook Air first, but it remains a possibility given recent rumors. It would perhaps be more understandable if the M2 also appeared in a new Mac mini model at the event.

Rumors indicate that the high-end Mac mini will mirror the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro's chip options, but this does not disqualify Apple from also upgrading the entry-level Mac mini from the M1 chip to the M2, even though there have been no reports to suggest this.

Regardless, there are other significant questions around how the new entry-level MacBook Pro will take the middle ground between the the current high-end MacBook Pro and the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ that is expected to arrive later this year.

In terms of the March event's Mac unveilings, it is important to note that Apple filed three new Mac models in the Eurasian Economic Database earlier this month with the model numbers A2615, A2686, and A2681, which suggests that the launch of new machines is imminent. A2681 is said to be a laptop, while the other two Macs are desktop machines. It seems plausible that this relates to two Mac mini models and one 13-inch MacBook Pro model.

Reports in the immediate run-up to Apple events often reveal critical details about new products, as was the case with the last-minute revelation of the MacBook Pro's notch last year, so more information about new Macs could still come to light in the coming weeks before the spring event.

Article Link: Which New Mac Will Apple Release at Its March Event?
 
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Santabean2000

macrumors 68000
Nov 20, 2007
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I can see the M2 being the star showing at the next event. Which Macs it ends up in in are almost irrelevant.

For the record, I'm picking:
M2 Mac mini (redesign; M1 base stays to maintain lower price point)
M2 iMac 24" (4 port models only; two port stays to maintain lower price point)
M2 MBP 13" (same design)

I actually think Apple originally planned for the new MBA to come now, but there have been delays that have messed up best-laid plans. So, here we are...
 
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DFZD

macrumors 65816
Apr 6, 2012
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When has Mac Mini ever got an event launch?

Its most likely iMac Pro and maybe a new Macbook Pro 13
 
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MacFin

macrumors member
Oct 17, 2015
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I think Apple will release a new 13" Macbook with an M2 chip in March (this is basically the old 13" Macbook Pro without a touch bar). Having both 13" and 14" Macbook Pro models makes absolutely no sense, but it would make sense if the smaller one is a regular Macbook like it used to be. So my money is on the fact at Apple will reincarnate the Macbook in March and we then get either M1 Pro/Max Mac Mini or a larger iMac alongside it.
 

Putzi360

macrumors member
Mar 30, 2010
46
45
My money is on a 13" Macbook Touch.
After seeing my wife's iPad after she gave it to our kids, I have no desire whatsoever to have touch on a Macbook screen, so the Touch Bar will suffice.
 

boak

macrumors 65816
Jun 26, 2021
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Why wouldn’t they announce “M2 + M2 Pro & Max” at the same event though? Won’t people automatically assume M2 will be faster than M1 Max?
It’s been repeated many times in various threads. No, see A12Z vs. A14.
 
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DFZD

macrumors 65816
Apr 6, 2012
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Bruh, seriously? The M1 Mac Mini was literally announced during the November 2020 event, alongside the other M1 products. And it's not the first time.
Mac Mini was part of a development kit to ensure an essy entry barrier for developers eager to build for Apple Silicon. For M2 thats no longer a thing. Although I do hope they release Mac Mini Pro but its highly unlikely that will try to canabalise future Mac Pro sales.
 

sublunar

macrumors 68020
Jun 23, 2007
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I can see the M2 being the star showing at the next event. Which Macs it ends up in in are almost irrelevant.

For the record, I'm picking:
M2 Mac mini (redesign; M1 base stays to maintain lower price point)
M2 iMac 24" (4 port models only; two port stays to maintain lower price point)
M2 MBP 13" (same design)

I actually think Apple originally planned for the new MBA to come now, but there have been delays that have messed up best-laid plans. So, here we are...
I can go along with that, I'm sure they can find lower binned M2 CPUs for the base model though. My presumption is that the MBA is too much of a bulk seller to completely switch that model to M2 at the time.

This also assumes the M1 Pro/Max Mini will come when the 27" iMac comes out and that's going to be later this year - possibly at WWDC.
 
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BWhaler

macrumors 68040
Jan 8, 2003
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Why wouldn’t they announce “M2 + M2 Pro & Max” at the same event though? Won’t people automatically assume M2 will be faster than M1 Max?

exactly. Then we would see endless articles about which chip is fast or better M1, M2, M1 pro, etc. confusing customers while Apple is still making the transition to Apple Silicon.

This is why these rumors sites have crossed the line over into stupidity.
 
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sirozha

macrumors 68000
Jan 4, 2008
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27” iMacs will be announced. There may be lower-priced apple monitors announced as well.
 

constructor

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May 15, 2011
204
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I would expect that the new Mac Pro with its likely changed form factor and changed functional concept would make sense as a pre-announcement in the WWDC keynote where developers as part of the target audience can be addressed directly, also to exploit its changed design with new and adapted software.

It would then ship a significant while later than that, towards autumn / winter.

So where would that leave the other models?

I think the idea of switching to just plain MacBook for the low-end laptop would make sense. With the M1 max / pro MBPs now shipping is there really a need for a separate MBP 13" any more?

Using the new M2 generation for a redesigned MacBook would make sense, but would that be based on last year's A15 or this year's A16? The processor development cycle and production volume may dictate what's possible there, and when the release would be possible.

An M1 max / pro Mac mini would make the most sense to be squeezed in alongside another Mac release, so with the MacBook would make sense.

As to the iMac Pro: It would make sense to have models with M1 (or M2?) max / pro processors but also top models with the Mac Pro processor; so they might delay iMac Pro presentation until WWDC as well, especially if the display supply issues keep holding them up anyway, or maybe just the top model alongside the Mac Pro...

New, separate displays would make sense at multiple points whenever available for slightly different reasons, but they are a necessity by now.
 

DHagan4755

macrumors 68020
Jul 18, 2002
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Massachusetts


In terms of the March event's Mac unveilings, it is important to note that Apple filed three new Mac models in the Eurasian Economic Database earlier this month with the model numbers A2615, A2686, and A2681, which suggests that the launch of new machines is imminent. A2681 is said to be a laptop, while the other two Macs are desktop machines. It seems plausible that this relates to two Mac mini models and one 13-inch MacBook Pro model.
Perhaps. But if Apple is indeed already manufacturing MacBook Pro 13 inchers with M2 as you reported, then the 2 other desktops are M2 as well; the 24-inch iMac refreshed with M2, and the redesigned Mac mini with M2.

There's this idea that the Mac mini is getting a pro version with M1 Pro and M1 Max. The John Prosser redesign rumor with its plexiglass top has sweetened the idea. Maybe?! But that all doesn't seem to fit what the aim of the Mac mini. Remember BYOKDM?

 
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44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
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Why would apple announce the M2 chip and then put it in the lowest end laptop and desktop?

seriously, it’s like these rumor sites aren’t even hinking about what they are saying.
Aren’t these rumor sites just reporting from other sources though? You make a good point about the M2 chip, but I don’t blame MacRumors for anything, when they’re just sourcing ‘tech news’ from other publishers, like Gurman.
 
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