Apple often releases new Macs in the fall, but whether that will happen this year is far from certain. It's the second week of October now, and if Apple plans to launch Macs before the holidays, recent history suggests it will happen this month. Here's what we know so far.
It's been over 120 days since Apple released a new Mac, the last being M2 versions of the Mac Pro, Mac Studio, and 15-inch MacBook Air, all of which arrived in June. Prior to that, in January, Apple released M2 Pro and M2 Max versions of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, alongside new M2-powered Mac mini models.
Meanwhile, the 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro haven't been updated in over 450 days, and the iMac hasn't seen an update in over 880 days (Apple unveiled the M1 24-inch iMac way back in April 2021). It's these last three models that are most due updates, but that's not to say Apple will prioritize them for updates over other Macs.
If you look at the last decade, Apple often holds an annual fall event in which it launches new Macs and iPads. While Apple that didn't happen last year, there were October events in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2021.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman recently told The MacRumors Show that he does not expect Apple to hold an October event because the company does not have enough new products and features to justify it.
However, that doesn't mean we won't be seeing any more new Macs from Apple this year. Apple could choose to release new models via press release instead, like it did in January 2023 for the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. At the same time, Apple may not have any new models forthcoming this side of Christmas 2023. So what do the rumors say?
Mac Pro, Mac Studio, MacBook Air
It's worth repeating that Apple this year has already updated the Mac Pro, Mac Studio, and 15-inch MacBook Air. These updates were released in June 2023, so there is little chance that they will be superseded by newer models before 2024.
However, Apple has not yet updated the smaller 13-inch MacBook Air this year. This model was originally announced in June 2022, so there is scope for a refresh soon. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the 13-inch MacBook Air could be one of the first beneficiaries of Apple's new M3 chip, but it is unclear if this upgrade will arrive in late 2023 or early 2024.
Mac Mini, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro
Apple updated the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips in January, and most rumors suggest refreshed models are coming next year. According to Gurman, the next version of these two machines are expected to feature M3 Pro and M3 Max chips and will "probably" launch by the middle of 2024 at the latest.
On the other hand, a supply chain report in October claimed that Apple is preparing to release new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with more power-efficient mini-LED displays before the year is out.
As for the Mac mini, Apple updated the machine with M2 chips in January 2023, while M3-powered models are not expected to emerge until late 2024 at the earliest, according to Gurman.
iMac, 13-inch MacBook Pro
That leaves the iMac and 13-inch MacBook Pro. Apple's 24-inch iMac was refreshed with a new design, M1 chips, and new color options in April 2021. While the iMac did not receive an upgrade to the M2 chip this year, a refreshed model with the M3 chip is expected to launch soon, potentially towards the end of this year.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro was updated with the M2 chip in June 2022, so this is another model that could see an upgrade soon, possibly later this year.
With that said, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in September claimed that Apple is unlikely to release any new MacBook models with the M3 chip this year. However, Kuo only ruled out new MacBooks, so there is still potential for a new iMac this year.
Summing Up
As things stand, we could still see at least one Mac with a new M3 chip before the end of the year. The as-yet-unannounced M3 chip is widely expected to be fabricated with TSMC's 3nm process for significant performance and power efficiency improvements compared to the current 5nm-based M2 chip, which debuted in June 2022.
Given that Apple launched new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models in January, and more recently new 15-inch MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro models in June, Gurman believes the first beneficiaries of the new M3 chip will be the next iMac, 13-inch MacBook Air, and 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Gurman has said that if these products do come out in 2023, Apple is likely to unveil them via press release rather than with an event.
Lastly, MacRumors received information in early October indicating that Apple was preparing to accept some of its latest Mac models for trade-in, suggesting it may be proceeding with plans to release new Mac models. Whether this correlates with the launch of at least one new machine around mid-October however remains to be seen.
Article Link: Will Apple Release New Macs Soon? Here's What the Latest Rumors Say
