According to Bloomberg news reporter Mark Gurman’s Power On Newsletter, Apple is planning to ship many new Macs using an M2 chip later this year. According to Gurman, Apple will unveil a 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, 24-inch iMac, and a revamped MacBook Air, all of which will be powered by the reported M2 CPU.
The M2 chip will be a little speedier than the M1.
Apple hasn’t mentioned the M2 chip, but Gurman believes it will have a CPU that is somewhat faster than the M1’s and will use the same eight-core design. The graphics cores, on the other hand, can jump from seven or eight to nine or ten. Apple will introduce Pro and Max versions of the M2 chip in 2023, much as it did with the M1 chip, and will reveal an M3 chip, according to Gurman.
Gurman also listed the new models expected to be released by this year:
A new Mac mini with an M1 Pro chip
A 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 chip, to succeed the 2020 model and sit below the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro in the line
A Mac mini with an M2 chip
A 24-inch iMac with an M2 chip
A redesigned MacBook Air with an M2 chip
A larger iMac Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max chip options
A half-sized Mac Pro, the first with Apple Silicon, with the equivalent of either two or four M1 Max chip
It’s been more than a year since Apple introduced its first-ever internal M1 chip in November 2020, and several months since the M1 Pro and M1 Max were released. Apple has a few other Macs on the market as it continues to distance itself from Intel technology. These are likely meant to replace any remaining Intel-powered devices in Apple’s lineup. Gurman anticipates a larger iMac Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max chip possibilities, as well as a smaller Mac Pro with “the equivalent of two or four M1 Max processors,” to replace the existing 27-inch iMac Pro. While the Mac Mini already has an M1 chip, Gurman believes it will be upgraded to an M1 Pro (alongside an M2 variant).
What’s More?
While there is no official word on what will be released or when, Gurman speculates that Apple “wants to reveal that machine as early as the WWDC event in June and ship it in the fall.” A redesigned MacBook Air, he believes, would also be a nice holiday release.
According to Gurman, Apple will unveil new Macs in March, followed by another release in May or June. At a highly hyped event on March 8, Apple is expected to introduce a 5G iPhone SE, 5G iPad Air, and even a new Mac. It also aims to release iOS 15.4, which has a facemask-friendly Face ID, in March. Apple Watch Series 8 and iPhone 14 aren’t expected until later this year.
References:
- https://exbulletin.com/tech/1477026/
- https://public.uk.com/2022/02/20/apple-will-reportedly-debut-an-m2-chip-with-four-new-macs-this-year/
- https://www.lowyat.net/2022/266440/apple-will-reportedly-launch-seven-new-macs-this-year/