Seven weeks and a day to go opening speech from Apple. And while WWDC 2022 is always focused on software news for developers, there are times when we encounter surprises. And this year it seems there will be surprises.
Mark Gurman doesn’t hesitate when he insists we’re going to see a real tsunami of launches in the second half of this year, although if we put the data from all sources on the table, we find some doubts and contradictions. We are going to erase all this data and try to decipher a release schedule that promises to be very busy.
All the Macs we’ll see in 2022
Before you begin, remember: all these data are based on rumors. Ergo, they could be confirmed, or it could be that a Mac ends up being released 3 months earlier or 12 months later than we currently think. You should not take this information as confirmed, because being rumors, everything can change in a few days.
- Mac mini with M1 Pro chip: It is unlikely, but some sources do not exclude that the M1 Pro chip still has time to land in a Mac mini model. If that happens, it should be soon, possibly at WWDC 2022. That would spell the end of the Intel-based Mac mini that’s still officially sold as a high-end option.
- Mac mini with M2 chip and M2 Pro: The odds are more tied to redesigned Mac minis that take advantage of Apple’s next generation of chips. We could see them in the fall, when the M2 chips would appear.
- MacBook Air with M2 chip: Apple’s most popular laptop has been rumored for many months now. There’s talk of a redesign and some say we’ll see it at WWDC 2022, although if it sports the M2 chip we could go in the fall.
- 27-inch iMac: There are sources saying this Mac will no longer exist, and there are sources saying there is a 27-inch “product” ready for WWDC 2022. For now, reliability is what it is, but I wouldn’t rule out the arrival of a high-end iMac and a bigger screen.
- An entry-level MacBook Pro with an M2 chip? It might be the most questionable Mac on the list, but some sources think we’ll see it. Although there are sources that say the exact opposite.
All the Macs we’ll (maybe) see in the first half of 2023
- 15-inch MacBook Air: This track was revived very recently, although it doesn’t appear that this laptop is in Apple’s plans for this year. Maybe, and still depending on the state of logistics, we’ll see it in 2023. And that’s if Apple really has it in the works, of course.
- Mac Pro: The clues on this Mac contradict the most. WWDC 2022 may serve to see it with an upgrade to the M1 Ultra chip, or we may not see it until 2023 as the final step in the transition to Apple Silicon with an “M2 Ultra”. Or maybe I’m wrong and we’ll get to that much sooner, but I’d rather err on the side of caution.
- 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro/Max chip: At some point, Apple’s business laptops are expected to adopt the next generation of chips. At the moment they are rumored to be in testing, but they shouldn’t go past WWDC 2023 for us to see them.
- Mac Studio with M2 Max/Ultra chip: As in the case of the MacBook Pro mentioned just above, it is only a matter of time before this professional computer also adopts the new chips. At the moment there are no rumors about it.
The latest Macs they should adopt the new generations of Apple chips fairly quickly. Apple now controls both the manufacture of its computers and its chips, and is replacing an M1 chip with an M2 in computers like an iMac. It should be the same for Mac Studio, Mac mini and MacBook Pro.
Next up is WWDC 2022. We’ll see what they’ll be showcasing there and how the outlook for the future will change based on those launches.
Picture | Lucas Hoang
