Apple is expected to unveil a new Mac next month, but with the high-end Mac mini, 27-inch iMac and Mac Pro all featuring Intel chips, Apple’s M1 machines of 2020 are now nearly 15 months old. age, it’s not immediately clear what new model the company plans to announce next.
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, who often reveals specifics about Apple’s plans, reported early last month that Apple was planning to hold a special event on or around Tuesday, March 8. Despite no sign of sending invitations to the event, the launch of new devices should still happen very soon.
Apple’s spring event should at least include the announcement of the third-generation iPhone SE and fifth-generation iPad Air, and a recent report from Gurman claimed that the event will include the announcement of at least minus a new Mac powered by Apple silicon. chips. In total, Apple is expected to launch five new Macs this year:
Laptop
- Redesigned MacBook Air with M2 chip and multiple color options
- Refreshed entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip
desktop computers
- 27-inch premium iMac redesigned with M1 Pro and M1 Max
- Redesigned premium Mac mini with M1 Pro and M1 Max
- Mac Pro redesigned with Apple silicon
Gurman suggested that the Mac unveiled at the spring Apple event could be either the new iMac mini-LED or the Mac mini, with the other three models apparently unlikely to emerge until the fall.
There’s no indication that the redesigned MacBook Air or Mac Pro will arrive next month, and it currently looks like the announcement of the Mac mini is the most likely eventuality. Not only was the Mac mini reportedly launched at last year’s October Apple event alongside the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, but the rumored Mac mini release date comes in cross-referencing with recent reports Credibles 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 be launched in the spring, and Gurman also mentioned the possibility of this machine being announced at a spring event, probably in March or April. . Now, Young says he no longer expects the new iMac Pro to launch in the spring, with a “summer” launch looking more likely for the high-end all-in-one device. Panel shipments for the iMac Pro are expected to begin in June, with a release possibly following in August or September.
Apple is rumored to be working on a Mac mini to replace the Intel models that have been in the product line for some time. Apple updated the entry-level Mac mini with the M1 chip in November 2020, but the top-end offering remains the Space Gray model with an Intel processor from 2018. It’s this top-end model that should being 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 on what to expect from the high-end Mac mini, check out our in-depth guide.
Taking all available evidence into consideration, this means the high-end Mac mini is likely the new Mac to be announced at Apple’s spring event, but it’s possible the company will unveil more than one Apple Silicon Mac at the event.
In December, Gurman was the first to report that Apple planned to release an updated entry-level MacBook Pro with the M2 chip and no Touch Bar this year. While it was widely assumed that this machine would arrive later this year, a recent report from DigiTimes claimed that this model should arrive as early as March. Along the same lines, the reputable official behind the correct rumors about the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models last year also recently claimed that the new 13-inch MacBook Pro will debut in March.
A March unveiling of the updated entry-level MacBook Pro seems questionable as it would be the debut of the M2 chip, which may make more sense to first appear in a redesigned Mac such as the MacBook Air, but this remains a possibility given recent rumours. It might 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 chip options of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, but that doesn’t stop Apple from also upgrading the entry-level Mac mini from the M1 chip to the M2. , although there are no reports to suggest so.
Either way, there are other important questions about how the new entry-level MacBook Pro will take the middle ground between the current high-end MacBook Pro and the M2 MacBook Air expected to arrive later this year.
As for the Mac unveilings from the March event, it is important to note that Apple filed three new Mac models in the Eurasian Economic Database earlier this month with 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 desktops. It seems plausible that this involves two Mac mini models and one 13-inch MacBook Pro model.
Reports immediately preceding Apple events often reveal critical new product details, as was the case with the last-minute MacBook Pro notch reveal last year, so more information on the new Macs could still be revealed in the coming weeks before the spring event.
