Apple Eyes Entry-Level MacBook Pro & Four Other Mac Machines For 2022
As per Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple plans to introduce refreshed models across the iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Pro, MacBook Pro and Mac Air lines.
Apple is reportedly gearing up to launch no less than five new products in the Mac family next year, including a new entry-level MacBook Pro, a MacBook Air refresh and a next-gen Mac Pro with its in-house silicon. Over the past few months, multiple reliable sources have predicted a packed Mac release schedule for 2022 that will include a new entrant across the whole portfolio. And it goes without saying that the upcoming slate of Mac hardware will draw power from Apple’s own M-series silicon.
A few weeks ago, renders of the upcoming MacBook Air surfaced online, showing a redesigned laptop with a jazzy profile. Other reports and rumors that have recently popped up online have excited a super-charged 27-inch iMac that will come equipped with a faster ‘Pro’ grade chip akin to the M1 Pro and M1 Max. There has also been chatter about Face ID on the new iMac, but there is not much substance behind those claims at the moment.
The latest edition of Power On newsletter by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman sheds more light on what Mac buyers can expect from Apple next year. Gurman claims that the company aims to bring five new Mac models to the market in 2022. The list includes a new and more powerful iMac that will be positioned above the M1-powered 24-inch iMac and will likely flaunt a more prominent display as well as a more powerful chip. Next in line is the highly-anticipated MacBook Air refresh that will sport an updated design with a generous splash of colors. A Mac mini is also in the pipeline alongside a new Mac Pro. And finally, an entry-level MacBook Pro is succeeding the M1-powered model that made its debut late last year.
While some of the devices mentioned above have already been making rounds of the rumor arena for a while, a new ‘entry-level MacBook Pro’ is new information that also happens to be the most exciting one. Apple’s current-generation 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999, while the 16-inch MacBook Pro takes the starting price to a handsome $2,499. Needless to say, they’re not exactly affordable. In comparison, the M1-powered MacBook Pro that arrived in 2020 started at a much lower $1,299. It appears that Apple still wants to cater to an audience that desires a ‘Pro’ MacBook without dropping a minimum of two grand for it. The entry-level MacBook Pro will most likely draw power from the next-gen M2 chip that will also be at the heart of Apple’s next-generation M2 chip.
The 2022 MacBook Air has already appeared in leak-based renders that show it parading flat sides and a uniformly thick profile on all sides. In addition, the bezel color is changing from black to white next year, and the keyboard deck is grey this time around, while the metallic chassis will be coated in a bevy of bright shades resembling the 2021 iMac and the iPad Air 4. Gurman also mentions an updated Mac mini, and as per previous rumors, it will reportedly be smaller. It will also offer a wider port selection that includes four Thunderbolt ports, a pair of USB-A ports, an HDMI 2.0 port and a Gigabit Ethernet port. Lastly, the updated Mini namedropped in the newsletter is likely the 27-inch iMac refresh that will arrive packing a Mini-LED panel with Apple’s ProMotion tech in tow.
Source: Power On / Bloomberg