Apple’s 2022 Mac Lineup Looks Absolutely Jampacked
The year 2022 will be a busy year for Apple’s computing division, as the company plans to launch no less than seven Mac machines across different form factors. Apple is expected to launch the most extensive portfolio of devices in a single year. Of course, the iPhone 14 series, with all its rumored design refresh and camera upgrades, is going to hog the limelight and mint the most millions, but there’s a lot more to unpack for buyers across Apple’s entire product family.
In March, the company is expected to lift the covers from the iPhone SE refresh, which is touted to embrace 5G and a faster processor without any aesthetic tweaks. Then there is the rumored fifth-generation iPad Air that will reportedly come equipped with a faster chip and 5G support in tow, but again, no design refinements. Finally, towards the end of the year, Apple is said to unveil the next-generation iPad Pro. However, details about a second-generation high-end tablet are still shrouded in shaky speculations. But it’s the Mac family that is really getting some sweet upgrade love from Apple.
In the latest edition of his PowerOn newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman notes that Apple will be introducing no less than seven Macs in the ongoing year. The first in line is a MacBook Pro that will come armed with the M2 chip and will reportedly be positioned below the pricey 14-inch and 16-inch models with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. The screen size will reportedly be 14-inches on this one, and it will be slightly more expensive than the M1-powered MacBook Pro from 2020. It will be followed by the MacBook Air refresh, which is rumored to sport an all-new design with a dash of vibrant colors and the M2 chip inside.
Gurman also notes that the Mac Mini will arrive in two flavors — an entry-level model with the upcoming M2 chip and a power-packed version fueled by the M1 Pro silicon. The iMac is also getting a 2022 refresh, in which the older M1 chip will be swapped to make way for the M2 silicon. The screen size will remain the same at 24-inches, and it is unlikely that Apple will make any changes to its design. Next in line is the iMac Pro, an expensive machine that will reportedly feature a pixel-packed 27-inch display, while the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips will keep things ticking under the hood.
The most significant upgrade in terms of raw firepower is reserved for the Mac Pro. Or, as Gurman puts it, a half-sized Mac Pro. It is unclear if the upcoming machine is a bonafide successor to the cheesegrater Mac Pro or not. But going by the specs, it very much looks like the next-generation Mac Pro that also completes Apple’s switch away from Intel to in-house silicon. Apple is said to equip the new Mac Pro with a more powerful version of its beastly M1 Max chip that will pack anywhere between 20-40 CPU cores and 64-128 GPU cores. For comparison, the M1 Max comes armed with 10 CPU cores and 32 GPU cores, which means the version packed inside the 2022 Mac Pro will be at least twice and up to four times as powerful.
Source: Bloomberg / PowerOn