Apple’s just-announced M2 MacBook Professional and M2 MacBook Air could be the solely Macs to function the bottom M2 chip, with some sources saying the corporate is already making ready for subsequent spring’s M3 lineup.
Whereas Apple’s Mac mini may nonetheless get the M2 remedy, there have been ideas that it’s going to transfer straight to an M2 Professional as a substitute, consolidating the lineup and at last permitting Apple to section out the Intel model. It stays to be seen whether or not an entry-level M2 mannequin will accompany that, however studies are fairly blended on Apple’s plans for the diminutive Mac.
There’s a great likelihood we gained’t see an replace to Apple’s 24-inch iMac this 12 months. By all studies, final 12 months’s M1-powered iMac continues to be promoting nicely, so the corporate could not have an enormous incentive to exchange it. Nonetheless, that will be considerably ironic contemplating the latest launch of the M2-powered 13-inch MacBook Professional — a comparatively weak improve to its 2020 M1 predecessor.
Final week, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman revealed that Apple already has its M3 Macs in improvement, together with “a brand new iMac code-named J433.” This implies it’s doubtless Apple has determined to skip an M2 iMac for this 12 months and take it straight to the M3 subsequent 12 months.
Apple’s new in-house Mac chips have led some to imagine that the corporate would merely refresh each system year-over-year, however that was in all probability an unrealistic assumption. Actually, there’s no purpose to assume Apple would change its Mac launch cycle just because it’s now producing its personal chips. It’s going to launch new merchandise when it makes probably the most sense to take action — not merely as a result of it needs to place every era of Apple Silicon into each Mac.
If something, this provides Apple extra management over its product roadmap. When the corporate was counting on Intel chips, it was on the mercy of Intel’s launch cycle. With its in-house chips, Apple decides when it makes probably the most sense to launch new Macs with every of its M-series chips.
The Way forward for the iMac
In his Energy On publication, Gurman lately hinted at another excuse Apple could also be holding off on the next-generation 24-inch iMac: It’s nonetheless engaged on a extra highly effective “iMac Professional.”
Regardless that the newest spate of rumors of a higher-end iMac turned out to be false — sources had been doubtless mistaking the Apple Studio Show for an iMac — that doesn’t imply that Apple isn’t engaged on one. It’s simply farther off than we anticipated.
Following the launch of the Mac Studio and Apple Studio Show, Apple discontinued the 27-inch iMac, claiming it was gone for good. Apple’s precise phrase was “the 27-inch iMac has reached finish of life.”
Nevertheless, the specificity of that assertion leaves plenty of wiggle room for Apple to announce a distinct large-screen iMac. “The 27-inch iMac” doesn’t rule out a 30-inch iMac, or perhaps a 27-inch “iMac Professional,” and a number of studies have advised that Apple is engaged on one thing for 2023, probably to be launched alongside a brand new Apple Silicon Mac Professional.
Gurman has added weight to this on the iMac aspect, suggesting that this is able to be a desktop counterpart to Apple’s higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Professional lineup. Because it’s not anticipated till someday subsequent 12 months, it could function an M3 Professional/Max configuration and handle customers on the lookout for an all-in-one Mac who “need extra display actual property.”
I additionally nonetheless imagine that Apple is engaged on a larger-screened iMac aimed on the skilled market. I’d think about this may use a variation of the M3 chip, doubtless an M3 Professional and M3 Max. That might match the chips inside the MacBook Professional. I don’t assume the mix of a Mac Studio or Mac mini plus an Apple Studio Show cuts it for a lot of professional customers who need extra display actual property.Mark Gurman
One factor that appears sure is that Apple’s M-series chip timeline is much extra aggressive than many had anticipated. Whereas many anticipated the M2 chip to be introduced finally month’s Worldwide Builders Convention (WWDC), Apple shocked us by having new MacBooks able to go. It’s honest to say that we’ll see a repeat of that with subsequent 12 months’s M3, so the massive query is which merchandise will get the M2 Professional/Max/Extremely between every now and then.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]