The spotlight of subsequent week’s Worldwide Builders Convention Keynote is nearly positive to be Apple’s much-anticipated “Actuality Professional” headset, with even iOS 17 taking part in second fiddle. Nevertheless, it seems like Apple could have a couple of different surprises up its sleeve within the type of “a number of new Macs,” a minimum of a few of which can be vital sufficient to get stage time.
Apple generally slips new MacBooks and iMacs out extra quietly by way of press launch to coincide with its main occasions, particularly if it’s already loaded down with loads of different issues to speak about. Nevertheless, if the data from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is correct, this WWDC Keynote might be the “longest ever” and mark the primary time one among Apple’s digital keynotes has surpassed the two-hour mark.
Gurman doesn’t share any specifics about what these new Macs might be, nevertheless it’s not arduous to make a couple of educated guesses.
Firstly, there’s the 15-inch MacBook Air that we’ve been listening to about for some time, which all sources agree is able to launch at WWDC. Though there was some debate about whether or not this could function Apple’s latest-generation M3 chip, the newest info suggests the M3 gained’t be prepared till later this yr. As a substitute, the 15-inch MacBook Air will include two M2 chip choices, possible simply the identical sort of full-spec and binned choices we’ve seen with earlier Apple Silicon MacBooks.
Nevertheless, as thrilling as a bigger MacBook Air can be for some of us, it’s arduous to think about Apple setting apart time for this in an already-packed WWDC occasion. It’s already pre-announced different issues we’d have usually anticipated to see at WWDC, comparable to Closing Minimize Professional and Logic Professional for iPad, presumably to clear the stage for extra essential issues.
There are additionally studies that Apple is engaged on a brand new 24-inch iMac, however sources have agreed since final yr that it’s more likely to skip the M2 and go straight for the M3 chip, which suggests it’s extra more likely to get a quiet summer time or fall launch than a WWDC announcement.
The Final Intel Mac
Nonetheless, there’s one fairly vital Mac replace that we’ve been anticipating from Apple for years now: the behemoth Mac Professional. It’s the one remaining Intel Mac and the ultimate step that must be taken to finish the journey to Apple Silicon.
In fact, no one anticipated the Mac Professional to get the Apple Silicon therapy immediately, however many had been shocked when it didn’t present up at WWDC final yr.
Apple began in late 2020 by placing its baseline M1 chip into probably the most inexpensive — and hottest — of its Macs, the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Professional. A yr later, the M1 Professional and M1 Max introduced extra highly effective variations to a redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Professional lineup.
Then, final yr, the Mac Studio grew to become the primary solely new Mac mannequin to look in Apple’s lineup in over a decade, shaking issues up considerably by ushering within the insanely highly effective M1 Extremely chip that allowed it to outperform the $28-core Mac Professional for a fifth of the worth and a fraction of the scale.
Had been it not for Apple Senior VP John Ternus’ feedback throughout that launch occasion that there was “yet one more Mac” nonetheless to go to Apple Silicon, many would have questioned if the Mac Studio was supposed to be a alternative for Apple’s towering Mac Professional.
In fact, if Apple can put that a lot energy right into a Mac that’s solely barely bigger than a Mac mini, think about what it might ship in a full Mac Professional. The Mac Studio solely beats the present Mac Professional as a result of it runs Apple Silicon whereas the “higher-end” machine makes use of Intel Xeon CPUs.
Nevertheless, when 2022 got here and went with no peep a couple of new Mac Professional, we had been left to imagine that the M1 Extremely merely wasn’t adequate for Apple’s flagship skilled Mac. Clearly, the corporate has one thing else in retailer.
That one thing else might be an M2 Extremely chip — the logical predecessor to the M1 Extremely used within the Mac Studio — or it might be one thing greater and bolder, like an “M2 Excessive.” There’s some proof that Apple is readying a refresh of the Mac Studio, and there’s no cause to imagine that couldn’t come subsequent week with an M2 Extremely chip inside. Apple quietly revved the M1 Professional and M1 Max into newer M2 equivalents with a late 2022 MacBook Professional launch, so it appears the M1 Extremely could be subsequent in line.
Nonetheless, the Mac Professional possible must take it up a notch even from there. It will be odd for Apple to push out a Mac Studio and a Mac Professional powered by the identical chips. Granted, the Mac Professional has different benefits, comparable to extra room inside for additional reminiscence, storage, GPU, and different growth playing cards, nevertheless it nonetheless must be put ahead as a powerhouse. That means one thing past the Extremely class of Apple Silicon or, on the very least, a configuration that pairs a number of Extremely chips collectively.
It’s indeniable {that a} new Mac Professional would qualify for stage time throughout Apple’s Keynote on Monday. Not merely as a result of it’s going to be probably the most highly effective Mac Apple has ever launched but additionally as a result of each one among its predecessors was unveiled throughout a WWDC Keynote.
[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.]