Apple is working on five new Macs for launch in 2022, including a new version of the entry-level MacBook Pro, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that he expects Apple to launch five new Macs in 2022, including:
- A high-end iMac with Apple silicon to sit above the 24-inch iMac in the lineup
- A significant MacBook Air revamp featuring the "M2" chip and a new design
- An updated Mac mini
- A new version of the entry-level MacBook Pro
- A new Mac Pro with Apple silicon
While there have been a large number of rumors around Apple's iMac, MacBook Air, Mac mini, and Mac Pro updates, Gurman's mention of a new entry-level MacBook Pro stands out. He previously mentioned that a next-generation entry-level MacBook Pro would contain the same M2 chip as the next-generation MacBook Air, featuring the same number of CPU cores as the M1 chip, up to 10 graphics cores, and improved performance, but this is the first time that the machine has been mentioned in over half a year.
The introduction of Apple's latest high-end MacBook Pro models, which feature larger displays, scrapped the Touch Bar, and added more ports, seems to have left the entry-level MacBook Pro in something of an odd position in the Mac lineup, leading to speculation that it could be discontinued and replaced with a high-end version of the MacBook Air, but Gurman's reaffirmation suggests that a new entry-level MacBook Pro is still on the way for 2022.
Details about the new machine are unclear, but there are significant questions around how the new entry-level MacBook Pro will take the middle ground between the new M2 MacBook Air and the current high-end MacBook Pro, and whether aspects such as the Touch Bar will remain.
Refreshes of the 24-inch iMac and high-end MacBook Pro were noticeably absent from Gurman's list of expectations for 2022. While these machines were updated this year, their absence from Gurman's list could add clout to the theory that Apple is not planning to update its Apple silicon Macs annually.
Beyond the Mac, Gurman mentioned that he also expects to see an iPhone SE with 5G, new AirPods Pro earbuds, and the introduction of Apple's first mixed augmented and virtual reality headset in 2022.