The dust is settling on Apple’s latest event, which took place just a few months after WWDC ’22 concluded back in June. Between Dub Dub and the ‘Far Out’ event, Apple has remained pretty quiet, not releasing any major new products.
But now that the calendar has turned over into September, not only are we getting a new iPhone and the AirPods Pro 2 but there are three new Apple Watch models. However, that’s only part of the story, as there are still a few other products that Apple is expected to unveil before the end of 2022.
During the WWDC ’22 Keynote presentation, Apple not only announced its brand new M2 silicon but even introduced a redesigned MacBook Air and an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro. While these were somewhat expected, Apple didn’t stop there as it teased the release of an M1-powered Mac Pro.
The last Mac Pro was released before the transition to Apple Silicon began, arriving with a steep starting price tag all the way back in 2019. With the exception of the now-retired iMac Pro, every other Mac in Apple’s lineup has been updated with an M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra, or M2 chip. That’s every Mac, except for the Mac Pro.
This normally wouldn’t be much of an afterthought, as the Mac Pro doesn’t live on the same update schedules as other Macs in Apple’s lineup. However, because Apple made a quick mention of an M1 Mac Pro at WWDC, it’s rather odd that we still haven’t seen anything in regards to a release or even an official announcement.
Any (Other) New Macs
Keeping on that trend, the Mac Pro’s market is much smaller compared to other Mac models in Apple’s vast lineup of options. The MacBook Air already received its long overdue redesign, but there’s another Mac that’s also due for an upgrade. When Apple first unveiled the M1 chip, it did so by putting it into the last-gen MacBook Air, along with the Mac Mini.
Subsequent teardowns made it painfully obvious that the Mac Mini would eventually be updated with a new design and form factor at some point. With Apple Silicon, there’s no need for all of the extra internals that Intel-powered Mac Mini models required. So it comes as a bit of a surprise that the original M1 Mac Mini is still hanging around, waiting to be updated with at least an M2 chip.
It’s possible the M2 could also come to the 24-inch iMac, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed that Apple is working on something bigger. And we mean physically bigger, as an M1 Ultra-powered iMac Pro with a larger 27-inch display would be absolutely wonderful. Chances are it’ll end up looking just like the Studio Display with its 27-inch 5K screen, but will probably be a bit thicker to accommodate whatever it is that the M1 Ultra or M2 Pro (or whatever it’s called) will need. This one’s a shot in the dark, but there’s definitely a hole in Apple’s current lineup, and a brand-new iMac Pro would fit quite nicely.
Where Are The iPads?
Apple is still trying to figure out how to make Stage Manager work with iPadOS 16, as the company confirmed that the software is being pushed back. Originally, iPadOS 16 was intended to launch alongside iOS 16, which is slated to arrive on September 12. However, pushing the software release back could make a lot more sense if Apple plans on announcing some new hardware to go along with the new software.
There are a lot of different rumors suggesting Apple is not only working on another redesign for the iPad Pro line but that there might be a third model added to the mix. If these rumors come to fruition, Apple’s iPad Pro lineup would be comprised of an 11-inch model, a 12.9-inch model, and either a 14-inch or 15-inch version. A larger screen would definitely be welcome considering that Stage Manager feels a bit cramped when you’re working with three or four app windows at the same time.
Another upgrade that Apple could likely make is to bring its excellent Liquid Retina miniLED display from the 12.9-inch iPad Pro to the 11-inch model. We were a bit surprised to see that the 11-inch iPad Pro kept the same screen as its predecessor, save for a few tweaks. But it also makes sense given that the 12.9-inch version saw a price increase as a result of the new display.
It’s truly too early to tell what Apple plans on doing, and whether it will release new iPad models alongside new Macs or not. But if you’re in the market for either one, you don’t have much longer to wait as Apple’s next event is rumored for sometime in October.
Andrew Myrick is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is having a never-ending supply of different keyboards and gaming handhelds that end up collecting more dust than the consoles that are being emulated.
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