At WWDC 2020, Apple announced its plans to change the computer industry with its new in-house processors. These have since been known as the M1 processor and Apple has updated several devices in its lineup with this new chip. At the time, Apple revealed that it plans to have the entirety of its computer lineup transitioned to this new series of chips within two years.
Thanks to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, courtesy of his Power On newsletter, we have a better idea of what to expect. First, Gurman shares that the next Mac to see a redesign will be the MacBook Pro with the unannounced M1X chip. Rumors point to Apple re-introducing ports to a line that currently relies on USB-C and dongles.
Next up, Gurman claims that a “high-end” Mac mini is arriving “soon after that”. Not much is known about this rumored Mac mini. We are hoping to see a slimmed down design, especially after seeing what the new 24-inch iMac has to offer.
As for 2022, Gurman states Apple will complete its transition on schedule, by the end of 2022. The iMac is said to “fully transition by the end of next year”. Meanwhile, Apple is working on a “revamped, smaller Mac Pro” which is going to powered by an Apple chip. Unfortunately, Gurman didn’t reveal whether this refers to the M2 chip, or something else entirely.
According to this newsletter, it’s also possible that we’ll be seeing a redesigned MacBook Air in 2022. Gurman even says that this new slim laptop will feature MagSafe support. With MagSafe returning to the mainstream with the iPhone 12, it’s going to be interesting to see whether Apple will re-invigorate the old MagSafe charger.
And those concerned that Apple is getting ready to completely ditch its Intel-powered products, there’s a bit of hope. The current-generation Mac Pro is said to be updated one more time, making use of the Intel Ice Lake Xeon W-3300 CPUs. But it’s probable that this is going to be the last update before Apple’s silicon transition is completed.
Rumors suggest that Apple is gearing up to release a new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. These devices will use Apple’s M1X or M2 chipset for power, while supporting at least 8GB of RAM. It’s possible that we see a configuration available using up to 32GB of RAM, as well.
The displays are said to feature slimmer bezels around all four edges, with the bottom bezel being a bit larger than the rest. And as for the actual design, we’re looking at an iPad Pro or iPhone 12-like design. This means flat edges, removing any of the curves that are found on the current MacBook Pro.
Perhaps the most exciting change that is rumored comes in the form of port selection. Current MacBook Pro models offer either two or four USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) ports, forcing many to rely on dongles to connect peripherals. Apple is likely to update the USB-C ports to Thunderbolt 4, as it has in the current M1 Mac lineup. But we are also expecting to see the return of an SD Card slot, at the very least.
Additionally, these new 14-inch and 16-models would replace the existing 13.3-inch and 16-inch models.
Let us know what you think about this latest batch of rumors from Mark Gurman. Are you planning on upgrading in the near future?
Andrew is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US.
He has written for a variety of sites over the years, including iMore, Android Central, Phandroid, and a few others. Now, he spends his days working for an HVAC company, while moonlighting as a freelance writer at night.
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