Apple is expected to make some major iOS and macOS announcements at WWDC in June, but a couple of new Macs might also make a surprise appearance.
The 2022 edition of the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off on June 6 this year, and as per a reliable source, Apple’s annual developer conference might also witness the launch of two new Macs. Apple is touted to launch the biggest portfolio of devices ever for a calendar year in 2022. And even though the iPhones are going to hog their share of the limelight, the Mac family is getting the widest range of hardware updates.
With the M1 Ultra, Apple completed the diversification of the M1 chip family, and all eyes are now on the next-gen M2 chip and the changes it brings to the table. The upcoming MacBook Air is said to be among the first wave of M2-equipped machines, but the saga of its alleged release window has been quite tumultuous lately. A fresh rumor is adding more fuel to the fire. It now predicts that the MacBook Air refresh is less than two months away.
In the latest edition of his Bloomberg’s Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman writes, “I’m told there are two new Macs coming around the middle of the year or early in the second half. One of those is likely to be the new MacBook Air.” Initial rumors predicted that the MacBook Air refresh with an M2 chip would hit the shelves early next year. However, subsequent reports indicated a late 2022 debut of the machine. But if Gurman’s latest claim is anything to go by, Apple might lift the covers from the 2022 MacBook Air at its developer conference in June. Of course, the event will be all about the latest updates to Apple’s operating system portfolio, but the company also has a history of launching hardware at its developer event. The 15-inch MacBook Pro from 2012, the iMac Pro 2017 and the 2019 Mac Pro are just some examples of new Mac hardware appearing at WWDC.
New Chip, New Machines
It is also worth noting that Apple announced its switch away from Intel towards in-house silicon for the Mac at WWDC two years ago. So it only makes sense that the company would want to unveil a successor to its popular M1 chip at its next developer event in June. As for the hardware, the updated MacBook Air is said to be the first Mac to come equipped with the M2 chip. The next-gen M-series silicon will pack the same number of CPU cores at eight, but the number of GPU cores will climb to nine or ten. Coming back to the MacBook Air, it is rumored to shed the iconic wedge-inspired design in favor of a more blocky, flat-sided aesthetics akin to the MacBook Pro. However, Apple also is heavily rumored to give it a fresh coat of paint a la the iMac.
Unfortunately, there is no word on the rest of the internal upgrades for the upcoming laptop. Interestingly, Gurman also mentions the possibility of a second Mac being introduced at WWDC 2022. However, it is unclear if the machine in question is going to be the rumored Mac mini update with the M2 chip or whether Apple will lift the covers from the supposedly ‘affordable’ MacBook Pro refresh that will sit between the 14-inch MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air in terms of pricing. Apple reportedly has multiple M2 chip models planned, including Pro, Max, Ultra, and even an Extreme variant that is allegedly destined for the next-gen Mac Pro.
Source: Power On by Mark Gurman / Bloomberg
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