New MacBook Air, MacBook Pro with M2 said to launch in late 2022

AppleInsider

A new report suggests that Apple's new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro will show up at an Apple Event in 2022, sporting Apple's rumored new M2 chip.

On Tuesday, Apple announced the brand new Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPad Air 5, and iPhone SE.

Notably, the MacBook Air was not at the event, making it more likely that the model will appear at an event later in the year.

It's possible that the next-generation MacBook Air would see some significant redesigns. For example, it's anticipated that the new MacBook Air will mimic the 24-inch iMac color choices.

But, it's also looking more likely that it will see an internal upgrade as well.

According to sources talking to 9to5Mac, the MacBook Air, said to be codenamed J413, will boast Apple's next-gen entry-level M2 chip. The M2 chip will be based on the A15 chip and will allegedly feature the same eight-core CPU of the M1 but boast a more powerful 10-core GPU.

The sources also allegedly say that the 13-inch MacBook Pro will stick around for a while longer and receive the M2 chip. The new MacBook Pro (codenamed J493) isn't anticipated to get a redesign upon the next update.

It's also been rumored for some time that Apple may drop the word "Air" or "Pro" from an upcoming model, returning its status to just "MacBook."

Apple often rolls out upgrades to new devices by starting with lower-end models, and it has been incrementing a digit to show that the new product is an update for some time. The 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air were the first models to receive Apple's M1 chip, and will be first in line to receive the next chip upgrade which has been rumored to be, and is logically, going to be called the M2.

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designr

For the consumer laptop, I'm guessing you'll see it go something like this:

1. Drop the "Air" and it becomes simply MacBook.
2. Includes the M2 chip.
3. Redesigned chassis in line with the "new"*, emerging design language (less curvy, more angular edges). White bezel but possibly quite minimized. There will probably be a notch.

*Not really new of course. It hearkens back to the iPhone 4.

I might buy such a machine to replace my 2016 MacBook Pro. The biggest question is Thunderbolt ports. I have four now (two per side). That's pretty handy. I'm not sure I want to lose that and/or have to buy a hub. We'll see. Of course, if they have one (two? ) in addition to a MagSafe power port...well...

mjtomlin

designr said:

For the consumer laptop, I'm guessing you'll see it go something like this:

1. Drop the "Air" and it becomes simply MacBook.
2. Includes the M2 chip.
3. Redesigned chassis in line with the "new"*, emerging design language (less curvy, more angular edges). White bezel but possibly quite minimized. There will probably be a notch.

*Not really new of course. It hearkens back to the iPhone 4.

I might buy such a machine to replace my 2016 MacBook Pro. The biggest question is Thunderbolt ports. I have four now (two per side). That's pretty handy. I'm not sure I want to lose that and/or have to buy a hub. We'll see. Of course, if they have one (two? ) in addition to a MagSafe power port...well...

1. Drop the “Air” and “Pro”
2. Includes M2
3. Redesigned with current design language
4. 12” MacBook (passively cooled) will replace the Air
5. 14” MacBook (actively cooled) will replace the Pro

This Fall

williamlondon

It will be very interesting to see a redesigned chassis for the 'Air', something like the MacBook that was so lovely and thin (but lacking adequate power with that crappy Intel chip). This could be a very interesting laptop for the masses who don't require the extra power of the Pro line. No fan, sleek design, slim chassis, fun colours wouldn't be bad.

My 2012 11" Air is still doing great, but could use a decent upgrade.

designr

The new iMac hints at how much Intel was holding Apple back.

The new MacBook (Air) will show us even more.

Apple is serious about Apple Silicon and what it will enable for them now and many years to come. What we're seeing is just the tip of the iceberg.

EDIT: Come to think of it, Mac Studio is also showing us if the rumored benchmarks that show a Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra outperforming the top Mac Pro are true. Think about that with performance, size (220 cu. in. vs. 3000 cu. in.), and cost ($5K vs. $13K). Of course, the Pro has more to account for in the price difference, but still...

amarkap

Why would  they want to drop the Air and Pro labels from their laptops?  What advantage would that bring?  It just becomes more confusing.  When someone says they have a MacBook Pro it means something...a more expensive laptop for dedicated work.  MacBook Air means a more general all purpose laptop meant for home use.  These labels have been around for a long time and they help differentiate the models.  They are engraved in our minds by now.  Same reason Honda has their Accord and Acura lines...no point in just making both cars called Honda.  Also, I think they should make yet a third model with the same new design language and maybe called it the MacBook SE which would still use the M1 chip but this one would be geared towards Students (hence SE...Student Edition).  A more cost effective laptop with the new design language.  

mjtomlin

amarkap said:

Why would  they want to drop the Air and Pro labels from their laptops?  What advantage would that bring?  It just becomes more confusing.  When someone says they have a MacBook Pro it means something...a more expensive laptop for dedicated work.  MacBook Air means a more general all purpose laptop meant for home use.  These labels have been around for a long time and they help differentiate the models.  They are engraved in our minds by now.  Same reason Honda has their Accord and Acura lines...no point in just making both cars called Honda.  Also, I think they should make yet a third model with the same new design language and maybe called it the MacBook SE which would still use the M1 chip but this one would be geared towards Students (hence SE...Student Edition).  A more cost effective laptop with the new design language.  

Not drop "Pro" from all laptops... but drop the 13" MacBook Pro. Their line up would return to...

MacBook
MacBook Pro

That's not more confusing. However, I do think Apple will keep and drop the price of the MacBook Air w/M1 as a low cost alternative.

"Air" just needs to go away. It's time has passed and is no longer relevant when there are now dozens of smaller and lighter ultrabooks on the market.

dewme

This will start to get exciting once we find out what the “M2” really is, i.e., move beyond the “allegedly”state.

Maybe we’ll know by WWDC?

designr

dewme said:

This will start to get exciting once we find out what the “M2” really is, i.e., move beyond the “allegedly”state.

Maybe we’ll know by WWDC?

Wouldn't be surprised. WWDC is in June. M2 products may start being released in the last quarter of 2022, but certainly in 2023. Developers want to start knowing about it now. Apple has their schedule, timing and cadence for everything pretty well dialed in now.

skippingrock

So an M2 Pro/Max is still a year or so off I would think? I’m about to hit the Buy button on an M1 Max/24 16”. It’s not going to be out of date come end of year, right?

dewme

skippingrock said:

So an M2 Pro/Max is still a year or so off I would think? I’m about to hit the Buy button on an M1 Max/24 16”. It’s not going to be out of date come end of year, right?

No matter what you buy today, it will absolutely be overshadowed by a future model. The only question is how long it will be before your amazing and shiny new Apple toy get moved to a lower tier on the hierarchy of Apple product greatness. Even the brand new Mac Studios with the “Ultra” chips will be a previous generation product in the not too distant future. It’s the inevitable lifecycle of tech products - illustrated quite humorously here https://www.theoatmeal.com/comics/computer_phases .

netrox

It seems interesting that Apple chose the opposite way to make chips - the newest generation of chip gets to be in consumer entry level while the "pros" get the same generation but with a lot more cores instead of new architecture. Economically, it makes more sense though as they will simply "bin" working cores together with what's left from entry level chips. 
  

mjtomlin

dewme said:

This will start to get exciting once we find out what the “M2” really is, i.e., move beyond the “allegedly”state.

Maybe we’ll know by WWDC?

I doubt it. I’m thinking at WWDC they’ll announce the Mac Pro. 

If the M2 uses the same cores as A16, then we may not hear of anything until Fall. Which I believe will be the case as no one is going to upgrade if there’s not a big enough gain in performance. Skipping a core generation would enable that difference. 

designr

netrox said:

It seems interesting that Apple chose the opposite way to make chips - the newest generation of chip gets to be in consumer entry level while the "pros" get the same generation but with a lot more cores instead of new architecture. Economically, it makes more sense though as they will simply "bin" working cores together with what's left from entry level chips. 
  

Great observation. It is interesting. In fact, it's something like this that turns an industry—and its economics—on its head.

It's a bit of a variation on the "disruptive technology" idea.

I can't recall what book I read this in, but they discussed how new technologies emerge and often start out as lesser-performing technologies in some particular dimension. They're unsuited for current applications but end up enabling a new, sometimes unexpected, application.

One example was hard drives (remember those? ). Company A would be established with hard drives with 8" platters (yeah, one time, a long time ago). Then company B starts doing 5.25" platters. These are unsuited for where the bigger drives are used (e.g., minicomputers) but enable something new (e.g., desktop personal computers). Then company C tries 3.5" platters. The same thing repeats: Unsuited for where 5.25" drives are used (e.g., desktop personal computers) but enable something new (e.g., portable computers). It repeats again with 1.5" drives (portable computers -> portable music players, etc.)

Maybe Apple is effectively doing the same thing here by inverting the old way. Before you'd build these big, powerful, large die chips that were expensive to start and then "ride the cost curve down". But now, with Apple—and the ARM architecture—it goes the other way: Smaller, high yield, less expensive cores assembled together like Legos and then "ride the performance curve up" by, as you said, putting together more cores to create the bigger, higher performance chip.

P.S. There's a cash flow element here too with this approach where you get to pay for R&D faster too. You keep filling the coffers with cash that gets to be used for more R&D. Rinse and repeat.