Big MacBook Pro announcement rumored for January 17

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2023
Apple leaker Jon Prosser suggests Apple will announce something on Tuesday, January 17 -- and a new MacBook Pro is expected to debut at the event.

The M1 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro and the Mac Pro
The M1 Max 16-inch MacBook Pro and the Mac Pro


January has been a quiet month for Apple in the past decade, as it is generally still riding the initial wave of iPhone demand all the way to the spring. However, a very last-minute rumor suggests Apple could announce something on Tuesday.

Jon Prosser has popped up out of his long hiatus from Apple rumors to share that the company will have something to share in its PR newsroom. There's nothing else to go on, but his collaborator Ian Zelbo suggests that it is hardware related and could perhaps be the long-awaited M2-series MacBook Pro updates.

Prosser has dialed back efforts to start his own Apple rumors in the past year. Instead, he's been focused on running his tech news-focused website and YouTube channel, Front Page Tech. He made brief comments on the iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island design in 2022, but otherwise didn't have a lot to say about Apple products since the very wrong iPhone 14 leak he shared prior to the iPhone 13 release.

The tweet originates from the Front Page Tech Twitter account, as Prosser himself has stopped using the social media service. It simply states for readers to "keep an eye on Apple's newsroom tomorrow."

keep an eye on apple's newsroom tomorrow

- jon

-- frontpagetech.com (@frontpagetech)


As to what could be announced, it isn't clear. The tweet plays it safe, so if Apple reveals the trailer for "Ted Lasso" season 3, then that could enough for Prosser to claim he knew it was coming.

If it is hardware, rumors point to two possibilities -- the Apple VR headset or another M2-series chip update in Macs. However, these products have both been allegedly pushed back well into 2023 or later, according to analysts and leakers Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman.

Ming-Chi Kuo had previously suggested that the Apple VR headset could be announced in January 2023, but has since walked that back. He believes that the headset is ready, but the software needs more time for development before it is announced or ships.

The M2 Pro and M2 Max iterations of the MacBook Pro were expected for sometime in 2022, but Mark Gurman pushed those predictions late into 2023 as recently as two weeks ago. He has also claimed that 2023 will be a muted year for Apple releases as most new products will be spec bumps.

New evidence pointing to an updated MacBook Pro lineup appeared on the heels of this rumor. A Canadian regulatory database was updated with a new MacBook Pro model that supports Wi-Fi 6e on January 11.

Prosser has a history of getting last minute leaks correct, so expect something to be announced on Tuesday. However, it could be anything, so it is best to wait and see before we're all caught up in a wave of speculation.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 29
    starof80starof80 Posts: 18member
    First time hearing about John in awhile. Don’t know why you guys are reporting on a leak from him because he is almost as unreliable as Digitimes is.
    ramanpfaff
  • Reply 2 of 29
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 2,702member
    Tomorrow is the press release launch of the M2 based MacBook Pros. 

    Nothing crazy, but definitely needed. 
    edited January 2023
  • Reply 3 of 29
    king editor the grateking editor the grate Posts: 645member
    I haven't kept myself apprised of MBP model status, but it appears they've already dropped?

  • Reply 4 of 29
    king editor the grateking editor the grate Posts: 645member
    Ah! It's the M2Pro and Maxxx that are expected. Seems lame to boast this model as New, but maybe it's more recent iteration than I realize.

    Nothing to read here; dotage in progress.
  • Reply 5 of 29
    charlesncharlesn Posts: 832member
    I really hate being click-baited, AI. "Big Apple announcment?" Really? First, Prosser said nothing about it being "big," and second, what "big" announcement has Apple ever made via press release only? Why would they announce their "next big thing" project, namely the VR headset, via press release? Similarly, I think they'd want more than a PR announcement for an all-new Mac Pro. It could be Ted Lasso S3. Or M2 iMacs, identical to the M1 machines except for the fairly minor speed bump to a base M2. Macbook Pros are such an important product line to Apple, I'd imagine that they'd want to do more than a PR annoucement for the M2 versions, which will hopefully prove to be a speedier leap from M1 versions than we've seen in the Macbook Air. 
    lkruppchiaJapheyfastasleep
  • Reply 6 of 29
    macuserosumacuserosu Posts: 55member
    9secondkox2 said:
    Tomorrow is the press release launch of the M2 based MacBook Pros. 

    Nothing crazy, but definitely needed. 
    I love how everyone instantly jumps on the MBP 14” and 16” train when it is entirely more likely the Mini and/or iMac will get the current M2 update.  Then they can still show investors they are still releasing products while they can sit on the true MBP update for a little while longer. 
    chiaApplejacs
  • Reply 7 of 29
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 2,702member
    king editor the grate said:
    I haven't kept myself apprised of MBP model status, but it appears they've already dropped?

    That launched last year with the MacBook Air. 

    We are talking about the new body style MBP 14 and 16 inch. 
  • Reply 8 of 29
    jcfrg1966jcfrg1966 Posts: 1member
    Apple VR headset Big presentation 😎
    williamlondondesignr
  • Reply 9 of 29
    DAalsethDAalseth Posts: 2,783member
    It seems unlikely that anything big would be done by press release. Apple will set a scheduled event a week or more in advance. If something drops tomorrow, it will be small. OTOH an M1->M2 bump on the Mini could qualify as small. 
    edited January 2023 williamlondon
  • Reply 10 of 29
    fred1fred1 Posts: 1,112member
    His “prediction” reads like a horoscope: “Be careful tomorrow since something will happen.”  
    beowulfschmidt
  • Reply 11 of 29
    thadecthadec Posts: 97member
    Why Focus on the MacBook Pro?
    The first M1 MacBook Pro was announced in November 2020.
    The 14" and 16" M1 Pro and Max MacBook Pros came out in 2021.
    Then the M2 MacBook Pros came out in 2022.
    The headline should be finally updating the Mac Mini. 
    Reason 1: the Mac Mini has the same 8 core (only 4 performance) CPU and 8 core GPU from 2020
    Reason 2: the only other option is the 8th gen Core i5 one from 2018 (the chip was issued in 2017) that somehow costs $1100! I bought an HP with a 10th gen Core i5 for $450 maybe 3 years ago. 
    Reason 3: there is no Core i7 option at all. Yes, the M1 outperforms the 8th gen Core i7. But 11th gen? Depends. (Quad core laptop? Yes. Hexacore desktop? No.) 12th gen? Generally no. 13th gen? Of course not, whether laptop or desktop. 

    And no, I am not just saying this because I want to get an M1 Mac Mini for the benefit of folks in my household who do video editing and 2D animation for cheap at a fire sale so I won't have to buy this guy instead and put Ubuntu Studio or ChromeOS Flex on it: https://www.bee-link.com/computer-73493777
    It actually is so that the Mac Mini can again become the most compelling desktop in the industry as it has been several times in the past, but hasn't since AMD Zen 3 (or Zen 2+ like the Steam Deck) and Intel Alder Lake mini-pcs became available.  
    entropys
  • Reply 12 of 29
    thttht Posts: 5,437member
    starof80 said:
    First time hearing about John in awhile. Don’t know why you guys are reporting on a leak from him because he is almost as unreliable as Digitimes is.
    I think everyone, including Gurman and Kuo and Young, have all been unreliable in 2022. Prosser realized he could make money being a podcaster and YouTuber without being in the rumor rat race, and has been concentrating on that for the past year. 

    The list of hardware to be updated is long:

    iMac M1 Pro, M2
    Mac mini M1 Pro, M2
    Macbook Pro 14/16 M2 Pro/Max
    Mac Studio M2 Max/Ultra
    Mac Pro M2 Ultra/Extreme
    27” and 32” miniLED display
    Macbook Air 15 M2/M1 Pro/M2 Pro
    iPad mini A16
    HomePod
    AirPods Max

    That’s just the existing hardware lines. Who knows maybe there will be a new form factor.

    So, they could have press release announcements once a week all the way to a March goggles live event if they wanted. 

    Edit: Added a couple of items to the list! Just lots of hardware product to announce for Apple, outside of the eyewear.
    edited January 2023
  • Reply 13 of 29
    dicebier1dicebier1 Posts: 22member
    Oh it's Macbook Pros alright! look at their website....all 13 inches are in stock, 14&16 show shipping one business day or 2-3 weeks for standard models. This is common since the 13's won't be refreshed but the 14 and 16 will be. 
  • Reply 14 of 29
    mikethemartianmikethemartian Posts: 1,317member
    thadec said:
    Why Focus on the MacBook Pro?
    The first M1 MacBook Pro was announced in November 2020.
    The 14" and 16" M1 Pro and Max MacBook Pros came out in 2021.
    Then the M2 MacBook Pros came out in 2022.
    The headline should be finally updating the Mac Mini. 
    Reason 1: the Mac Mini has the same 8 core (only 4 performance) CPU and 8 core GPU from 2020
    Reason 2: the only other option is the 8th gen Core i5 one from 2018 (the chip was issued in 2017) that somehow costs $1100! I bought an HP with a 10th gen Core i5 for $450 maybe 3 years ago. 
    Reason 3: there is no Core i7 option at all. Yes, the M1 outperforms the 8th gen Core i7. But 11th gen? Depends. (Quad core laptop? Yes. Hexacore desktop? No.) 12th gen? Generally no. 13th gen? Of course not, whether laptop or desktop. 

    And no, I am not just saying this because I want to get an M1 Mac Mini for the benefit of folks in my household who do video editing and 2D animation for cheap at a fire sale so I won't have to buy this guy instead and put Ubuntu Studio or ChromeOS Flex on it: https://www.bee-link.com/computer-73493777
    It actually is so that the Mac Mini can again become the most compelling desktop in the industry as it has been several times in the past, but hasn't since AMD Zen 3 (or Zen 2+ like the Steam Deck) and Intel Alder Lake mini-pcs became available.  
    Probably because they sell a lot more MBPs than Minis.
  • Reply 15 of 29
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 2,702member
    macuserosu said:
    9secondkox2 said:
    Tomorrow is the press release launch of the M2 based MacBook Pros. 

    Nothing crazy, but definitely needed. 
    I love how everyone instantly jumps on the MBP 14” and 16” train when it is entirely more likely the Mini and/or iMac will get the current M2 update.  Then they can still show investors they are still releasing products while they can sit on the true MBP update for a little while longer. 
    We will see soon enough. It would have made more sense to launch m2 basic updates to those devices last year since the m2 was already shipping. 

    The development time to create Pro and Max versions seems to fit more with MacBook Pro launches. I can see Apple allowing the small iMac and mini to roll with m1 a bit longer as they represent the low end. 

    But if it’s an iMac, Mac mini, both, or all, that would actually be fantastic. 
  • Reply 16 of 29
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,315member
    Given it is already 17th of Jan in parts of the world and Apple haven't sent event invites then really at most it will be a press release and Website drop kind of announcement. 

    By Apple standards that is a small announcement not a big announcement.

     9secondkox2 said:
    macuserosu said:
    9secondkox2 said:
    Tomorrow is the press release launch of the M2 based MacBook Pros. 

    Nothing crazy, but definitely needed. 
    I love how everyone instantly jumps on the MBP 14” and 16” train when it is entirely more likely the Mini and/or iMac will get the current M2 update.  Then they can still show investors they are still releasing products while they can sit on the true MBP update for a little while longer. 
    We will see soon enough. It would have made more sense to launch m2 basic updates to those devices last year since the m2 was already shipping. 

    The development time to create Pro and Max versions seems to fit more with MacBook Pro launches. I can see Apple allowing the small iMac and mini to roll with m1 a bit longer as they represent the low end. 

    But if it’s an iMac, Mac mini, both, or all, that would actually be fantastic. 
    I could see Mac mini and iMac going to M1 Pro which would be a boost even over the M2 yet still let them spread out production value of those chip lines. You'd still have to buy a Studio to get the Max and Ultra 
    radarthekatentropys9secondkox2
  • Reply 17 of 29
    22july201322july2013 Posts: 3,570member
    What is the exact time of day that Apple would release a new product? I want to be first in line if it's a Mac Mini.
    Applejacs
  • Reply 18 of 29
    CheeseFreezeCheeseFreeze Posts: 1,249member
    charlesn said:
    I really hate being click-baited, AI. "Big Apple announcment?" Really? First, Prosser said nothing about it being "big," and second, what "big" announcement has Apple ever made via press release only? Why would they announce their "next big thing" project, namely the VR headset, via press release? Similarly, I think they'd want more than a PR announcement for an all-new Mac Pro. It could be Ted Lasso S3. Or M2 iMacs, identical to the M1 machines except for the fairly minor speed bump to a base M2. Macbook Pros are such an important product line to Apple, I'd imagine that they'd want to do more than a PR annoucement for the M2 versions, which will hopefully prove to be a speedier leap from M1 versions than we've seen in the Macbook Air. 
    Perhaps it’ll be just be an announcement about New York, aka the Big Apple 😬
    fred1
  • Reply 19 of 29
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,063member
    AppleInsider said:
    Apple leaker Jon Prosser suggests Apple will announce something on Tuesday, January 17 -- and a new MacBook Pro is expected to debut at the event.
    Event? There will be an event? What time, AI?
  • Reply 20 of 29
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,417member
    expected to debut at the event.

    Lol okay. “Event.”
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