Apple is testing a bunch of new Macs with its next-generation M2 chip, including a new MacBook Air and several MacBook Pro models, according to Laptop Vine.
This report comes from one of the most trusted sources for Apple spills, Mark Gurman, who notes in Bloomberg that data mining from developer logs suggests as many as nine potential Macs using different variants of the M2 chip are being tested. incoming.
Take it with a big sprinkle of your favorite seasoning, of course, though Gurman notes that in addition to the newspapers in question, he spoke to insider sources who corroborated the information. But remember that there are no guarantees here, never with nuggets from the rumor mill.
Granted, the main points of interest here are the new MacBooks, starting with the alleged MacBook Air (2022), which has long been rumored to come with an entirely new design featuring the M2 chip. Gurman says that this laptop is codenamed J413 and will offer an 2-core M8 processor (with a 10-core graphics solution).
There's also an entry-level MacBook Pro with M2 in review, which will use the same SoC as the Air. And again, this update to the 13-inch base model has been released several times through the rumor mill.
Other Apple laptops currently being tested reportedly include updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, both with the same base spec. Supposedly, the M2 Max is a 12-core SoC with 38-core graphics (vs. 10-core and 32-core respectively in the current M1 Max). These laptops will come with up to 64GB of system RAM, the report says.
Unsurprisingly, the much talked about Mac mini (2022) also comes into play with this batch of tests, and the next-gen model is supposed to run on the same specs as the MacBook Air and its M2 chip – but there's another variant. of Mac mini with the M2 Pro inside also under review.
Interestingly, Apple has also tested Mac mini machines with an M1 Pro and M1 Max, but Gurman thinks those designs won't come to fruition and may well be redundant now that Mac Studio is on the scene.
Finally, Gurman claims that there is a Mac Pro that is based on the follow-up chip from the M1 Ultra currently seen in Mac Studio.
Analysis: The best-laid plans could still go awry...
Apple is prototyping and testing tons of hardware, and not all of it is selected for store shelves. So there's no guarantee that we'll see anything like all of the Macs discussed here. That said, Gurman notes that the tests are "advanced" in some cases, so it's likely that some of this hardware is nearing completion for release.
The leaker thinks two Macs will launch in the middle of the year, and we've already heard from Gurman that we could see them unveiled at WWDC (we're not so sure, as we discussed earlier, but hey, we certainly can't rule it out).
The theory is that one of those models scheduled to be revealed at WWDC is the redesigned MacBook Air, and in this latest spate of rumours, Gurman again mentions that this is one of the Macs coming in 2022, with the top-of-the-line MacBook Pro low. (13-inch) and Mac mini. We're looking at 2023 for the rest, then, or however many of them make the cut (it's also worth noting here that there's no mention of a new iMac).
Obviously, we have to remain skeptical of these predictions - and any crystal ball watching for that matter - and moreover, there could be a disruption in MacBook production that would upset these potential delays, or at least could cause a setback. As escuchamos a principios de esta semana, los blocos actuales en China podrían tener a gran impacto en la fabrication de MacBook en particular.
