There's a lot of speculation right now about what Apple products we're going to see launch at this week's Apple March event, largely because Apple is about as leaky as a graphene sieve. At this point, pretty much all of someone's speculation on Twitter is just as valid as anyone else's.
Nobody really has any real data on anything, and just when you think you have a good idea when the Apple M1X chip will arrive, Apple is throwing the Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max at you. And trust us, we've been as far removed from our Apple speculation as anyone, so we're not one to throw rocks at Gorilla Glass houses.
With recent rumors that a professional-grade Mac Studio workstation and Mac Studio display are on the way, there will naturally be speculation as to when we'll see it, and with this week's Apple March event, we'll be sure to see expectations rise for the launch of a new workstation from Apple, along with its rumored professional 7K display.
We certainly understand the excitement, but there isn't going to be a pro team announcement this week, and honestly, it would be a huge misstep for Apple to do so.
The Apple March event will focus on the consumer
Every clue we've received over the past month points to some major releases from Apple.
First, we expect to see a new 3G-enabled iPhone SE 5 announced at the event, which will be a major announcement in itself. Unlike the flagship iPhone lineup, the iPhone SE is positioned for the cheaper consumer side of the market, and is expected to introduce significant new technology to lower-end iPhones, so it won't be mentioned in passing. .
Then we have the iPad Air 5, which is also expected to be unveiled at this week's event. Unlike the iPad Pro, the iPad Air is also a less capable device that's much more geared towards the budget-conscious consumer. We could even see the iPad Air getting the M1 chip, which would be very important for the popular tablet.
The mobile half of the event won't leave much time for what should be a big reveal of the new Apple M2 chip with no fewer than four new Mac devices: the 13-inch MacBook Pro (2022), MacBook Air (2022), the Mac Mini (2022) and the 27-inch iMac (2022).
Just detailing the new features of the M2 chip will take time, not to mention all the new devices it could power. Some existing devices, like the 24-inch iMac and Mac Mini (M1, 2020), could also benefit from the updated silicon, including the M1 Pro and M1 Max. These announcements, if they happen, will probably take up most of the event, which doesn't leave much time for anything else.
The common thread running through all these products is that they are all aimed at consumers, with a 13-inch MacBook Pro being the most professional device of all. Dropping a Mac Studio workstation with a Mac Studio display just doesn't fit the tenor of this event.
WWDC 2022 is just around the corner and it will likely be an in-person event
Another thing to consider is that we're not that far from WWDC 2022, which usually takes place in June and will likely be an in-person event for the first time in two years.
This is Apple's main developer conference. The week-long event is packed with professional panels, Xcode and Swift announcements, and new OS features of interest to Mac and iOS developers.
Heck, outside of the week, only the first day of the event is open for press, and that's also when Apple announced some new pro-grade workstation gear.
The Mac Studio is now expected to be a cross between the Mac Pro and the Mac Mini, so it probably won't be the kind of performance (and price) behemoth the Mac Pro was, but it still won't be something any customer habitual will be interested in buying.
The Mac Pro was announced at WWDC in 2019, as was the accompanying Pro Display XDR. Considering the past two years, giving developers at Apple's first in-person WWDC something new to get excited about makes much more sense than announcing a major new workstation for professionals in a consumer product, especially when that workstation It will be far out of the price range. from almost everyone who watched the event.
Would we want to hear about Mac Studio this week?
If Apple were to announce a Mac Studio and a Mac Studio Display at this week's event, that can only detract from the hype generated by the event for the products announced.
Apple wants everyone to talk about the products they announce at the event, but the more products you announce, the more news gets saturated with Apple products, diluting the impact of any announcement.
Apple usually doesn't even announce computers and mobile devices together at the same event, so this week's event will be very well attended. Tech journalists and fans will only have limited bandwidth for Apple talks after this event, and the schedule already appears to be packed. Some things will even have to be left out of the discussion just because there isn't time for everything.
Under these conditions, why would Apple want to announce a major new professional workstation? If it is announced, it will almost certainly be something everyone will choose not to talk about in favor of a new iPhone or a new MacBook Air or even the potential reveal of AR/VR headsets. 'Apple, Apple Glasses.
Announcing a Mac Studio now just doesn't do Mac Studio any favors, and with WWDC just around the corner where the Mac Studio and Mac Studio Display can spend their day in the sun, announcing them this week just doesn't make sense.