The M2 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro have not yet been shipped, but Apple is reportedly working on next-generation laptops. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has made new additions to the MacBook lineup for next year.
Gurman reports that Apple may release a 15-inch MacBook Air to go with the 13.6-inch model unveiled at WWDC next spring. The company is considering releasing the larger Air this year, but has decided to push it back and will spend its time redesigning the smaller Air. The new 13.6-inch M2 MacBook Air will go on sale in July
Apple sold a 15-inch Powerbook and MacBook Pro for many years before retiring in favor of the 16-inch model in 2019.
Apple is also working on a 12-inch laptop, but it’s not clear how it will fit into the MacBook lineup যদি if it will be a pro-level laptop that will complement the MacBook Pro, a consumer-level Mac that is an option. MacBook Air, or somewhere in between. According to Gurman, the 12-inch laptop will not be shipped until the end of 2023 or early 2024.
The 12-inch form factor is not new to Apple. The company sold a 12-inch MacBook (pictured above) from 2015 to 2017 and was offered as a low-end alternative to the 15-inch MacBook Pro. However, at the time it was much more expensive and had fewer ports than the MacBook Air. Apple made the 11-inch MacBook Air from 2010 to 2016, as well as a 12-inch powerbook from 2003-2006.
Gurman’s unnamed sources cite Apple’s desire to capture a larger share of the overall laptop marketplace, as sales of Apple’s Macs have increased significantly since the company switched to its own Silicon Valley. Taking advantage of the Mac’s new popularity, it seems that the company believes it will have to offer more MacBook models to achieve its goals.
If Apple adds these new laptops to its existing lineup, making it a wider choice to choose from, it would be a step away from the simplified product lineup philosophy that the company has been practicing for years. If the 15-inch MacBook Air replaces the 13-inch MacBook Pro (which was updated with the M2), it helps to make it a bit easier because the price of the two will be the same.
More Macs for 2022
Gurman also reports on Apple’s plans for the rest of this year. The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros will receive chip upgrades to the M2 Pro and M2 Max by the end of this year or early 2023. The M2 Max will have 12 CPU cores, more than the M1 Max’s 10 CPU cores, plus a maximum of 38 GPU cores, six more than the M1 Max.
Although Apple hinted at a Mac Pro upgrade during its Peak Performance event in March, the company made no mention of the Mac Pro during its WWDC keynote. Gurman reports that Apple has tested a new Mac Pro and a new Mac Mini, with an M1 model available as well as an Intel-based configuration at a price point of $ 1,099. Gurman did not say when the Macs would be available, but said Apple was working on the M3 for the next iMac.
MacBook Air M2 (2022)
13-inch MacBook Pro M2 (2022)
