Update: It now looks like new MacBook Pro production is underway, with production of the existing MacBook Pros slowing down to compensate.
Apple may release new MacBook Pro laptops powered by the rumored M2 Pro and M2 Max chips in late 2022. This is according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who said the notebooks are "well into development and testing." However, he also says it’s possible Apple may delay the launch of these MacBook Pros to 2023.
Rumors concerning the successors of the MacBook Pro 14-inch and MacBook Pro 16-inch aren’t new. Recently, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple could start production on the successors of these laptops with the Apple M2 chip in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Kuo also says that while the upcoming MacBook Pros will pack new Apple silicon, they will likely be 5nm chips instead of the 3nm chips that had been previously rumored. Though pilot production for this type of chip is said to be starting around the same time, it appears that the 3nm process chips won’t be ready until the beginning of 2023.
It’s also possible we’ll see the first of the 3nm processors be labeled as next-gen M3 chips for the Macs and MacBooks that launch later in 2023 or 2024, or possibly even the A17 mobile chip that we may see power the iPhone 15.
Gurman’s latest "Power On" newsletter also says the new MacBook Pros won’t receive any major design changes. This makes sense given how both of 2021’s notebooks were already redesigned. Both laptops ditched the Touch Bar and featured MagSafe charging, an HDMI port, SD card slot and an upgraded 1080p camera. Though the laptops had a notch in the display, they had thinner bezels.
As our benchmark testing for the Apple M2 chip revealed, the current M2 chip powering the latest MacBook Air M2 and MacBook Pro M2 is more powerful than the original Apple M1 chip. However, the latest slice of Apple silicon isn’t on par with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. To that end, we can assume the M2 Pro and M2 Max processors should outperform their predecessors. However, it's still too early to say anything definitive.
The Apple September event is on the horizon, and that means new hardware. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro are the most anticipated announcement, while the Apple Watch 8 and AirPods Pro 2 are other possible product launches happening sooner rather than later. We’re not sure if the event will have any new MacBooks or other Apple computers. But we’ll keep you posted regardless.
