Apple's next MacBook Air, iPad Pro and the AirPods Pro 2, have been tipped for a 2022 reveal, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter.
So anyone thinking of getting a new laptop of Apple-branded earbuds may wish to hold fire, unless your interested in the likes of the MacBook Pro 2021, tipped for a reveal this fall.
- MacBook Air 2021 rumored release date, price and specs
- See where the MacBook family fits into our best laptops guide
- Plus: MacBook Pro 2021 display resolutions possibly revealed by macOS Monterey
The good news is that Apple is still tipped to reveal a couple more products to reveal this year. Those are expected be the new 14-inch MacBook Pro and Macbook Pro 2021 16-inch models and the AirPods 3. We didn't expect to see any MacBooks at the California Streaming event last week, but we did wonder if we'd see the redesigned basic AirPods appear alongside the iPhone 13.
Returning to the MacBook Air, now that Gurman's saying it'll arrive next year, alongside the likely appearance of a new M-series chip, expected to be the Apple M2 chip that's tipped to prioritize efficiency as opposed to raw power that the rumored M1X chip is tipped to target. A new design is also expected for the MAcBook Air, likely riming down the the laptop's somewhat chunky display bezels.
The AirPods Pro 2 haven't been the subject of many leaks recently. From what we've heard so far, Apple may be considering getting rid of the first AirPods Pro's distinctive stems and could be adding fitness tracking features. The wireless earbuds are expected to retail for around $249 like the original AirPods Pro did at launch.
Anyone disappointed by the modest rework of the Apple Watch 7 may see the major flat-sided redesign that was rumored prior to the event with the Apple Watch 8. The range might also expand from two models to three says Gurman.
As for the next iPad Pro, apparently only the design is to be changed, according to Gurman. However, according to other rumors, the iPad Pro (11-inch) is tipped to get an upgrade to a mini-LED display, the same display technology found on the 12.9-inch model.
Since these premium tablets are tipped to use M1 chips like the current MacBook Air and MacBook Pro M1, they may also get an upgrade to the next-gen M-series chip too. Apparently these could be made with a 3-nanometre process, a substantial upgrade over the 5-nanometre M1 chip that would mean a denser chip with higher performance per square inch and greater power efficiency. The next iPad Pro may also get wireless charging, still rare feature to find on tablets.
While we've only just seen the iPhone 13, the iPhone 14 will also be coming next year. This should also be a much bigger upgrade than we've seen this year, possibly with a punch-hole notch, redesigned rear cameras and a new more powerful and efficient chip.
Gurman also mentions a new version of the Mac Pro, Apple's most expensive desktop computer, will see new versions too. More excitingly, he says Apple's mixed-reality headset may finally make its debut.
There's a lot to pick through from Gurman's predictions, but we'd be rather confidant that we'll see a new MacBook Air and AirPods Pro 2 in the first half of next year.
