The two-year transition to Macs with Apple chips has been a lot of fun, right? Not only do we get to see the M-series processors evolve, but also Macs launch with new designs and features.
It’s been years since Mac users had anything weighty to look forward to apart from processor improvements and a new laptop keyboard, and the transition to the Apple chip has made things very exciting again.
Soon it will be two years when Apple officially announced that it was beginning the transition to its own processor. But that doesn’t mean they stop releasing new Macs. We know that the rollout of M1 Macs is over, and now we’ll see what else Apple can do with its Mac chip, so we could see more interesting design changes.
This excitement won’t end in June, and according to rumors, we’ll see more innovations on the Mac until at least the end of this year. These are the five Macs that could continue the transition that began in 2020.
macpro
The Mac Pro isn’t for everyone, but everyone wants to see what Apple will do with it. This is the Mac for the most demanding users, and Apple can go all out, not only with speed, but also with high-end features and design.
The two previous Mac Pro designs (2013’s Cylinder and 2019’s Tower) are stark contrasts in design, with the former being super-compact and self-contained, while the latter is large and modular.
With the new Mac Pro, we could see a middle ground between these two design philosophies, removing some user-accessible components while allowing others.
This is because the M1 incorporates features that would normally be separate components, such as the GPU, RAM, and media accelerators. However, Mac Pro users need expansion slots for different cards and want the ability to add more RAM or upgrade the GPU.
If Apple were to remove any modular capabilities, it would send the wrong message to Mac Pro customers.
The Mac Studio introduced the M1 Ultra, the best SoC in the M1 series. The Mac Pro is Apple’s best chance to show off its processing power, so the company could introduce a new SoC that really shakes up the Mac Pro.
WWDC would be a fantastic showcase for the new Apple-powered Mac, the same place Apple showed off the last two models.
macmini
Apple currently offers three Mac mini models: two that have the M1 chip and a third that still uses an Intel processor. It is this third model of Mac mini that is going to be very interesting to see how it evolves.
Apple doesn’t have a desktop Mac that uses the M1 Pro processor: we only found it in the 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pros. The high-end Mac mini seems like the ideal machine for it. The price could also go up (it’s now €1,259 / MXN$28,999), but it could go up to €1,859 / MXN$32,999 to better fit between the lower-end Mac minis and the entry-level €2,329 / MXN$51,999 Mac Studio.
In addition, the M2 chip could debut this fall, that is, two years after the launch of the M1. The M2 would replace the M1 in low-end Mac minis. The M2 will be like the M1 (8-core CPU with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores), but faster, though not fast enough to catch up with the M1 Pro.
MacBook Air
Like the Mac mini, the current MacBook Air uses an M1, and rumors suggest the new model could use an M2 (although there have been conflicting reports on this). The most interesting thing about a new MacBook Air is the possibility that it will arrive with a radical makeover.
Basically, the MacBook Air could look like a portable iMac, with multiple color options, a white bezel around the screen, and an even thinner and lighter body. You could still use an LED screen, which is more affordable than the mini-LED screens used in the MacBook Pro.
This would help distinguish the MacBook Air as a general consumer laptop, like the iMac. So not only would its redesign be interesting to see, but it would create clear lines within Apple’s Mac range.
15″ MacBook
New rumors are circulating about a 15″ Mac notebook, and it is believed that it will be a larger version of the MacBook Air, which is currently only available in 13″. It wouldn’t be something we haven’t seen before. In case you don’t know (or remember), Apple used to have two sizes of MacBook Air, an 11″ model and a 13″ model. The smaller Air was discontinued in 2015.
However, Apple has a 13-inch MacBook Pro for sale with M1, and it is believed that this laptop will be updated with an M2. So, will Apple really still sell two MacBook Airs and three MacBook Pros? Too many laptops.
It’s hard to think that Apple is going to keep the 13-inch MacBook Pro if it’s going to make a 15-inch MacBook Air. Apple could revamp the 13-inch MacBook Pro into a 15-inch MacBook that sits between the 13-inch MacBook Air and 14-inch MacBook Pro.
But whatever the machine is called, it would be the first 15-inch laptop since 2019, since that’s when Apple launched the 16-inch MacBook Pro. For many, it’s the sweet spot between portability and size, and we’re excited to see what it’s going to be like.
iMacPro
Apple’s line of desktop computers is doing very well. The Mac mini has lower-end models at €799 / MXN$17,999 and €1,029 / MNX$23,499, and a Mac mini with M1 Pro would make a nice top-end complement. The Mac Studio is a relatively low-end professional computer, and the Pro is the ultra-high-end.
Then there is the iMac. Apple sells three standard configurations, but whichever you choose, it’s still a lower-tier M1-powered Mac. There is no high-end alternative. It may not be necessary, but iMac Pro would be a good option.
Despite the fact that Apple discontinued the 27-inch iMac in March, rumors are circulating that an iMac Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max could be released in 2023. It sounds interesting, since it would also have a Liquid XDR screen and a design similar to the 24″ iMac.
It could be an attractive alternative to the €2,329 / MXN$51,999 Mac Studio, which lacks a keyboard, monitor and mouse.
Original article published on Macworld.com.
