Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has claimed to be able to reveal Apple’s release plans for 2022, which include the final push to move from Intel to Apple Silicon by releasing 5 new Macs in the next year. If you are looking to replace your studio computer, we recommend you read this article.
Why Do We Post These Rumour Articles?
We do this to help those in the community who are looking at changing their studio computer and want to be able to look over the horizon so as to be as well informed as possible on upcoming developments. We do as much research as possible and we only bring you what we believe to be information from reliable sources.
Is This Information Reliable?
We cannot be sure because like any good journalist Mark doesn’t reveal his sources, but Mark has proved to be remarkably accurate with an 87% rating on AppleTrack. That said, all leaks coming from Apple should be taken with a pinch of salt although Mark’s pinch can be considered smaller than most.
5 New Macs In 2022
In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Mark outlines his expectations that Apple will launch five new Macs in 2022…
A high-end Apple Silicon iMac to sit above the 24-inch iMac in the lineup
A significant MacBook Air revamp featuring an "M2" chip and a new design
A new version of the entry-level MacBook Pro
An updated Mac mini
A new Mac Pro with Apple Silicon
Let’s look at each of these in a little more detail…
High-End Apple Silicon iMac
Mark predicts that during 2022 Apple will release a “high-end Apple Silicon iMac to sit above the 24-inch iMac”. Back in July 2021 after the release of the M1 powered 24-inch iMac, Mark reported that…
“Apple has also been working on a larger iMac with in-house processors, but development of that version was paused months ago in part to let Apple focus on releasing the redesigned 24-inch model this month.”
Well, it seems that Apple has pressed the play button again on developing a new larger screen Apple Silicon iMac. In July 2021, Mark said this in his Power On newsletter…
“I absolutely still believe that a larger, redesigned iMac to replace the Intel 27-inch models is en route. Apple increasing the screen size of the smaller model from 21.5 inches to 24 inches seems to indicate that the 27-inch model could see a size increase as well. I don't think, however, that Apple will launch the larger model with the same M1 chip that's in the smaller model. It likely will be an M1X, the beefier version of the current M1, or an M2X.”
Then in November 2021, it looks like the new Apple iMac Pro could be a monster housing not one but two M1 Max chips! In a 15-minute video Youtuber Max Tech has drawn together information from several sources that suggest the new Apple iMac Pro could house an M1 Max Duo.
New MacBook Air With M2 Chip
The entry-level M1 MacBook Air is already one year old and Mark is predicting that in 2022 Apple will release a redesigned MacBook Air with what Mark is describing as an M2 chip.
Just wanted to share some details on when to expect the next generation M2 (not the M1X which is reserved for the Pro Mac devices). This processor is on track to release in the first half of 2022 alongside the upcoming colorful Macbook (Air).
— Dylan (@dylandkt) July 5, 2021
Back in July Apple Leaker "@Dylandkt" claimed on Twitter that the "M2 chip" is "on track to release in the first half of 2022." and that the new laptop will be an "upcoming colourful MacBook (Air)."
Dylandkt also pointed out that the rumour is about the "M2" specifically, in that it is different from the "M1X" that is "reserved for the Pro Mac devices."
What is less clear is whether the M2 is the ‘double M1 Max chip’ that is referred to in the upcoming iMac Pro, or perhaps more likely, a double M1.
Then in November 2021, a leaked Apple Silicon roadmap suggested that new chips were on the way, codenamed Ibiza, Lobos, and Palma. The leak suggested that new M2 chips will contain two dies instead of one, and use an upgraded 5nm process.
Finally, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said as far back as July and August 2021 to expect a 2022 launch of a new MacBook Air. Then in late September, Ming-Chi noted that Apple plans to start mass production for the updated MacBook Air in mid-2022, which could push the release to later in 2022.
It is also being suggested that the ‘notch that came on the MacBook Pro14 and 16-inch models would also find its way into the new MacBook Air.
As far as connectivity it is being suggested that the new M2 MacBook Air will have 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports alongside a headphone socket and a MagSafe 3 charging connection.
New Entry-Level MacBook Pro
As far back as May 2021 a Bloomberg report noted that Apple was already planning to update the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro with the same improved chip, destined for the MacBook Air...
“For a redesigned, higher-end MacBook Air planned for as early as the end of the year, Apple is planning a direct successor to the M1 processor. That chip, codenamed Staten, will include the same number of computing cores as the M1 but run faster. It will also see the number of graphics cores increase from seven or eight to nine or 10. Apple is also planning an update to the low-end 13-inch MacBook Pro with that same chip.”
We feel that the introduction of the new M1 Pro and M1 Max powered 14 & 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops with no touch bar and more ports, leaves a new entry-level MacBook Pro out on a limb, with some suggesting that the 1st-gen models could be discontinued. We will have to wait and see.
An Updated Mac mini
Because the Mac mini didn’t get a redesign with the change to an Apple Silicon M1 chip, it is being suggested that this makes it even more likely that the new 2022 Mac mini will get both a chip upgrade and a redesign.
Suggestions for the redesign include that it will be a thinner device, with the circular base replaced by rubber strips, and the rear vent moved to the base. The aluminium chassis would have a plexiglass-like top panel, and a choice of colours has also been suggested.
As to ports on the back, there are suggestions that there will be four Thunderbolt 4 ports, a pair of USB-A ports, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, and a magnetic circular power connector, as taken from the 24-inch iMac. However, it is our view that the number of thunderbolt ports will depend on the chip Apple use. For example, if it is the M1 Pro or M1 Max then it is likely to come with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, rather than the expected 4. But, if it comes with say an M2 Pro or M2 Max then it might have the expected four Thunderbolt 4 ports.
One thing we can be sure of is that the new 2nd-gen Mac mini compact desktop computer to replace the Intel-powered version that is currently on sale.
Apple Silicon Mac Pro - Will There A Model With PCIe Slots?
We expect that the new Apple Silicon Mac Pro will be the last Intel-powered Mac computer to go Apple Silicon, and to meet the self-imposed target of 2 years set by Apple in their WWDC 2020 keynote, Apple will need to release this by November 2022, 2 years after the launch of the 1st-gen entry-level M1 powered MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro and M1 entry-level Mac mini.
However, the form factor of the Apple Silicon powered Mac Pro is still unclear. As far back as January 2021 in our article, we revealed rumours about Apple is planning Mac Pro 2021 New Models - Half Size And Full Size. In May 2021, we learnt more about this from Bloomberg’s sources. They revealed that the new Apple Silicon powered Mac Pro will come in two variants, one with 20 cores and the other with 40 cores.
“Codenamed Jade 2C-Die and Jade 4C-Die, a redesigned Mac Pro is planned to come in 20 or 40 computing core variations, made up of 16 high-performance or 32 high-performance cores and four or eight high-efficiency cores. The chips would also include either 64 core or 128 core options for graphics. The computing core counts top the 28 core maximum offered by today’s Intel Mac Pro chips, while the higher-end graphics chips would replace parts now made by Advanced Micro Devices Inc.”
However, the report doesn’t mention the unified memory anticipated on these monster SoC powered Mac Pros, but it is expected to be at least 64 GB and possibly 128GB.
Apple’s MacPro 2022 seems to use Intel’s Xeon-W 33xx series processors...
— 结城安穗-YuuKi_AnS🇨🇳 (@yuuki_ans) July 26, 2021
(LGA4189 iceLake-SP)
Then in August 2021, Mark suggested that the Mac Pro will arrive sometime in 2022. Furthermore, Apple will "barely hit its two-year timeline" with the launch of Apple Silicon powered Mac Pro desktop computers, which he reconfirmed in his first newsletter of December 2021 without going into any more detail.
However, when it comes to the development of the Mac Pro there have been suggestions that Apple may have one more Intel Powered release.
In June, there were references in a beta of Xcode 13, which pointed to Intel Ice Lake Xeon processor support. By July, another leaker, known as YuuKi_AnS, claimed Apple would use the Xeon W-3300 series CPUs.
There are some suggestions that this would be a Mac Pro to serve customers who rely upon legacy components and hardware with a final Intel-based Mac Pro. This rumoured model would be “compatible with the modular components and external GPUs that professionals need”.
If true, this would suggest that the Apple Silicon powered Mac Pro would not come with the necessary PCIe slots for Avid’s HDX system. This would mean that high-end Pro Tools users may have to depend on external Thunderbolt chassis to house their HDX cards if they want to use an Apple Silicon powered computer.
That said, with the power we have already seen with the M1 Max chips in a MacBook Pro, with a 10-core CPU and a 32-core GPU, giving support of up to 5 screens without needing an external GPU, we can only imagine what a Mac Pro with up to 32 high-performance CPU cores and a 128-core GPU could do, we are certainly not going to be left underpowered, far from it, but the price we pay may be no internal PCIe slots, but with Avid’s introduction of the Hybrid Engine, having up to an HDX3 system (unless Sonnet comes up with a larger Thunderbolt chassis) should not be too limiting.
What Do You Think?
Are you planning a new studio computer in 2022? If so what are you looking for from Apple’s expected releases for 2022? Please do share your thoughts, conversations and plans in the comments below.