If the new MacBook Pro 2021 models are too pricey, then we have some good news: a more affordable MacBook Pro could be launched next year.
That’s according to Apple tipster and Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who in his Power On newsletter noted that an entry-level MacBook Pro will be released next year, alongside a redesigned MacBook Air 2022, new iPads and a new Apple Watch SE.
Unlike the M1 Pro and M1 Max-powered MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch, the entry-level MacBook Pro will supposedly use the Apple M2 chip. That slice of silicon is expected to be in the next MacBook Air and will favour efficiency over raw power.
While the M2 chip is tipped to have the same eight CPU cores as the Apple M1 chip, it’s rumored to get a 10 core graphics processor, which should give the chip a good dose of extra power.
Gurman offered precious little extra detail here. But we could posit that an entry-level MacBook Pro will have similar design to the current models, but perhaps drop the mini-LED display for a standard LCD Retina display as seen on the previous MacBook Pros.
Why would you want an entry-level MacBook Pro over a MacBook Air if they are both expected to use the M2 chip? Well the MacBook Pro would likely offer more ports, more storage and likely use fan cooling to allow for the M2 to run at faster clock speeds than in the next-gen MacBook Air. After all, we saw a similar situation between the MacBook Air M1 and MacBook Pro M1.
In a Q&A section of his newsletter, Gurman noted that 2022 is going to be a big year for Apple with a 5G iPhone SE, the AirPods Pro 2, new iPads, a trio of new Apple Watch modes, the iPhone 14 lineup, a new Mac mini, and a high-end iMac all tipped to arrive next year alongside the aforementioned MacBooks.
Gurman also discussed the potential Apple VR mixed reality headset, claiming that the release date could be set for next year, and that it may have three killer features.
The fresh and most intriguing titbits of information here are that the iPad Pro could get a redesign with wireless charging, while the iPad Air and standard iPad could get a refresh; the former is likely to get a new chip, probably the A15 Bionic, whereas the latter is overdue are design.
Another potential highlight is set to be the debut of a new 27-inch iMac Pro with more powerful Apple Silicon to sit above the current iMac 2021. We could also see a new Mac mini, which has been hinted at for a while but hasn’t materialized this year.
In short, 2022 could be a big year for Apple products, especially for those using Cupertino’s own chips.
