Apple’s 2022 Product Launches Detailed by Reliable Leaker [VIDEO]
In this week’s episode of The MacRumors Show podcast, renowned Apple analyst and accurate leaker Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, laid out everything he expects from the iPhone maker in 2022.
Let’s take a look at all of Gurman’s projections for the year, broken down product-by-product:
2022 MacBook Air
- Powered by the successor to Apple’s M1 SoC, which will be “marginally faster” than its predecessor.
- Same 8-core CPU format as the 2020 M1 MacBook Air, but one or two more GPU cores.
- MacBook Pro-like MagSafe charging, a couple of Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, but no SD card slot.
- Gurman is not sure whether the refreshed MacBook Air will get a Mini LED display, but a display notch is likely regardless.
- Possible naming scheme change, from “MacBook Air” to just “MacBook.”
- Design inspired by 24-inch M1 iMac.
We’ve also seen numerous reports of the 2022 MacBook Air getting a variety of colour options.
New 13″ MacBook Pro
- Same physical footprint and design as the 13-inch M1-powered MacBook Pro from 2020, minus the Touch Bar.
- Powered by the same “M2” chip as the MacBook Air refresh.
- Lower price point — somewhere between the 2020 MacBook Pro and the higher-end 14-inch 2021 MacBook Pro.
27-inch iMac
- Name change to “iMac Pro.”
- Powered by last year’s M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.
- A maximum of 64GB unified memory.
2022 Mac mini
- M1 Pro and M1 Max chips under the hood.
- Possible name change to “Mac mini Pro” or “Mac Pro mini.”
Apple Silicon-Powered Mac Pro
- Powered by “M1 Max Duo” and “M1 Max Quadro” chips, respectively made up of two or four M1 Max SoCs connected together.
- Half the size of the 2019 Intel-powered Mac Pro.
- It will likely look like three or four Mac mini units stacked on top of each other, with neat chassis featuring ventilation holes at the back.
- Lots of I/O ports.
- Gurman expects modularity and replaceability of parts to take a significant hit with the smaller enclosure and more integrated design.
The new Mac Pro will likely mark the completion of Apple’s two-year transition to Apple Silicon.
2022 iPad Pro
- Design update.
- MagSafe wireless charging, similar to Apple’s iPhone implementation.
- Reverse wireless charging.
Apple Watch ‘Explorer Edition’
- More rugged casing, possibly similar to Casio’s G-SHOCK wristwatches.
- Potential for a third, larger screen size.
- Higher price point.
Gurman added that the long-rumoured temperature sensor, blood pressure sensor, and blood glucose sensor for the Apple Watch are farther down the road and not on the slate for 2022.
iPhone SE 3
- Same design language as the second-generation iPhone SE from 2020.
- Upgraded A14 Bionic chip and 5G capability.
Gurman also talked about a larger iPhone SE with an iPhone XR-like design and Face ID for farther down the line, possibly 2024.
iPhone 14
- No ‘mini’ model.
- Hole-punch cutout for the FaceTime camera instead of the display notch on higher-end models, with Face ID tech moving under the display.
- Satellite connectivity for emergency calls and more.
Gurman added that Apple could soon drop the numerical naming scheme for its iPhones altogether and that he expects the company to launch a foldable iPhone in 2023-24.
AR/VR Headset
- Multiple products are currently under development for this new product line.
- The mixed reality platform will run on a new Operating System, which Gurman called “rOS.”
- WWDC 2022 is a good candidate for Apple to announce the first offering from this product line.
- The upcoming mixed reality headset will focus on communication, content consumption, and gaming, and will be quite expensive.
AirPods Pro 2
- There was talk of eliminating the stems, but Apple has ultimately decided to stick with them for now.
- AirPods Pro 2 case will likely feature speakers for improved Find My functionality and an accessory loop.
- Similar design to the original AirPods Pro.
- Ultra-Wideband technology instead of Bluetooth for audio streaming.
- Lossless Audio support.
AirPods Max 2
- Updated design with new colour variations.
- USB-C port instead of Lightning.
- Could launch sometime around the 2-year anniversary of the original AirPods Max on December 15.