Report: New M2 MacBooks and Mac Mini models Are Coming Later This Year

Apple unveiled its new Mac Studio workstation powered by M1 Max and a more powerful M1 Ultra chip earlier this week, but a new M2 chip is expected to make its debut in new Mac models later this year. 9to5Mac is reporting that the Mac Mini, the MacBook Air, and the MacBook Pro should be the first Mac models to be updated with Apple’s new M2 chip in the coming months.

Apple’s Mac Mini was one of the first Mac models that kickstarted the transition to Apple Silicon, and it remains the cheapest M1 Macs on the market to this day. According to 9to5Mac, the upcoming M2 Mac Mini will have an SoC based on Apple’s current A15 chip, with eight CPU cores and a more powerful 10-core GPU.

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The report also mentions the existence of another new Mac Mini model powered by an “M2 Pro” chip, which would feature a 12-core CPU rather than the 10-core CPU found in the current M1 Pro. “Apple currently has no plans to release a version with the M2 Max or Ultra chips,” 9to5Mac wrote, adding that Apple could announce the release date for the M2 Mac Mini “sometime later this year.”

9to5Mac followed up on this initial report yesterday to reveal that new M2 MacBooks models are also in the pipeline. A redesigned MacBook Air is said to be using the same M2 chip coming in the upcoming M2 Mac Mini, and Apple could also be prepping a new 13.3” MacBook Pro with an M2 chip. “The machine is based on the current 13-inch MacBook Pro, which means that it should retain the current design rather than getting the new one from the high-end versions,” the report says.

Apple is a company that slowly iterates, but the M1 chip is now almost two years old and the timing seems right for an M2 chip to make its debut later this year. Apple briefly mentioned at the end of its media event on Tuesday that the Mac’s transition to Apple Silicon was nearly complete, except for one more product, the Mac Pro. “That is for another day,” said John Ternus, Apple SVP of Hardware engineering.

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Conversation 21 comments

  • Chris_Kez

    Premium Member
    11 March, 2022 - 10:07 am

    <p>Hoping for an M2 iMac. </p>

    • Stabitha.Christie

      11 March, 2022 - 12:10 pm

      <p>With the caveat of "nothing ever works the way I think it should"</p><p><br></p><p>I feel like all they M1 based systems kinda need to be updated at the same time. So iMac, MBA, 13 inch MBP and Mac mini. It might happen, the only two rumored to get a new form factor are the MBA and Mini so they could make that part of keynote and just quietly update the website to add the M2 option for the iMac and MBP </p>

      • bkkcanuck

        13 March, 2022 - 2:03 pm

        <p>That would be too much, they just need to get a regular cadence going focused around the months of March, June, and October… and the consumer macs (MacBook Air, iMac 24, and Mac Mini) should get yearly bumps – while the Mac Studio and Mac Pro can get a longer cadence – maybe 18 months for the Studio and 2 years for the Mac Pro. Once they have all the initial transition done, they have to get the MacBook Air redesign out, then the enclosures maybe get periodic updates (much longer timeframe). The regular updates won’t be as large… more just try to keep them relevant with the odd exciting thing thrown in… </p>

        • Stabitha.Christie

          14 March, 2022 - 8:21 am

          <p>I don’t know if it is actually too much. They did the MBA, 13 MBP and mini in one go. All they need to do is lump in the iMac. But I doubt it will work that way.. I just think there is a marketing challenge when they are out of sync. So, for example, if the MBA gets an M2 the. We know it’s coming to the iMac. So there is an incentive to delay iMac purchases. </p><p><br></p><p>I curious what the cadence will be for updates. Yearly seems overly aggressive. 18 months seems about right. But even then, they aren’t hitting that in this first go around. Also curious what the chip options will be for they systems. I think the Pro series will likely be added as an option for the mini and iMac. With the Max and Ultra held for the high end systems. Though I’m not sure the MBP would take an Ultra from a thermal standpoint. </p>

          • bkkcanuck

            14 March, 2022 - 12:33 pm

            <p>Once everything is in place, it should not be that much of a problem in the long term… Short term though the war could affect the chip industry further due to interrupting trade in important raw materials [neon, argon, xenon, krypton, hexafluorobutadiene, and palladium]] (Ukraine is more important than chips though). </p><p><br></p><p>After the second refresh (M2 line), the enclosures should all be fairly new design — and most of those can last as long as 7 years – and they can stage changes so that enclosure updates for each line don’t overlap. The chip design overall is in place, but regular updates to the CPU/GPU/Neural Processor should be able to be integrated into basically a lego style design for chips (M1 for consumers basically is 80% of computers). It is a matter of managing minor bumps and working out a regular cadence to for consumers – while the M1 Pro – M1 Ultra will naturally take longer for each refresh. Of more of a problem right now is the support chips that Apple sources from other suppliers. </p>

  • scj123

    Premium Member
    11 March, 2022 - 10:31 am

    <p>According to 9to5 Mac these same models were being released in March, in fact I am fairly sure they were also going to be released at the end of last year</p><p><br></p><p>I guess if you keep predicting this enough eventually you might get it right.</p>

    • bkkcanuck

      11 March, 2022 - 12:47 pm

      <p>If I had to guess (against all the rumours at this point), I would guess the M2 Macbook Air would be out earlier than the end of year… maybe May or WWDC (may to get it out of the way before WWDC or WWDC) so that they are in place before the new school year. </p>

      • Daishi

        Premium Member
        12 March, 2022 - 6:33 am

        <p>I expect they’ll get the redesigned Airs out around Octoberish for the holidays and then get the baseline MacBook, that is basically the current Air, out around May the next year for back to school.</p>

        • bkkcanuck

          13 March, 2022 - 2:45 pm

          <p>Not the way I see it, I would think Apple would want to get the new MacBook Airs out before the new school year (hoping the supply chain issues with a new popular device fades)… then they can have enough time to prepare for a second bump in sales in time for Christmas. If they announce and ship at the end of October, the initial orders will be back to 6 to 8 weeks delivery within a day or two… leaving little new supply for delivery by Christmas for people doing shopping in November/December.</p>

  • Kendog52361

    11 March, 2022 - 3:38 pm

    <p>I would guess that the upcoming Mac Pro, would get an M2 Ultra, basically the M2 version of the just released M1 Ultra, and they would then keep that same "breakdown", of the Mac Pro getting the "next gen" Ultra, while the Mac Studio got the "older" Ultra. They could even make it an "Ultra Pro", to indicate, for example, that there are something like 3-4 Apple Silicon CPUs all tied together, as an SOC, but appearing as one CPU to the OS.</p>

  • sscywong

    11 March, 2022 - 10:28 pm

    <p>I’m waiting for the new M2 (or M1 plus or whatever it would call…) MacBook Air so I can get a bargain deal on the M1 Air…</p><p><br></p><p>I just need one to replace my 2010 MacBook Air for some occasional light media editing tasks so unless the other spec justify the price difference, I’d go for the M1 version</p>

    • Daishi

      Premium Member
      12 March, 2022 - 5:46 am

      <p>I still think that 6-12 months after the release of the redesigned M2 Air they will unveil a base level MacBook that is functionally the current Air starting at $700-800.</p>

  • Davinia

    12 March, 2022 - 1:29 am

    <p>And there is still no news about the IMac 27 inch? </p>

    • bkkcanuck

      12 March, 2022 - 1:45 am

      <p>The iMac 27" / iMac Pro 27" is dead, and the upper end of that range of iMacs will likely continue being dead. I could however see Apple bringing back the iMac 27" on the consumer end with the M2 (same as iMac 24" just larger monitor). Killing of the iMac 27" for a year is also a way separating the new product from the old – i.e. not a continuation (monitor size just becomes an option). I also expect a slightly more powerful version of the M2 (let’s call it the M2 Plus) that is not that will be the basis of the consumer end of the MacBook Pro 13", Mac Mini in the next iteration – which would fill some holes in the low end of the lineup. The higher end of the iMac 27 is better served with the Mac Studio. </p>

    • bkkcanuck

      12 March, 2022 - 1:50 am

      <p>The equivalents for the iMac 27" on this generation is… on the low end iMac 27" (great monitor with the equivalent of a $400 computer embedded)… the equivalent would be the Studio Display with a Mac Mini. On the iMac 27" (high end; prosumer) / iMac Pro the equivalent would be the Studio Display with Mac Studio M1 Max. The Mac Studio M1 Ultra is more equivalent to the trashcan Mac Pro, and the Mac Pro will be the ‘new modular’ version of the Mac Pro.</p>

      • Davinia

        12 March, 2022 - 4:03 am

        <p>I completly missed it that the 27inc IMac was discontinued. I thought that it would be fitted with a M2 later this year. Or at least I had hope ? would do so. So, the way to move forward then is the Studio Display with the Mac studio… Am I reading that correctly?</p>

        • Stabitha.Christie

          12 March, 2022 - 3:21 pm

          <p>No. The Mac + a 27 inch display would be the replacement for a 27 inch iMac. If you wanted an Apple branded display then that would be the Apple Studio display. The Apple Studio display + Mac mini comes out to the same price as the entry level iMac 27 inch. </p>

        • bkkcanuck

          12 March, 2022 - 3:53 pm

          <p>The supply chain analyst, who mentioned the new iMac 27", has admitted he was seeing the components for the new 27" display and making the incorrect assumption that it was for the a new iMac 27". As of now, there is no official plans for a new iMac 27"… which means that there will be no iMac 27". It was not announced during the event, but as soon as the Apple store when live — it became clear the iMac 27" was discontinued… and they no longer had it on the Apple store. In the cases where they still plan to update it, they usually leave up the old product on the store as a placeholder. For power users/prosumers/professionals, who want more than entry level performance, the Mac Studio + 27" Monitor is the replacement… and it makes more sense since you are no longer thermally constrained to the back of the monitor (and the monitor itself generates heat). For consumers, the majority of consumers would opt for a 24" iMac given the lower price. We don’t know what the future holds, but the only way I can see the iMac 27" making a re-appearance is basically an option on the iMac rather than effectively a different line…. so just an option on iMac on checkout… (i.e. an optional upgrade, rather than a different line)… but if you wait for that – you could wait forever. </p>

          • Davinia

            13 March, 2022 - 4:49 am

            <p>Thanks for the reply. It’s clear to me now!</p>

  • Donte

    13 March, 2022 - 8:02 am

    <p>Oh wow, now we are getting Mac Mini rumors at Thurrott. Who would of thunk it?</p><p><br></p><p>Beyond the Mini or the air these new Mac’s simply cost too much. </p><p><br></p><p>I have a 16inch M1 Pro that work bought me. There is simply NO WAY I would spend the 3K that my work did (32gig 1TB). </p><p><br></p><p>I also think that if you do not use software (final cut etc) that takes advantage of the built in encoders of the M series then there is nothing really special about the M based Mac’s. </p><p><br></p><p>Yes they get good battery life and use less power but there are Windows laptops targeted at the non power users, those not rendering videos for a living, that get good battery life in a thin and light form factor. </p>

    • bkkcanuck

      13 March, 2022 - 12:16 pm

      <p>A number of Apple stories have come from Laurent, I have not been paying attention… is he new … or was he bitten by the Apple fanboy bug,,, :o</p>

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