In his latest newsletter, reputed leaker Mark Gurman has revealed Apple’s plans for a new monitor, updated Pro Display XDR, M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro launch timeline, and much more.
Apple Rumored to Be Working on New External Monitors
Apple is reportedly developing new external monitors that will be powered by Apple silicon, similar to the A13 Bionic chip used in the Studio Display. While Gurman did not provide any further details or a timeline for the release of these monitors, he did mention that an updated version of the Pro Display XDR is also in the works.
It is unclear if one of the new monitors will be a refreshed Studio Display, but in October 2021, display industry consultant Ross Young said that Apple was planning to launch a new monitor with a 27-inch mini-LED display in Q1 2023. This monitor could potentially be a ProMotion-enabled Studio Display.
New MacBook Pro Coming in 2023, M3 iMac in the Works
According to Gurman, Apple plans to release new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chip options in early 2023. These laptops were originally expected to launch in 2021 but were delayed. The new MacBook Pro models are not expected to feature any major design changes but could potentially have faster RAM in addition to the upgraded chip options. Like the Apple M2 chip, which launched with the 2022 MacBook Air, features faster graphics, the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips are also expected to bring faster GPU performance.
In addition to upgraded MacBook Pro models, Gurman also mentioned that a new iMac with an M3 chip may be released later in 2023. However, he did not provide any further details about the upcoming iMac. It is reported that Apple has decided to skip the iMac with the M2 chip and move directly to the M3. Gurman also mentioned that Apple is still interested in releasing a new iMac Pro with Apple silicon but that it has faced internal delays.
M2 Ultra Mac Pro Still in Testing, ‘M2 Extreme’ Chip Likely Canceled
Apple is reportedly still testing an all-new Mac Pro with an M2 Ultra chip, which is expected to be available with up to a 24-core CPU, up to a 76-core GPU, and at least 192GB of RAM. Gurman also expects the new Mac Pro to feature swappable components, allowing for additional memory, storage, and other components to be inserted.
However, Gurman believes that Apple has likely abandoned plans to release a higher-end configuration of the Mac Pro with a so-called “M2 Extreme” chip due to cost and manufacturing complexities. The higher-end model with the M2 Extreme chip would have been available with up to a 48-core CPU and up to a 152-core GPU, but Gurman estimates that this configuration would have cost at least $10,000, making it a very niche product that may not justify the development and production resources required.
Source: Bloomberg
