KEY POINTS
- Apple will reportedly hold a major event in October
- The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro are expected to debut at the rumored event
- Apple has not yet announced that it is working on a new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models
Tech juggernaut Apple reportedly plans to launch its latest MacBook Pro models sometime in Q4 2022 and while it is not yet known which models will debut this year, it is believed that consumers will see the next-generation 14-inch and 16-inch models since the 13-inch variant has been recently updated.
The latest report from Taiwan-based supply chain publication Digitimes claimed that Apple suppliers are currently preparing for the next-generation MacBook Pro models. Citing industry insiders, the news outlet mentioned the slackening of shipments of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, seemingly suggesting that the next-generation models with upgraded chips could debut at the upcoming Apple October event.
“Shipments of new MacBooks are expected to be offset by slowing shipments of older models, which are expected to be around the same as in 2021 or see slight growth,” DigiTimes reported. The publication’s information about the upcoming laptop computers aligns with rumors claiming that MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chipset were in development earlier this year.
brenkee/Pixabay
It, however, contradicts TF International Securities Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo’s forecast about Apple’s next laptops. According to him, the production is scheduled to start towards the end of this year and the launch window would be sometime in early 2023.
Earlier this month, Kuo noted that Apple had reduced its Q4 shipment forecast for the new MacBook Pro models by 20-30% because of lower demand. The analyst also cited signs of recession and fewer people working from home as the two primary reasons for the cut in the shipment forecast of the upcoming MacBook Pro models.
Very little is known about the major features of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, but according to Kuo, new models would house minimal new features aside from faster chips since the product line received a major redesign in October 2021. The main change would be internal with the launch of the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips and while it is not yet confirmed if the chips would be designed based on the new 3nm process, it is increasingly likely that Apple would maintain the 5nm process for the chipsets.
Apple is anticipated to hold another major event in October and there is a high possibility that the company would launch the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro at the said event. Unfortunately, despite these claims from reliable industry insiders and watchers, these details are not official. Consumers should temper their expectations and take this information as highly speculative at this point.
