2023 is going to be a big year for Apple, literally

We have come to the end of the year, and like last year that means it’s time for me to anticipate what lies ahead in 2023. These are my fearless predictions! OK, maybe there’s a little fear. Don’t look me directly in the eye. I’m sensitive to that.

Although this year’s lineup of Macs was a little less than I expected – likely due to supply chain issues – I suspect this will lead to a huge 2023 for Mac. And on the side of the iPad, while I expect a quiet year, there is still a joker that may make a little noise.

The rise of super Macs

Apple promised the end of Apple’s silicon transition in two years, and that was two years ago, so… barring any surprise announcements from Mac at the end of the year, we’re going to have to assume that the final pieces of the Apple silicon puzzle will be part of the company’s 2023 Mac slate.

This means that in 2023, the most advanced versions of the M2 processor that the company introduced this summer will finally arrive. And while the M2 is definitely a small step up from the already impressive M1, I have a feeling the upcoming high-performance M2 variants will push the Mac to places it’s never been before.

Foundry

Let’s start with the simple: Apple’s rumored MacBook Pro and Mac mini updates were originally slated for this fall, but they’ve apparently been pushed back into the new year. What a great way to start 2023!

We’re talking 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros that will be largely unchanged on the outside from the redesigned 2021 models… but they’ll be powered by M2 Pro processors on the inside, pushing the Mac laptop lineup to new heights. new heights.

On the Mac mini side, it’s finally time to retire that high-end space gray Intel-based Mac mini and replace it with a new model that uses the M2 Pro processor, bringing the Pro-tier chip to the desktop for the very first time. (I guess there will be both a simple M2 and M2 Pro variation, while the Mac Studio continues to relax with its M1 Max and M1 Ultra options…for now.)

Then things start to heat up. The Apple Mac Pro in silicon! This will be the year. The real question is, what does a Mac Pro running Apple silicon look like? Based on reports and common sense, I’m going to predict that this is a smaller version of the Intel Mac Pro design, with cheese grater holes and large looped handles, and inside , there will be options for high-speed storage and networking expansion as well as additional processing power. I don’t know if Apple supports extension standards or builds something new. I’d say the Mac Pro is more expandable than we feared, but less traditionally expandable than Intel-era Mac Pros.

Based on reports by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, everyone expects the Mac Pro to be powered by an M2 Ultra chip. Think of it as a very, very big Mac Studio.

And what better pairing for the Mac Pro than a new Apple external display? After years of predicting one and getting it wrong, I finally succeeded with the arrival of the Studio Display in 2022. But rumors abound that Apple is working on an even more expensive model with Micro-LED backlighting and ProMotion that will put the current Pro Display XDR to shame. 2023 is the right time to get there.

old friends and new

If you think about how important laptops are to the Mac lineup, it’s actually surprising how few model variants Apple offers. There are three MacBook Pros, but only one MacBook Air-two if you count the M1 generation model still selling for $999. That’s a bit odd for Apple’s most popular Mac model, don’t you think?

If the rumors are true—and they really are too logical to deny—we’ll see a second MacBook Air This year. Unfortunately, I don’t think my dreams of a smaller model than the 13-inch one will come true. Instead, it will be a larger, 15-inch model, allowing people to buy a bigger laptop with a nice big screen without shelling out for MacBook Pro performance that most users don’t need.

IDG

This brings us to Apple’s flagship desktop Mac, the iMac. the iMac M1 24 inch It came out with a bang in 2021, but it’s now a little long in the tooth. It’s time for an update, with a new processor and maybe even some new colors. But more exciting than a new iMac is the prospect of a bigger new model – let’s call it iMacProWith a similar design but a bigger screen. The iMac Pro will also bring M2 Max and Ultra chip options to the iMac lineup for the first time.

This new iMac sounds great. If I hadn’t bought a Mac Studio and a Studio Display this year, I would want one myself. Unfortunately, I regret to inform you that it won’t be available in fun colors because that’s just not how Apple rolls for products with Pro in the name. You’ll get it in silver or space gray and if you’re very, very lucky, maybe midnight. That’s it.

iPad: quiet time

It really does feel like we’re in a lull for iPad hardware. Apple has just reviewed the low end iPad and the iPad Pro, and these are products that tend to only get updated every 18 months or so. The iPad Air is ready for an M2 speed bump, I guess, but isn’t the M1 really better suited for this product?

So, will there be anything interesting in 2023 when it comes to the iPad? While I’m not entirely convinced that’s going to happen, I’ll take the plunge: there won’t be new 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, but 2023 will be the year when Apple presents the design language of the next generation iPad Pro in the form of a mega 15-inch iPad Pro (or iPad Studio?) complete with new accessories to make it an artist’s tool, work in a configuration laptop or even connect with an external display. The smaller iPad Pro models will have to wait until 2024 to take over the features of the big brother.

Apple

Now, what about the iPhone, wearables and all the new product categories? What will 2023 bring to Apple in these areas? For answers – and yes, we treat my predictions as answers For the purposes of these columns – you’ll have to come back here next week.