If you are priming your credit card to purchase a new MacBook Pro imminently, you might want to put it away. According to reliable reporter Mark Gurman, the next few weeks are going to be devoid of any notable Apple product revelations — but new MacBook Pros are still on track for release this year.
Expectations were high after leaker Jon Prosser claimed the new MacBook Pro was a dead certainty for Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June. When that failed to happen, it left Prosser with egg on his face and Apple fans with a little longer to wait for their next MacBook Pro upgrade.
Now, Gurman believes the fall might be the time to shine for Apple’s flagship laptop. In his new Power On newsletter, Gurman explained the situation: “For Apple, all attention is on the fall, so the next several weeks are destined to be light on product news. We’re about three months away from the next iPhone and Apple Watch models going on sale — along with the releases of iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and watchOS 8 — so stay tuned for plenty of news on those after the summer doldrums. And don’t forget about the iPad and Mac: Apple has a new entry-level iPad for students and revamped MacBook Pros and iPad minis coming later this year, too.”
Earlier in the year, Gurman claimed new MacBook Pro models were coming “as early as this summer,” and that could still be on track: The last day of summer is September 21, so a delay of a few weeks could still result in a summer launch. And to be fair to Gurman, the key words in his earlier report were “as early as,” which suggests this was the soonest possible release date rather than a nailed-down certainty.
But the phrasing of his report does suggest fall might be a more likely time frame. Given how the last 18 months have panned out and the disruptions felt by almost every tech company, delays should not come as a surprise.
Gurman’s earlier forecast included some details of what to expect when the next MacBook Pro finally makes an appearance. He indicated it would include a new 10-core chip alongside options for either 16 or 32 graphics cores. That would represent a major performance uptick over the M1 chip found in the current MacBook Pro 13, which has eight CPU cores and eight graphics cores.
Other reports have suggested this year’s MacBook Pro is due for a major overhaul, with a new design, a better display, and more port variety (including the return of longtime favorite MagSafe). With that many new features on the way, Mac fans could have their patience richly rewarded — whenever Apple decides to debut the new machine.
