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Two new Macs — including a new Air — could launch at WWDC

Alex Blake
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Promotional logo for WWDC 2023.
This story is part of our complete Apple WWDC coverage

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) has just been announced for this June, but people are already starting to wonder what the tech giant will reveal at the show. In a tantalizing piece of good news, we might have just had a hint at what will be on the menu.

The clue comes from journalist Mark Gurman in his latest Power On newsletter. In it, the reporter explains that Apple could launch two new Macs at WWDC, with others set to come later in the year or in 2023.

Apple CEO, Tim Cook, stands on stage at the September 2021 Fall Apple Event.
Apple

The most likely Mac to make the cut at WWDC is the MacBook Air, according to the newsletter. We’ve known for months that Apple is planning a complete overhaul of its lightweight consumer laptop, with a new flat-edged design and multiple color options in the works.

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However, the WWDC date is a slight departure from Gurman’s previous stance, as he formerly believed the MacBook Air might be released in time for the holiday period. That idea was at odds with other sources, such as reputable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who argued the laptop would likely launch around late summer or early fall.

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Aside from the MacBook Air, Gurman’s newsletter says other WWDC candidates include the Mac Mini, the 24-inch iMac, and the 13-inch MacBook Pro. All three devices have been heavily rumored for this year, with the first of those perhaps the most likely prospect considering the Mac Mini line as a whole hasn’t been updated since 2020.

– New Macs coming soon-ish, including the new MacBook Air
– Internal iOS 16 builds are full of ties to the Apple headset, rOS
– iOS 16 to get notifications update, but no redesign. Redesigned iPad app switcher planned
– Health and Fitness upgrades coming.https://t.co/4ESTiJqaPK https://t.co/5b5H76uTJC

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) April 10, 2022

WWDC would be a fitting time to unveil new Macs, Gurman explains, because it was at this same event in 2020 that Apple first announced that its computers would begin to transition away from Intel processors and toward its own chips. WWDC is also a developer-focused event, and showing off new Macs would give the audience an idea of software development possibilities in the years ahead.

Interestingly, the Power On newsletter offers a reminder that Apple is still planning new versions of the Mac Pro and the iMac Pro. The inclusion of the latter suggests Gurman is still confident that Apple will release an updated version of its larger all-in-one desktop, despite the company previously stating that the 27-inch iMac was “end of life.”

Gurman’s position lines up with other well-regarded Apple analysts, including Kuo and Ross Young, who also believe the larger iMac is due for a refresh (although perhaps not until 2023). That could offer some solace to anyone hoping for an update to the larger iMac in the not-too-distant future.

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Alex Blake
Alex Blake
Computing Writer
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