Will Apple's March Event be a big splash for M2?

[DHagan4755]

This could be Apple's way of keeping its product lines more regularly updated?

I mean the 13" MacBook Pro is overdue for an update.

Then again the low-end Mac mini isn't necessarily due for an update but perhaps Apple's turning over a new leaf here?

And the iMac 24" is early, but within range so hey, why not?

One thought on the 13" MacBook Pro is it's aimed toward higher education. It would be nice if Apple released the MacBook Air in advance too because it's really good for education.

Of course I'm assuming that the 3 Mac models filed in the European Economic Database are the 13" MacBook Pro M2, iMac, and Mac mini, and that they will be announced at the Apple March event. And we all know what happens when you A-S-S-u-m-e ?

 

[staypuftforums]

This could be Apple's way of keeping its product lines more regularly updated?

View attachment 1960579​

I mean the 13" MacBook Pro is overdue for an update.

Then again the low-end Mac mini isn't necessarily due for an update but perhaps Apple's turning over a new leaf here?

View attachment 1960580​

And the iMac 24" is early, but within range so hey, why not?

View attachment 1960591​

One thought on the 13" MacBook Pro is it's aimed toward higher education. It would be nice if Apple released the MacBook Air in advance too because it's really good for education.

Of course I'm assuming that the 3 Mac models filed in the European Economic Database are the 13" MacBook Pro M2, iMac, and Mac mini, and that they will be announced at the Apple March event. And we all know what happens when you A-S-S-u-m-e ?

Mac Mini average is badly skewed due to no updates between 2014-2018.

 

[crazy dave]

I speculated in another thread that Apple might need to free up room on the TSMC N5 M1 fab line for the larger dies of the M1 Pro and Max and the future Jade SoCs by moving the low-end M1 production to a new M2 N4 line. I’m not knowledgeable enough to know if this is reasonable so I’m hoping someone with more industry experience like @cmaier could chime in.

Interesting hypothesis. There is also the N5P node too. N4 is available of course but we don't know which will be used for M2.

 

[ctjack]

Perhaps Apple holds an event in March to release a brand-new large iMac with the M1 Pro/Max, a new high-end Mac mini, and (who knows?) even an Apple-powered Mac Pro.

So Apple must register their devices to sell in Eurasian countries like Russia and etc.
We already have info that Apple registered 2 desktop PCs and 1 portable PC - that is what it said. So we have to only guess what laptop and what desktop it would be. Usually they start certification 3-6 month prior release.

 

[FaceChart2]

You were implying that folks might not upgrade to 14/16 *laptops* if they made the Mac mini too feature filled.

Almost nobody is cross shopping a desktop headless machine with a pro laptop and interchanging them in the buying decision.

Found the guy who doesn't know why Apple is putting Thunderbolt 4 in the 14"/16" and why that is such a huge deal.....

 

[skaertus]

So Apple must register their devices to sell in Eurasian countries like Russia and etc.
We already have info that Apple registered 2 desktop PCs and 1 portable PC - that is what it said. So we have to only guess what laptop and what desktop it would be. Usually they start certification 3-6 month prior release.

It is possible that these models are two large iMacs and the high-end Mac mini? Does the mini qualify as the "portable" device?

If one of these models is a laptop, it will probably be the Air with the M2. In that case, I suppose the low-end Pro will get axed in favor of the Air (which makes sense now that the two use the same chip). Or Apple could release the low-end Pro in the same form factor as the current 14-inch high-end Pro.

 

[theluggage]

So around March 8th, Apple announces:

...I'm reluctantly inclined to believe the M2 13" MBP with no design change rumour, since (unlike the other rumours) it's not something that you'd come up with if you were trying to make a plausible guess.

Meanwhile, bumping the Air, the 13" MBP, the Mini (with or without a design upgrade) and the 24" iMac adds up to the "4 new M2 macs" prediction from some other rumours... and if the M2 is ready to roll, why not do that?

It's not like the current laptop designs are horrible, and the only real point of changing them would be to update the displays. If there are supply problems with the new displays and/or the cost of mini-LED hasn't come down enough yet, then bumping the existing designs to M2 and keeping any radical changes on ice for M3 could be an easy way to keep the interest ticking over,.

Plus, Apple have the advantage of knowing the sales figures and (probably) a ton of market research - maybe the 13" MBPs are flying off the shelves while the only Airs moving are the sub-$1000 entry model. Maybe the iMac re-design has been a flop (or Ive's last 'thinner is better' hurrah vs. the people who designed the new MacBook Pros). Who knows?

However, no sign of a M1 Pro-powered Mini or a 5k iMac replacement would be a disappointment.

What I'm wondering is whether the M2 Mac mini would support even more displays? Perhaps 3 now (2 from USB-C, 1 from HDMI)? That would be a huge upgrade for some folks. As well as allowing 32GB of RAM.

It sounds like the M2 is going to be, basically, an M1 with improved core designs & new tech, but with similar core counts and I/O limitations. Ultimately, I'd have thought the priority for the M2 would be to power lower-end MacBooks and iPad Pros - for which 2 displays (1 internal, 1 external) are perfectly adequate (it's not like the old Intel Air/A-series iPad Pro ever supported more). Extra display support doesn't come for free - more transistors, more power draw and the extra GPU power and RAM to support them. Expectations as to what resolution "a display" should be - with 4k becoming the norm and Apple offering 6k displays - are going up, as well. Plus, with 4k displays on MacOS, GPU-accelerated "scaled mode" is pretty much essential, which needs more GPU oomph. Essentially, I don't think Apple limiting the number of displays on M1 (and even M1 Pro vs. M1 Max) is pure greed.

32GB? I'd guess that the M2 will still only support two LPDDR chips and I believe that LPDDR4 maxed out at 8GB per chip. Not sure if LPDDR5 supports more - but that would be the way the M2 might get 32GB.

 

[MajorFubar]

I wonder what my trade-in with an M1 MacMini for an M2 MacMini to Apple would be? ?

I'll tell you what it probably wouldn't be: worth it.
Leaping one generation almost always never is.
The one exception was Intel -> M1.
That was the revolution.
Everything now on is just going to be evolution.

 

[leman]

32GB? I'd guess that the M2 will still only support two LPDDR chips and I believe that LPDDR4 maxed out at 8GB per chip. Not sure if LPDDR5 supports more - but that would be the way the M2 might get 32GB.

M1 Pro/Max are offered in configurations with 16GB RAM per module, so it is possible, but I don't think Apple will do that. It would make sense for them to keep the RAM size as a differentiating factors between the consumer and the prosumer platform.

 

[theluggage]

Mini never had a dGPU or high end core i9. MBP 15/16 always had dGPU and core i9.

True about the dGPU, but not so much CPU-wise: Intel i-numbers are only really comparable within the same TDB/target platform class. The desktop-class, 3.2GHz 6 core i7 in the 2018 Mini was at least comparable with the 2.9GHz 6-core mobile-class i9 in the 2018 MBP, and it could be upgraded to 64GB RAM. See:

Mac mini "Core i7" 3.2 (Late 2018) Specs (2018, BTO/CTO, Macmini8,1, A1993, 3213): EveryMac.com

Technical specifications for the Mac mini "Core i7" 3.2 (Late 2018). Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.

everymac.com

MacBook Pro "Core i9" 2.9 15" Touch/2018 Specs (Mid-2018 15" (Touch Bar), BTO/CTO, MacBookPro15,1, A1990, 3215): EveryMac.com

Technical specifications for the MacBook Pro "Core i9" 2.9 15" Touch/2018. Dates sold, processor type, memory info, hard drive details, price and more.

everymac.com

...and I guess that, at the time, people thought that external GPUs were going to be a thing & Apple was teaming up with BlackMagic to make them - although Apple seem to have U-turned on that now.

The real surprise is that the Mac Mini - after a long series of infrequent updates (there's a reason why 'the new Mac Mini is almost certainly coming' is the longest thread on MR) - was in the first wave of Macs to get Apple Silicon. Was that because Apple wanted a drop-in replacement for the DTK (in which case, it will now probably revert to getting updated every 12th of Never) or have they had a revelation about the demand for a relatively cheap, headless Mac?

 

[ctjack]

It is possible that these models are two large iMacs and the high-end Mac mini? Does the mini qualify as the "portable" device?

That is a great question. Tricky part is they indeed said "portable PC" which could be a laptop or even Mac mini, if that is classified as a portable device. Probably have to look back as what word they used for Mac Mini certificates.

Was that because Apple wanted a drop-in replacement for the DTK (in which case, it will now probably revert to getting updated every 12th of Never)

I think this was the reason. And Mac Mini was a DTK and then first M1 device only because it was easier to put the M1 internals in it without much R&D. So probably Mac Mini will stay on the update scale of 12th of Never. Also Mac mini with M1 and 16GB of RAM is still very capable device and will stay so until 12th of Never just like intel mini's did - thanks to having a desktop TDP CPUs.

 

[DHagan4755]

Maybe this weekend we'll get "more color," as they say, in Mark Gurman's newsletter. Perhaps this week's 13" MacBook Pro M2 rumors from MacRumors & DigiTimes will dislodge some more tidbits from Mark's sources. Stay tuned.

 

[jazz1]

I'll tell you what it probably wouldn't be: worth it.
Leaping one generation almost always never is.
The one exception was Intel -> M1.
That was the revolution.
Everything now on is just going to be evolution.

You are probably right on the trade-in. Luckily my spouse's 2012 iMac could use an upgrade to my M1 MacMini ? I do also have a Late 2015 iMac, but it is dying and costs to much to fix. I guess we shall see what the March event brings. To be perfectly honest the M1 works great for me. Though I'd like it to support 3 monitors.

 

[spiderman0616]

Unpopular opinion…Apple will either introduce the Mac (Mac mini Pro) with M1 Pro, no Max, or they’ll pull the Mac announcement at the last minute and save it for WWDC. I just don’t believe Apple is going to introduce the M2 in anything other than the MacBook Air for its debut. If the M2 MBA is as radical as the rumors say, then they want all the PR around it and it’s new M2 SoC. Personally I don’t think any Mac is being introduced, no matter what the rumors say.

As someone who is already uber-impressed with the M1 MBA and would be buying a redesigned M2 day one, I would fully support this product being announced in March. I don't think it's happening though. I feel like new MacBook Air models are more of a holiday announcement or a back to school announcement.

My main reasoning isn't even the M2. I just really want that new design if the rumors are anywhere near accurate. It looks gorgeous. M2 will just be the cherry on top.

 

[theluggage]

Everything now on is just going to be evolution.

...also, I suspect that a major benefit of M1->M2 might be battery life, rather than raw speed. Speed vs. power consumption is a pretty direct trade-off for system designers and, since the current Air and 13" MBP aren't exactly wanting for speed, Apple may decide to focus on power consumption for the M2.

The 13" M1 MBP is already claiming 20 hours movie playback - so squeezing that up to the magic number of 24 hours with the M2 sounds pretty plausible - and "First laptop in its class with 24-hour battery life" would be a massive marketing coup. You'd have to spray Tim Cook down with a firehose.

Of course, that would be pretty irrelevant for the mains-powered Mac Mini.

 

[UBS28]

I'll tell you what it probably wouldn't be: worth it.
Leaping one generation almost always never is.
The one exception was Intel -> M1.
That was the revolution.
Everything now on is just going to be evolution.

Indeed, there is no point going from M1 to M2.

People on the A12Z and A12X also noticed no difference when upgrading to the M1 iPad Pro, which is a 2 generation gap.

The only worthwhile upgrade is going from Intel --> M1 / Pro / Max.

If Apple puts 4 TB's on the M2 MBA / MBP, I might consider upgrading my 13" 2020 MBP (high-end, 10nm Intel). If Apple still keeps only 2 ports, then I will skip it. 2 ports is a joke.

 

[jdb8167]

People on the A12Z and A12X also noticed no difference when upgrading to the M1 iPad Pro, which is a 2 generation gap.

Not really. The only difference between the A12X and A12Z was the addition of a single GPU core that was disabled in the A12X. Other than that, they were the same generation.

 

[staypuftforums]

That is a great question. Tricky part is they indeed said "portable PC" which could be a laptop or even Mac mini, if that is classified as a portable device. Probably have to look back as what word they used for Mac Mini certificates.


I think this was the reason. And Mac Mini was a DTK and then first M1 device only because it was easier to put the M1 internals in it without much R&D. So probably Mac Mini will stay on the update scale of 12th of Never. Also Mac mini with M1 and 16GB of RAM is still very capable device and will stay so until 12th of Never just like intel mini's did - thanks to having a desktop TDP CPUs.

The 2014 Mini was not capable the day it was released, with a measly 4GB of soldered RAM and a 5400 spinning hard drive. It was a farcical product by the time it was replaced in 2018.

 

[Zdigital2015]

The 2014 Mini was not capable the day it was released, with a measly 4GB of soldered RAM and a 5400 spinning hard drive. It was a farcical product by the time it was replaced in 2018.

Nobody here disagrees. It was a horrible downgrade after the 2012 Mac mini and it lived on for far too long. I have a 2011 that does some light duty work just fine with an SSD replacement.

Here’s hoping that Apple gives the end users what they want, within reason.

 

[DHagan4755]

And you know another thing that's curious, will it have MagSafe 3? If the redesigned MacBook Air's going to have it, but the 13" MacBook Pro M2 doesn't, boy that would be odd. I wonder how difficult it would be to incorporate it into the existing 13" MacBook Pro design?

 

[turbineseaplane]

Found the guy who doesn't know why Apple is putting Thunderbolt 4 in the 14"/16" and why that is such a huge deal.....

Tell me why TB4 will make me go from shopping a desktop computer to suddenly being interested in laptops.

 

[theluggage]

And you know another thing that's curious, will it have MagSafe 3? If the redesigned MacBook Air's going to have it, but the 13" MacBook Pro M2 doesn't, boy that would be odd.

Well, the re-designed Air (not to mention that it will have MagSafe) is only a rumour, too.

 

[cal1]

The 13" Pro has M2, but I understood that the refreshed Mac Mini will have M1 Pro/Max and replace the higher-end models, and then we might get a 27" iMac with M1 Pro/Max, and the 24" iMac will be refreshed later. Maybe in September or October.

 

[Santabean2000]

In pondering Apple's March event in a few weeks, the focus on what Mac product is coming is intriguing. This could be the M2's coming out party. The outlook outlined below is a more aggressive stance for Apple & not completely what's expected. This would be the brightest possible outlook of what's to come. It would make the most sense in the cadence of product releases, ameliorating the possible consumer confusion of mixing M2 in with M1 Pro/Max chipsets for the rest of 2022, which seems backwards in a way.

So around March 8th, Apple announces:

• Refreshed 13" MacBook Pro with M2 (replaces existing model with M1).
• Refreshed low-end Mac mini with new design & M2 (replaces existing model with M1).
• Refreshed iMac 24" with M2 (replaces higher-end configurations that have M1); lower end two USB-C port M1 model will remain (perhaps at a lower price point).

Around WWDC, we get the iMac Pro 27" with M2 Pro/Max & the Mac Pro redesign with M2 Pro/Max. In October, the new design MacBook (Air) with M2, 14" & 16" MacBook Pro with M2 Pro/Max, and a Mac mini "Pro" with M2 Pro/Max.

Your predictions are very closely aligned with mine for March:
Phone SE
iPhone color
iPad Air
M2 SoC
Mac mini (new redesign)
iMac 24” (only on 4 USB C models)
MBP 13” (no Touch Bar)

Where we differ is in M2 Pro/Max; I don't think we'll see those until March/April 2023.

March will be all about the M2 IMHO.

 

[ADGrant]

...I'm reluctantly inclined to believe the M2 13" MBP with no design change rumour, since (unlike the other rumours) it's not something that you'd come up with if you were trying to make a plausible guess.

OTOH if you were trying to confuse everyone it is a rumor you might come up with.

An M2 13" MBP with no design change makes no sense at all. Why not just stick with the M1 if Apple is going to release an identical looking device? Why would they release a new device with a dead technology like the Touch Bar?