Refreshed M2 MacBook Pro to launch in late 2022

By Caleb Clark January 18, 2022

Apple will be making some change-ups to its entry-level MacBook and MacBook Pro lineup later this year, according to reporting by some new leaks.

The information comes from the reliable leaker @dylandkt, and the details are promising, especially if you are hoping for more affordable MacBook options.

Touch bar on the MacBook Pro. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

There are two models that are expected to release in 2022. The first is a new MacBook Pro 14 with an M2 processor, expected to launch in the second half of 2022. Since it will supposedly have the same form factor as the new MacBook Pro 14, it could possibly have the same port selection, compared to the more limited four USB-C ports on the current MacBook Pro 13.

Recommended Videos

The M2 will also likely have lower performance overall than the M1 Pro chip. It will come with “a slight increase over the previous generation,” but it will still be more palatable than the $2,000 M1 Pro option.

The other model will be a redesigned M2 MacBook Air. There is no confirmation as to what that design will be, but a notched display is a safe assumption, giving the MacBook lineup a uniform look and feel. The M2 MacBook Air has been rumored for a while, and it has likely been delayed until the latter half of 2022.

https://twitter.com/dylandkt/status/1483094105613914115

It’s hard to say what the price will be for the new devices, but we can make some assumptions. The current MacBook Pro 13 starts at $1300, so a slightly pricier model would probably be in the ballpark of $1500. That puts it squarely between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 14 starting prices. It could serve as a good option for those looking for something a bit more powerful than the Air, but don’t need all the power found in the Pro and Max models.

Unless something dramatic changes on the MacBook Air, we can expect it to still start at $1,000, since the Air is still Apple’s entry-level laptop device.

Apple usually holds keynote events in September or October to make hardware announcements and that is likely when they will officially announce these new devices, as well as the new iPhone and any other devices.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Caleb Clark is a full-time writer that primarily covers consumer tech and gaming. He also writes frequently on Medium about…

Computing

Next week might be the biggest Mac launch since 2020

Logos from the Apple Mac announcement tweet.

Finally, we have confirmation of the long-anticipated fall Mac launch. The rollout, however, may be a bit unconventional for Apple.

At first, we expected a product event, then we speculated about videos and press releases -- and now Apple has revealed an entire "week of announcements" starting on Monday morning. It's expected that the announcements will include the latest M4 refreshes for the Mac lineup, including the MacBook Pro, iMac, and a completely refreshed Mac mini. While many of those will merely be M4 updates, this may end up being the biggest single window of Mac releases since the initial M1 launch in 2020 in terms of sheer quantity.

Computing

The M4 Mac launch is incoming, but not how you might expect

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip seen from behind.

The past few months have been full of speculation, anticipation, and pretty wild rumors concerning the upcoming M4 Macs -- and now the predicted release date of November 1 is just a week or so away. Despite the lack of an event announcement, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman still believes the launch is "imminent," with an announcement reportedly coming on October 30.

According to him, Apple Stores are running very low on iMac, Mac mini, MacBook Pro, Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad units -- and this usually happens when updates are about to be released.

Computing

Is Apple’s upcoming M4 Mac event still happening? I’m skeptical

Russian YouTuber Romancev768 with what is claimed to be a real M4 MacBook Pro unit.

Over the last few weeks, the endless stream of M4 MacBook Pro leaks has been almost inescapable. We’ve seen photos, unboxing videos, even M4 laptops reportedly going up for sale way ahead of time. Ye.t despite all that, there’s been one thing that has stopped me from fully believing that these leaks are legitimate -- despite a well-known reporter claiming that they’re authentic.

That’s because in all the leaks we’ve seen, the box of the M4 MacBook Pro has come with the same black-and-gray wallpaper that Apple used for its M3 line of MacBook Pros. It’s something that has bugged me ever since I first noticed it. But what if the use of an old wallpaper isn't proof that these leaks are fakes, but is actually a clue about what Apple is about to do next?
The wallpaper of it all