Apple will be launching new iPhone 14 models with punch-hole displays, a redesigned MacBook Air with a slightly faster M2 chip, Apple Silicon Mac Pro, larger iMac, and Mac mini, and its first AR/VR headset, if things go as planned.
This bucketload of information comes from Mark Gurman’s weekly Power On newsletter, where he revealed Apple’s product roadmap for 2022.
iPhone 14
Some iPhone 14 models are expected to feature a punch-hole display, which means that Apple would have managed to shrink the Face ID components enough to put them around a circular camera cut-out or move them under the display. We have already seen punch-hole displays from other Android OEMs like Samsung, Xiaomi, and Google, so this would not be something new for smartphones.
iPad Pro
A new redesigned iPad Pro with wireless charging support is expected to launch in 2022. This might ship with an M2 chip, but it is difficult to guess what Apple would change. At this stage, the iPad is in need of software improvements, rather than hardware updates.
M2 MacBook Air
It is all but confirmed that Apple is working on a redesigned MacBook Air for this year, which will feature second-generation Apple Silicon, M2. This chip is expected to feature an 8-core CPU, with a 9-core or 10-core GPU, which should help make it somewhat faster than the M1. However, Gurman has said that it will be marginally faster like the A-series chip performance improvements in iPhones every year.
From what I’m hearing, the M2 will be a marginally faster version of the M1 chip from late 2020. I’d expect the same overall CPU core count—four high-performance cores and four energy-efficient cores—but a bit of a stronger GPU. That likely means nine or 10 GPU cores, an upgrade from the current seven or eight graphics core options on the M1. I’d look at the jump from the M1 to the M2 as a similar leap to those that Apple makes annually on the iPhone.
Considering that iPhones always see a considerable performance increase every year, we would not be too worried about the ‘marginally faster’ comment.
Apple Silicon Transition – Mac Pro, Large iMac, Mac mini
Gurman says that Apple is expected to complete its transition from Intel to Apple Silicon by WWDC 2022. This would put them ahead of the two-year transition plan that they laid out when the M1 chip was announced.
The newsletter also says that a smaller Mac Pro with up to 40 CPU cores and 128 graphics cores, a new faster Mac mini, and a larger iMac Pro will be announced by then.
The company has a bevy of new pro Macs in the works based on the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips that are already inside the MacBook Pro. That includes a smaller Mac Pro with up to 40 CPU cores and 128 graphics cores, a new Mac mini and a large-screened iMac Pro. I’d expect Apple to finish its transition to its own silicon from Intel chips as early as June at WWDC 2022.
Cheaper Pro Display XDR
Gurman also expects that Apple’s cheaper external display would launch in 2022, however, it will be half the price of the Pro Display XDR, which means that it will still be very expensive. As per rumors, the display will be powered by an A13 chip and feature a Neural Engine.
Speaking of Macs and iPads, I’m hoping Apple’s next external monitor—destined to be about half the price of the Pro Display XDR—launches in the coming year.
The newsletter also says that Apple will launch its new third-generation iPhone SE with 5G as well as a new Apple Watch Sports Edition in 2022.
Stay tuned as we continue to keep you up to date with the latest news on Apple products.
Happy New Year from team iTD!
