Questions about the MacBook Pro remain as Apple prepares to bring Apple Silicon Macs to the next-generation M2. Especially Apple’s low-profile entry-level MacBook Pro. Even if it makes sense at the end of 2020, does it make sense to bring it back in 2022?
Izmir, Turkey – January 10, 2022: Apple Brand M1 Model Macbook pro laptop half open… [+] purple and blue lights
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Through log files from third-party app developers, you can see several leaks from Apple employees testing the new macOS-powered hardware; hardware that will ship with a supposedly named M2 Apple Silicon chipset. Of course, just because a device is being tested doesn’t guarantee that the device will actually hit the market. However, the range of devices being tested matches the M1-powered portfolio, so it’s reasonable to assume we’re looking at a largely “same but a bit bigger” upgrade path.
That means Apple’s clunky MacBook Pro will be with us for another two years.
The entry-level MacBook Pro launched in 2020 alongside the Apple Silicon-powered MacBook Air and Mac Mini, allowing Tim Cook and his team to roll out the then-new ARM-based M1 platform to everything for everyone, with desktop, consumer Laptops and Professional Laptops, both available at launch. While the Mac Mini and MacBook Air continue to have a place in the portfolio, the 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro is clunky.
If you’re looking for power for your laptop, you’ll be looking for a 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro laptop—both also feature new designs, better screen technology, and plenty of I/O ports. If you’re looking for an all-around laptop with enough computing power, the MacBook Air (whether it’s a 7-core or a 7-core GPU) is waiting for you.
Assuming Apple maintains consistent pricing for the next Mac, how many people are willing to pay a 30% premium for a Pro laptop that performs slightly better than the Air?
In fact, Apple is making sure it has something at every small step up the pricing ladder, and apparently felt the need to show something between the first MacBook Air and the first new MacBook Pro laptop. When you have everything lined up, stuffing into an entry-level MacBook Pro makes things look good, and it made sense when the M1 platform was first introduced to provide that level of comfort.
Now that you’ve got real Pro MacBook Pro laptops on sale, the entry-level MacBook Pro feels like an addendum, blurring Apple’s traditionally neat lines between Macs.
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