Is Apple About to Launch New MacBook Pros?
A strange but possible scenario.
In just a couple of days, Apple will hold its strangely-timed “Scary Fast” event. According to several analysts, this event is expected to introduce new Macs and likely the M3 chip.
As the saying goes, it’s about that time.
Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a new iMac and a new 13-inch MacBook Pro with the base M3 chip, but some are saying we’re expecting new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros.
And personally? I think that’s odd. But if rumors are to be believed, we could indeed get new M3 Pro and M3 Max Macs at the Scary Fast event.
Where the high end MacBooks fit for Apple.
The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops are ideal for those who need significant performance and power in a laptop form factor. While they aren’t cheap, they are impressive and compelling options for mobile professionals.
These machines sport either a Pro or a Max variant of the M-series chip and are designed to provide the best mobile computing experience Apple has to offer.
I’ve personally used my M1 Pro powered 14-inch MacBook Pro to edit video, write plenty of content and even work my 9 to 5 job. It has plenty of power in a convenient form factor.
For those who don’t need as much horsepower, there’s the lower-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro, set apart from the MacBook Air by its active cooling for better sustained thermal performance.
But the higher end MacBook Pro models are intended to represent the best and most powerful portable machines Apple has to offer.
An incremental upgrade to stay out front?
Apple has well positioned its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. So it makes sense to me that they wouldn’t want that positioning challenged — even by Apple silicon.
Hypothetically, if the M3 chip were enough of an improvement that a 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 chip were on par with a 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 Pro chip, would Apple be okay with that? Or would they also roll out updates to the larger MacBook Pros to keep them on top?
It’ll be interesting to see what happens.
The M1 chip first appeared in the November 2020 with the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac mini. But by the time those products hit the shelves, the 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro had already been on the market for about a year. Nearly a year later, in 2021, we got the M1 Pro and M1 Max.
There was nearly a year of gap time between the 16-inch MacBook Pro (Apple’s mobile flagship) and the M1 MacBook Air and 13-inch Pro, and a year between the M1 Mac launch and the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.
Prior to the launch of the M1 Pro and M1 Max machines, the 2019 16-inch model was still the king of the hill in some workloads, but it was no match for Apple silicon in others. For some, the difference was significant enough that buying a cheaper M1 model made more sense than spending three to four grand on a 16-inch Intel machine.
So there is precedent for a lower-tier Mac being the better buy even for those who need extra performance.
“But Michael,” you say, “that was just while Apple was switching to Apple silicon.”
And indeed it was.
Would Apple be content to let that happen again? I don’t know. It certainly is interesting to ponder.
Or, is it possible that we will indeed see new M3 Pro and M3 Max chips in new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros to keep them at the front?
Too soon for an update?
But is it possible that the reign of M2 Pro and M2 Max would be less than a year? Those models were just refreshed in January, after all, with the previous M1 Pro and M1 Max machines releasing at the end of 2021.
If Apple launches new models here in October, I imagine those who spent a couple grand on the M2 Pro and Max models will be thrilled. So thrilled.
Yet that may be precisely what Apple needs.
According to
, MacBook sales across the board have been down about 30% this year, a steep drop from 2022. And Mac sales as a whole dropped about 23.1% year-over-year from 2022.While Apple is certainly not the only manufacturer with low numbers compared to last year, no doubt they’re looking for ways to boost earnings before 2024 hits.
The launch of M3 Pro and M3 Max may be exactly what they need.
But what about the M2 Pro and M2 Max owners?
If Apple does launch the M3 professional machines yet this year, I have to wonder how that move will be received by those who bought the upgraded M2 machines earlier this year. Personally, I’d be pretty frustrated.
By the time the M2 Pro and M2 Max Macs launched, Apple silicon was pretty well cemented as a viable professional option. Those who rushed out to buy the new models did so trusting that they were getting the latest and greatest Apple had to offer and expected that they’d have the latest version for a while to come.
While Apple can certainly do what it wants, I have to wonder — would those who bought the early 2023 M2 Pro and Max models feel slighted by Cupertino if, less than a year later, newer models launched — making their expensive laptops suddenly old news?
Maybe.
Personally, I’m a happy owner of an M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro, but I would still feel bad for those who bought their shiny new machines in the last few months.
But, as the saying goes, the show must go on.
What do you think we’ll see at Apple’s “Scary Fast” event on October 30th?
Thanks so much for checking out this story! If you liked it, please be sure to clap for it or leave a comment. Every clap and response helps! And be sure to check out my website about side hustles and Substack for more content.
And thank you to each and every one of you who has followed me so far. You rock, and I appreciate you all!
