There were a lot of exciting announcements from MacOS Monterrey, iOS/iPad/TVOS 15, WatchOS 8, and lots of updates to home.
I am quite disappointed that there were no hardware announcements, as this would be the perfect time.
Month: June 2021
June 7, we will have the opening Keynote to WWDC 2021 (Apple’s World Wide Developers’ Conference). While Apple is not consistent in their announcements at the keynote, we know for sure, mainly because they effect developers, that the following will be announced:
• iOS/iPadOS 15
• MacOS 12 (along with the codename)
• tvOS 15
• New developer tools
• Some developers showing up AR and LiDAR applications.
However, we are also expecting new developer/professional computers to be announced at this years WWDC, largely due to the low-power focus that has occurred so far with the Apple transition to Apple’s only silicon.
These may include any or all of the following:
16″ MacBook Pro
14″ MacBook Pro
MacMini (Pro)
30/32″ iMac or iMac Pro
MacPro (Unlikely)
The current rumors are that these machines will all run M1X Chips, basically M1 chips with more cores, more GPU cores, more neural engine cores, and more RAM. Some rumors say 10 high power CPU core, with 16 to 32 GPU cores. There are also mentions in the latest updates to BigSur that reference the new AMD 6600, 6700, and 6800 GPUs, this may be for eGPU support, or there may be either a final Intel Mac coming or even AMD GPUs on an M1X machine augment the SoC GPU.
The new MacBook Pros
We only know they are coming. We know they will not be running the M1, but the next chip, be that M1X or M2 (likely M1X, based on Apple’s existing nomenclature). The Rumors are that they will be returning to a port configuration similar to the 2012-2015 MacBook Pros, but I find that unlikely. The Magsafe name keeps coming up, in relation to these machines, but it is unlikely to be similar to the old Magsafe or Magsafe2 connectors, and instead a USB charging cable that uses Magnetic breakaway connections for safety. I also see Apple taking a cue from the new iMacs, and putting an Ethernet port in the power brick, as the USBC connections can do power and data, especially Ethernet, at the same time with no performance penalties. This would also free up a USBC port for users, who continually complain about ports. I highly doubt, given the thick/thinness of the machines that USB A or HDMI will return, but I do expect SD Cards, as those seem to be the most common complaint by professionals.
Expect 3 USB-C ports, all supporting Thunderbolt 4 and USB4, and an SDXC Card Slot.
New iMacs (Pro)
It is but a foregone conclusion that larger, more professional iMacs are coming. I would expect them come with 4 USBC ports as standard, SDXC Cards on the right, and 1Gbps or 10Gbps ethernet on the external power brick. I also expect them to look like scaled up versions of the 24, including the chin. However, I expect 6K displays, with miniLED, and perhaps a line-in port next to the headphone jack.
MacMini (Pro)
The M1 MacMini is an awesome machine, and if you already have a decent screen, a great alternative to an iMac. However, it has plenty of room for improvement. As Linus from LTT said about the last top fo the line Intel Mini, this machine should just be called Macintosh or Mac. And upgraded machine is needed to replace that Intel Mini. I expect a similar power connector to the M1 iMac, with external Ethernet, just to be consistent, along with 10 or 20Gbps networking available. 2-4 USBC Ports, 2-4 USBA, SDXC, HDMI 2.1, and a smaller form factor, but with the M1X chip.
MacPro
It is highly unlikely that Apple will release the new MacPro, but you never know. Although rumors are pushing for 16-64 CPU and GPU Cores.