6 Mac announcements we want to see at WWDC

A few years after the release of macOS, the recent WWDC keynote brought some major Mac announcements, bringing some much-needed excitement to the Mac platform. Now, as WWDC 2022 approaches, can Apple continue the Mac’s momentum?

It can definitely come through with some key announcements we’d like to see at the event. Nothing beats the original Apple chip announcement, but Apple could make some big disclosures that will continue to put the Mac in the spotlight. Here are the Mac announcements we’d like to see at WWDC 2022 (in order of priority).

Mac Pro

When Apple began transitioning Macs from Intel CPUs to its own M1 system-on-chip (SoC), the company said it would be a two-year process. WWDC 2022 marks two years, and as Apple SVP John Ternus pointed out at the Mac Studio event in March, there’s only one Mac left to transition, the Mac Pro.

What people expect from the Mac Pro, however, is less about the SoC (which I’ll detail in the next section) and more about the machine itself and how Apple will meet the needs of Mac Pro users. Will Apple Build a Tower Mac? What is the function of the component? What kind of access does the user have to the inside? How upgradeable is it?

We hope to answer so many questions on June 6th. I can’t help but think that Apple will want to largely end this transition, so I have high hopes for this announcement.

The next generation of Apple chips

Apple is ending one transition, but another is about to begin: the transition from the M1 series to the M2 series of SoCs. The Mac Pro may have some configurations to boost the performance of its fastest Mac SoC, the M1 Ultra, so the company has reached the pinnacle of the M1 series. It appears that Apple’s Mac chips have a two-year cycle, so the timing for the next series to start seems right, although there have been recent rumors that the wait could be a bit longer.

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But if Apple does decide to unveil the M2 at WWDC, it’s likely to be more of a “preview” than a fully detailed showcase of the product announcement. John Ternus could even make another one-liner tease – any sort of acknowledgment would help continue the M-Series’ marketing momentum. Apple released the M1 Mac in fall 2020, so expect the entry-level M2 to follow in the fall as well. That’s when we’ll get into the details of the chip.

(While I’ve personally lost interest in what Intel is doing, chip enthusiasts and people who like to get involved in tech debates are very concerned about the biggest PC chip makers. Intel’s Raptor Lake and Meteor Lake CPUs are coming, so Apple’s interest in the M2 Will add some spark to the heads-up marketing game.)

MacBook Air

WWDC is generally not for consumer laptops, but the MacBook Air may be an exception. For more than a year, a massive redesign has been rumored, with slimmer bezels, a smaller footprint, and colors other than space gray, silver, and gold. The MacBook Air hasn’t been this exciting in a while — even the 2018 model is largely an iteration of its predecessor — but if the rumors are true, the new model will be the most exciting in years One of the laptops.

We want to go back to the original iBook, just as the 24-inch iMac is a tribute to the original iMac. The M1 MacBook Air is a great machine, but it’s not exciting. A redesigned model, with or without the M2 processor, will be a great way to get back to your senses.

macOS 13 Features, Fixes, and Correct Names

We’ve published our macOS 13 wish list, and we’ll be taking a closer look at the keynote to see if any of our wishes come true. Some items on the list we want more than others – specifically the desktop widgets (the ability to take widgets out of the notification center and place them on the desktop), as well as a more robust control center that’s customizable and has more Modules – may even come from third-party developers.

One thing Apple really needs to do with macOS is fix long-standing bugs and optimize the system. As I said in my macOS 13 wishlist, if that’s all Apple does and nothing else – no new features – I’d be very happy.

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The name of macOS can indicate how big the update is for that version. For example, macOS Monterey is named after Monterey Bay, which is part of the larger Big Sur region in central California – macOS versions prior to Monterey were called Big Sur. The Big Sur’s UI changes, support for iOS and iPadOS apps on the M1 Mac, and more, are a bigger upgrade than the Monterey.

But if you’re not familiar with the California location that Apple uses, you’re going to be lost. Then it’s just a name, which doesn’t mean much in the case of macOS other than as an alternate reference point for version numbers.

Regardless, Mac users are investing in the name of macOS, and this is a much-anticipated announcement. Anticipation and excitement mounted when Apple Senior Vice President Craig Federighi spoke about this point of the WWDC keynote, and the name made the vague idea of ​​an operating system update combine and become a reality. Then, once the name was settled, there was a heated debate about whether it was a good choice.

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According to Apple’s trademark filing, the money appears to be “mammoth” becoming the next name for macOS. Aside from being located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, the word itself implies that macOS 13 has some major changes and features for the Mac. The rumor mill hasn’t been flooded with reports of major changes in macOS 13, so I don’t think “Mammoth” is the name. I think they’ll save it for a bigger release in the future.

M1 Pro/M1 Max Mac mini

When Apple’s John Ternus said the Mac Pro was the only Mac to transition to Apple silicon, he was referring specifically to the Mac Pro, but it wasn’t the only Mac left. There’s also the high-end Mac mini — this $1,099 model still uses an Intel CPU.

There’s a gap in Apple’s M1 lineup between the iMac and the Mac Studio, and a professional-grade Mac mini would fit perfectly in that slot. Reports indicate that the Mac mini could be updated with the M1 Pro and M1 Max, it could also have more GPU cores and support more RAM.

iMac Pro

Apple discontinued the iMac Pro last year, but reports seem to suggest Apple may bring it back. It might have a 27-inch display and an M1 Pro and M1 Max SoC, and it might have a design similar to the 24-inch iMac, but instead of the professional color palette of silver and space gray.

Reports of a 27-inch standalone Mac mini-LED display have also surfaced, but could this be a case of a mix of displays with the iMac Pro? This is what happens with Studio Display. The leaker mistook the Studio Display for an iMac.Regardless, Apple appears to be working on a 27-inch monitor somethingwe hope it’s announced at WWDC.