Apple reportedly wanted to announce the M2-powered MacBook Pro alongside the MacBook Air at WWDC22, but that’s not going to happen due to factory shutdowns in China.
Update: Rumors and predictions don’t always turn out to be correct. Turns out Mark Gurman’s prediction was overly pessimistic and Apple actually did unveil the M2 MacBook Pro at WWDC22.
M2 MacBook Pro and Air could have been announced together
Apart from iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9 and macOS 13, Apple is rumored to announce the M2 MacBook Air at the opening keynote of its developer conference on June 6. It looks like the company also planned on unveiling the refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro and Air together, but that’s not happening anymore.
In the newest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman speculates the Cupertino giant “planned to launch” a faster 13-inch MacBook Pro alongside the M2 MacBook Air. This was before China implemented its zero-COVID policy leading to factories of many Apple suppliers shutting down and disrupting its supply chain. This has led to massive delays in the availability of iPhones, Macs, iPads, and other Apple devices and put the launch of many of its upcoming products in jeopardy.
M2 MacBook Pro could skip the Touch Bar
The M1 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro were among the first Macs from Apple to transition to Apple Silicon in November 2020. The company gave them internal a major overhaul but left the external design unchanged. The same trend could reportedly continue with the M2 refresh as well.
Whenever the refreshed 13-inch MacBook Pro does arrive, it won’t look too different from the existing model — the missing Touch Bar should be the only major change. The ProMotion display, additional ports, and SD card slots will seemingly remain exclusive to the MacBook Pro lineup.
As for the new M2 MacBook Air, Gurman predicts it will come with a similar that’s not too different from the MacBook Pro. This could mean Apple carrying over the same dreaded notch on the display panel. Other highlights will include two USB-C ports, MagSafe 3, and four color options.
The M2-powered Mac mini could also make a surprise debut at WWDC22 on June 6 after its listing was spotted on B&H, an official Apple reseller.
