Mac rumors

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on Mac rumors:

MacBook Air gets speedy M3 chip in spring 2024

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M2 MacBook Air comes i 13-inch and 15-inch versions
Both the MacBook Air in 13-inch and 15-inch versions are expected to get the Apple M3 chip soon.
Photo: Apple

The Apple M3 processor will make its way to the MacBook Air line in March 2024, according to a trusted source of insider info. Both the 13-inch and 15-inch versions of the laptop will receive the chip upgrade.

The M3 made its debut in refreshed MacBook Pro and iMac models in October.

Trick or treat: New Macs might launch on Halloween

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Apple fall Mac event 2023
A new iMac and MacBook Pro models might appear this Halloween.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Update: This report has now been confirmed. On Tuesday, Apple invited the world to watch a product event on October 30. The theme is “scary fast.”


Fresh MacBooks and an iMac might be the highlights of an Apple event the last week of October, according to a high-profile tipster.

Exactly what’s on the agenda isn’t yet clear, but there are a number of strong possibilities, including some potential surprises.

Mac Pro and M2 Mac mini pegged for launch at huge Apple event in March

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A closeup shot of the current Mac Pro:
A Mac Pro with Apple silicon could at last arrive for professionals at a March event.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

The long-awaited Mac Pro desktop will finally debut at a big March event, according to a tipster. As will a Mac mini powered by Apple’s M2 chip.

Plus, Apple is apparently getting ready to knock people’s socks off, as three MacBooks are also supposedly on the agenda for the event — including a 15-inch MacBook Air.

Don’t give up on the iMac Pro just yet

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Don't give up on the iMac Pro just yet
A 27-inch iMac Pro is allegedly still a possibility.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Although Apple killed off the iMac Pro line, it’s coming back better than ever, according to a reliable source. That means a high-end macOS all-in-one is supposedly on Apple’s product roadmap.

The company is also reportedly working on a Mac Pro desktop, also powered by Apple silicon.

15.5-inch MacBook Air pegged for spring 2023 launch

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15-inch MacBook Air may get a new name
The MacBook Air line will supposedly expand to over 15 inches in 2023.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

A 15.5-inch MacBook Air is on Apple’s agenda for the first half of 2023, according to a reliable source.

This would be the first time the traditionally thin and light line of notebooks has expanded past the current 13.3-inch screen.

15-inch MacBook with M2 Pro might launch in spring 2023

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13-inch MacBook Air with M2
The 13-inch MacBook Air with M2 might be joined by a larger version.
Photo: Apple

A 15-inch MacBook will debut in less than a year that offers either an M2 or an M2 Pro processor, according to a reliable Apple analyst. That could make it one of the first with the upgraded version of the M2.

Note that the notebook might not be branded as a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air. It could be a “MacBook.”

Don’t get too excited about that 12-inch MacBook rumor

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12-inch-MacBook
A 12-inch MacBook would be a blast from the past. If real, of course.
Photo: Apple

Although one reliable Apple tipster recently said a 12-inch M2 MacBook is on the drawing board, another is skeptical that any such device is in development.

If released, the small notebook would be a change of strategy for Apple.

Mac mini with Apple M2 processor appears on retailer website

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Apple M1 Mac mini
A Mac mini with a faster M2 chip could be right around the corner.
Photo: Apple

An unannounced Mac mini is now listed on the B&H website, though without full product details. The desktop’s most eye-catching feature is an Apple M2 processor, which also has not yet been announced.

In addition, the retailer lists a “Mac mini Tower” running an M1 Pro. Both products are labeled as “New Item – Coming Soon.”

15-inch MacBook Air could be in development, at long last

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15-inch MacBook Air could be in development, at long last
The MacBook Air line could expand with a model that sports a 15-inch display.
Image: Cult of Mac

A 15-inch MacBook Air is on Apple’s agenda for 2023, according to a reliable source. And the current 13-inch version could be replaced by a one with somewhat larger screen.

In addition, the same source says the display in the budget iPad is in for a size increase, too.

27-inch iMac could be stuck in limbo

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The 2020 iMac could like a bit like this.
The 27-inch iMac Pro is/is not about to launch.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The 27-inch iMac is gone from Apple’s lineup. And it’s not clear when it’s coming back. Or if it will return at all.

One new leak claims that Apple has dropped plans to make a larger iMac. Another says development goes on, but the all-in-one desktop won‘t be out for a long time.

Here are the Macs we didn’t get at Apple’s spring event, but still might

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Here are the Macs we didn’t get at Apple’s spring event
The MacBooks, iMacs and Mac mini that were rumored for the “Peek Performance” event didn’t appear.
Photo: Apple

When CEO Tim Cook left the stage at the end of Apple’s “Peek Performance” event, he took the hopes of many MacBook and iMac users with him. Because there was just one Mac introduced Tuesday, the Mac Studio.

But some of the computers not announced are still expected to launch. Just not now.  Here are the Macs we didn’t get, and which ones to look for from Apple in the coming months.

Mac Studio desktop might appear at Tuesday’s Apple event [Updated]

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Mac Studio desktop might appear at Tuesday’s Apple event
This render supposedly shows the Mac Studio that’s possibly set to debut at the Apple spring event.
Render: Luke Miani/Ian Zelbo

Although the first leak of the Mac Studio came only a few days ago, it’s already been followed by an unconfirmed report that the mid-range desktop will debut at the March 8 Apple event. A second tipster later said the same.

Renders showing the Mac from several angles have also leaked. And details of a new Apple external display, too.

Apple preps midrange ‘Mac Studio’ desktop to bridge gap between mini and Pro

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Amazing Mac Pro concept shrinks the casing but keeps the cheese grater
A concept for a Mac Pro mini might be what the rumored Mac Studio looks like.
Concept: Róbert Hallon.svetapple.sk

Apple is reportedly working on a new class of desktop computers. The Mac Studio supposedly will slot in between the Mac mini and Mac Pro.

In addition, an Apple Studio Display is also allegedly in development. It’s an upgrade to the Pro Display XDR.

iMac Pro with mini-LED display might launch in early summer

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M1 iMac
The 27-inch iMac Pro is expected to look much like the 24-inch iMac, but larger. (Of course.)
Photo: Apple

The iMac Pro might start reaching customers in early summer, according to a very reliable tipster. While some are hoping for a debut as soon as March, that’s apparently overly optimistic.

And the leaker says reiterates that the all-in-one desktop will have a mini-LED display.

What to expect from iMac in 2022

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What to expect from iMac in 2022
The return of the iMac Pro could be right around the corner.
Graphic: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

2022 could be the year Apple takes iMac to the next level. Various leaks point to an iMac Pro with a blazing-fast processor and a beautiful screen.

But it’s not supposed to be any larger than the biggest current iMac, though the overall design is expected to change.

Drool-worthy M2 MacBook Air concept shows off super-slim design

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Drool-worthy M2 MacBook Air concept shows off super slim design
The 2022 MacBook Air could be the crazy slim macOS notebook many people have been hoping for.
Photo: Front Page Tech /Renders by Ian

A new series of renders based on rumors about the 2022 MacBook Air show just how slim it might be. And how it might borrow many of the features of the recently announced MacBook Pro.

The upcoming model reportedly will include an M2 processor, a MagSafe connector and a mini-LED display with a screen notch. But not the wedge design of previous MacBook Airs.

Don’t expect mini-LED MacBook Air before fall 2022

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2020 MacBook Air
The 2020 MacBook Air is expected to be replaced with a considerable upgrade. But it’ll be a while.
Photo: Apple

A MacBook Air with 13.3-inch mini-LED display is reportedly a bit farther away that previously thought. An analyst predicts it will go into production in time for a fall 2022 release, not a summer one.

But they’ll be new macOS laptops long before then. Apple is widely expected to launch a pair of redesigned MacBook Pro models with mini-LED and an updated M-series processor possibly as soon as October 2021.

Mini-LED MacBook Pros should launch before end of September

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Antonio takes rumors and makes them into renders. Not pie-in-sky dreams
The next 16-inch MacBook Pro could finally make the jump from rumor to reality in September.
Concept: Antonio De Rosa

The long wait for redesigned 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pro models is probably nearing its end. A reliable source for Apple info says these Macs will arrive in September at the latest, and will come with mini-LED screens.

These will be followed in mid-2022 by a MacBook Air that also will boast a mini-LED display.

Why an Apple ‘M1X’ MacBook processor would be a billion dollar mistake

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Why an ‘M1X’ processor would be a billion dollar mistake
Releasing MacBooks running an M1X processor this autumn would cost Apple so much money.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Rumors point to Apple releasing redesigned MacBooks later this year running an improved version of the M1 processor dubbed the M1X. I don’t believe it.

I completely agree that new MacBooks are on the way. But I don’t see these running an M1X processor. This chip will be called the M2.

macOS Big Sur does not pave the way for a touchscreen Mac

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macOS Big Sur offers a lot, but not a touchscreen Mac.
macOS Big Sur isn’t the first step toward a touchscreen Mac.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s head of software development threw cold water on speculation that macOS Big Sur was designed with a touchscreen Mac in mind.

Instead, Craig Federighi says the latest Mac operating system is more similar to iOS and iPadOS so it’s easier for users to switch between an Apple laptop, phone or tablet. Designers weren’t thinking about a touch-based Mac.

Here’s another clue that Apple’s ‘One More Thing’ is new Macs

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Steve Jobs’ estate triumphs in battle over SteveJobs.com
Steve Jobs announced a dramatically changed MacBook as a “one more thing” before. And Apple might do so again.
Photo: Kazuhiro Shiozawa/Flickr CC

By calling its November product-launch event “One More Thing,” Apple seems to be dropping a hint that history is about to repeat itself.

Way back at Macworld 2006, then-CEO Steve Jobs introduced a MacBook that set a new course for Apple. This came as a “one more thing” addition at the end of his keynote. Something like that might be about to happen again.

New Apple Music app might steal the show with macOS 10.15

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Podcasts and Apple TV are among the applications expected to make the jump from iOS to macOS 10.15.
With original content being developed for television, Apple is reportedly looking to create podcasts.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple’s ongoing project to make it relatively simple for developers to port iPad software to macOS is apparently on schedule. This will reportedly be a highlight of next month’s developers conference.

In addition, Apple executives will unveil several of their own iOS apps ported to macOS 10.15, as well as a Mac version of the Music app.