iMac and MacBook Pro supplies run short, hinting at new launches
Apple has had a rough year with Mac sales, despite launching 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, a new Mac Mini, and a 15-inch MacBook Air M2. Something else that has puzzled users for a while, the lack of a new iMac for nearly 3 years.
That could be changing soon. Apple had launched the M1 iMac in April 2021, which is over 900 days ago. Mark Gurman notes, in his Power On newsletter, that delaying the iMac for so long was never the company's plan. Apple had been planning to release a larger iMac Pro after launching the 24-inch iMac. Basically, it had aimed to follow the 2021 model with an M2 iMac Pro, and a newer 24-inch iMac.
So, what happened? Why was the iMac Pro never launched? Apple is said to have recently discussed the production costs for the iMac Pro, and made some changes. It had to factor in other larger Mac models such as the Mac Studio and Studio Display. The company is preparing to announce a new iMac, at the end of this month.
Apple could launch new Macs next week
Gurman points out that that retail stores are running short in supplies of the iMac. Even the 13-inch MacBook Pro and a high-end version are not in stock. Buyers who have tried ordering the devices directly from Apple, are facing long delays in shipping, with delivery dates scheduled for mid-November. Could these be hints that Apple might announce new models of the Macs?
There is another reason why Gurman believes new Macs are right around the corner. Apple will be holding its earnings call for the previous quarter, on November 2nd. This has happened before, the Cupertino company announced its earnings in November instead of October, just after it had released a new iPad and Mac on October 30, 2018. So a new MacBook and iMac announcement on October 30th or 31st of 2023, could well be on the cards.
Earlier this year, Gurman had reported that Apple was testing some new models of the 24-inch iMac. These are expected to be the new versions that the company will reveal next week. To recap, the iMacs could come in 4 colorways: blue, silver, pink and orange, i.e. similar to the 2021 model. Apple is expected to launch a larger iMac in late 2024 or 2025. The upcoming iMac Pro is said to be the company's largest ever iMac, thanks to its mammoth 32-inch display. As for the new MacBooks that could be announced, these are believed to be new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. The most interesting part of this leak is that the iMac and MacBooks could be powered by an M3 Apple Silicon SoC.
Many users were anticipating the company to announce a new iPad last week. However, they were left with disappointment, as the tech giant launched a new Apple Pencil with a USB-C port instead. Gurman says that the company is working on next-gen iPad models, and that the devices will be announced in March 2024. Prior leaks have suggested that the upcoming tablets will have OLED displays, but a recent rumor claims that Apple has opted to stick with an LCD panels for its iPads.
In case you missed it, Apple is said to be working on bringing generative AI to its devices next year.
Nice article, happy to read you again @Ashwin! :]
Apple shot itself in the foot making the M1 almost too good. All of its iterations are still good today and the M2 did not add that much in terms of performance. Will the M3 actually make any leaps in performance, or will anyone even need that extra performance? All these rumors sound more like the rumor mills are hungry to get a prediction right. With Mac sales down double digits, Apple could just wait for any new products that might just end up looking like disappointing re-fresh’s.