They've been a long time coming, but today might finally be the day that we see new 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro M2 chip models hit the Apple Store.
As reported by MacRumors, an unreleased MacBook Pro model popped up in the Eurasian database yesterday. According to the report, the new model (number A2779), showed up in the database on Saturday, January 11, 2022.
New Apple products have been known to be released shortly after showing up in the database, so the fact that a new one showed up yesterday could indicate that an announcement of new models from Apple is imminent. The current MacBook Pro models have been out since 2021, after all, so an announcement has been on the cards for a while now.
Wi-Fi boost and...?
The information in the listing says that the new model will feature Wi-Fi 6E, which “extends Wi-Fi to the 6GHz band for more bandwidth, faster speeds, and lower latency.” The current generation of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models only supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands.
While that might indicate that announcement is near, multiple sources like leaker Jon Prosser and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman have jumped in, saying that the launch of the new MacBook Pro models is imminent and could be revealed as soon as today.
The new MacBook Pros are imminent (Apple does have an announcement tomorrow - with press briefings later this week and embargoes lifting next Monday). The new Macs arriving early this year first reported here in October https://t.co/P34OdoMRgZ https://t.co/9JlQ0ueBO1January 16, 2023
Gurman specifically says that the new MacBook Pro, rather than having any kind of event, will be revealed with a simple press release. According to the reporter, Apple is preparing for press briefings later this week with embargoes set to expire early next week.
Outside of the upgrade to the Wi-Fi chip, we aren’t expecting much with the new MacBook Pro models this year outside of the obvious upgrade to the latest generation of processors like the M2 Pro and M2 Ultra, though they should still be the best MacBooks Apple has put out to date, especially for power users doing photo and video editing. More exciting things, like a switch to OLED or microLED panel and a touchscreen display, aren’t expected with this generation.
The stage is set and the leakers have staked their reputation once again. Let’s see if it pans out.
