Preview Mac in 2022: this is what we expect from the different models

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2022 will be an important year for the Mac. According to sources, all Macs will switch to Apple Silicon, Apple's own designed chips, by 2022. Apple now sells a mix of Apple Silicon and Intel models, but this year Apple would like to make its last move. The entire 2022 Mac line-up covers many different models and you can read what you can expect from the new versions in this preview.

  • Models
  • Design
  • Performance
  • Display
  • Release
  • Price

Looking ahead to 2022 In this article series, we look forward each week to Apple's new products for this coming year. We summarize weekly what you can expect in terms of the different product categories. From the latest rumors to predictions based on previous versions, this preview lets you know what to expect. This week is all about the Mac.

#1 Mac in 2022: these models are coming

The Mac line-up is very broad, with all kinds of desktops and laptops. In 2022 we will probably get a new version of every model, although one update will be smaller than the other. Here are the new Macs we expect in 2022:

  • Large iMac (Pro)
  • Mac mini 2022
  • Mac Pro 2022
  • MacBook Air 2022
  • Entry level MacBook Pro 2022

In addition, we expect Apple to come up with one or more new external displays for the Mac. These would be cheaper alternatives to Apple's own Pro Display XDR.

#2 Design Macs of 2022

Each model gets its own new design. Because the designs differ so much from each other, we will go through them separately for each model.

Big iMac: the big brother of the 2021 model

The new large iMac, which may be called iMac Pro, will be the big brother of the 24-inch iMac from 2021. In terms of design, the two will also resemble each other. We expect the overall design to be very similar to the 2021 model, but in different colors and (obviously) a larger jacket. We think that Apple opts for less lighter colors and with this model more for dark (for example, space gray, black or dark blue). Whether that also means that the screen edge becomes dark and whether the accompanying mouse and keyboard also get a dark color scheme, remains to be seen.

Mac mini 2022

The Mac mini of 2022 will probably get a slightly modified design. There are rumors that the small flat Mac will have a glass top, with or without Plexiglas, and that it will also be slightly flatter than the current model. The current Mac mini still has the design of the 2018 model, so a new design is certainly expected. We don't know yet which colors Apple will choose.

Mac Pro 2022

Apple is said to be working on several new Mac Pro models: one with an Intel chip and a smaller version with an Apple Silicon chip. So this Apple Silicon variant will probably get a new design. There were previously rumors that it is reminiscent of the Power Mac G4 Cube in design. So it will be possible to have a smaller square box, which, like the current Mac Pro, is modular and can be expanded with new parts.

MacBook Air 2022

The new MacBook Air 2022 will have a design that is inspired by the iMac 2021: a colorful design with many white elements. The MacBook Air is more than sufficient for many users and is a bit more playful than the MacBook Pro. Several renders have already appeared online, based on information from sources. Does Apple really opt for this colorful design and will the MacBook Air get white keys? Looks like it.

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New entry-level MacBook Pro

We can be brief about this model: the new entry-level MacBook Pro, which serves as the successor to the current 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro, will have approximately the same design as the 2021 models of the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Don't expect flashy colors or a white keyboard here: Apple will probably go for silver and space gray for the housing and black for the keyboard.

#3 Performance 2022 Macs: almost everything Apple Silicon

In terms of performance, Apple Silicon will make the difference this year. Here's what we expect from the models in terms of performance.

Large iMac (Pro)

The new larger iMac will probably have the same specifications as the current MacBook Pro 2021. So we expect the same M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, with a minimum of 32GB of RAM (up to a maximum of 64GB). The M1 Pro and M1 Max chips have 8 to 10 CPU cores and 14 to 32 GPU cores. Perhaps Apple can go a step further for the iMac, because this model is less dependent on the power supply and there is more room for cooling than with the MacBook Pro models.

Mac mini 2022

The Mac mini 2022 will probably also get the same M1 Pro and M1 Max chip. This puts it on par with the large iMac and the MacBook Pro 2021. This makes the Mac mini more suitable for advanced photo and video editing and allows you to connect up to three external displays. With the current M1 Mac mini, this is a maximum of two, divided over two different connections.

Mac Pro 2022

The Mac Pro 2022 is likely to be the most powerful Mac in Apple's lineup. There has been talk of a model with 20 and 40 core CPUs, with a GPU with 64 or 128 cores. We wouldn't be surprised if Apple only offers the option of an (extra) powerful M1 Max chip for the Mac Pro. It is not yet clear what kind of chip the possible new Intel version will receive. In that case, Apple will probably opt for the latest generation Intel chip, although we do not yet know in which configuration exactly. What we do know for sure is that these Mac Pro models are going to be real powerhouses, which you also have to pay a lot for.

MacBook Air 2022

According to sources, the MacBook Air 2022 will be the first to receive the new generation Apple Silicon chip, namely an M2 chip. We don't know exactly what the improvements of this chip are compared to the M1, but we think that you can at least connect more external screens and maybe support up to 32GB of RAM. There is also a good chance that Apple will put a better camera in it, namely one with 1080p resolution. This is then the same camera that we already find in the MacBook Pro 2021. We also expect that Apple will add more ports and that MagSafe will also return on this model.

New entry-level MacBook Pro

Like the MacBook Air 2022, the new entry-level MacBook Pro will get an M2 chip. Other upgrades we expect include a 1080p camera, MagSafe charging, and more ports. Think of the HDMI port and the SD card slot that we already know from the 2021 models of the MacBook Pro 2021. The difference with the 2021 models is therefore mainly in the better specs of the M1 Pro and M1 Max. chip and the better hardware specs, such as the display.

#4 Display of the new Macs of 2022

Of all the Macs that see the light of day in 2022, three models have a built-in screen: the large iMac, the MacBook Air 2022 and the new entry-level MacBook Pro.

Large iMac (Pro)

According to information from various sources, the large iMac (Pro) will have a 27-inch display. This is the same size as the current Intel iMac and is therefore three inches larger than the iMac 2021. We suspect that Apple opts for a mini-LED display and also offers support for ProMotion. This supports image refresh up to 120Hz. There have been rumors before that Apple opts for a larger screen of, for example, 30 or 32 inches, but all sources now point to 27 inches. By the way: we think that the option for glass with nano-texture, or frosted glass, will be retained.

MacBook Air 2022

The MacBook Air 2022 will likely keep the 13-inch size, making it the smallest MacBook in the line. Whether Apple also opts for a mini-LED display with this model is still the big question. We wouldn't be surprised if Apple sticks to a regular LED display with Retina resolution, even without ProMotion. This allows Apple to distinguish between this MacBook Air and the various MacBook Pro models.

New entry-level MacBook Pro

For the new entry-level MacBook Pro, we think Apple will opt for a 14-inch display. So that means a small jump from 13- to 14-inches. In that case, expect the notch as you know from the 14-inch MacBook Pro 2021. The addition of mini-LED brings deeper blacks and higher resolution, along with much nicer colors. 120Hz ProMotion refresh is also to be expected, although this is far from certain.

#5 Release New 2022 Macs

The big question is, of course, when is Apple going to release all these release new Macs? Apple will release all models throughout the year: we expect two models in the spring and the rest in the summer or autumn.

  • Bigger iMac (Pro): Spring 2022
  • Mac mini 2022: Spring 2022
  • Mac Pro 2022: Summer 2022 (Intel), Fall 2022 (Apple Silicon)
  • MacBook Air 2022: Fall 2022
  • Entertainment MacBook Pro 2022: Fall 2022

#6 Price of new 2022 Macs

The prices of the 2022 Macs vary widely: from over a thousand euros to more than €6,500. We think that the price of almost all models will be slightly higher than the current versions. The only exception to this may be the MacBook Air.

We expect this from the prices of the 2022 Macs:

  • Larger iMac Pro: from €2,199,-
  • Mac mini 2022: from €1,259,-
  • Mac Pro 2022: from €6,499,-
  • MacBook Air 2022: from €1,129,-< /li>
  • Entry MacBook Pro 2022: from €1,599,-

Also read our previous parts in this article series:

  • Apple Watch in 2022: Preview
  • iPads in 2022: Preview