It’s been a pretty good 2022 for new Apple products, but according to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, it might end on sort of a whimper. Instead of having a fall event filled with new Macs and iPads, Apple may simply announce the products without much hoopla other than press releases.
Don’t get me wrong, the products that Apple might release this fall–M2 Pro and Max updates to the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, M2 and M2 Pro updates to the Mac mini, and M2 updates to the iPad Pro–are very interesting in their own rights. But the lack of an event, as well as the omission of a Mac Pro, isn’t the grand culmination of 2022 that we were hoping for.
But there’s always next year, and Gurman says that 2023 could be a huge one for Apple. We know, we’ve heard this before, but 2023 could be one of those years like 1984, 1998, and 2007 that both memorable and legendary. Here are all of the brand new Apple products we could see in 2023.
Mixed reality headset
The long-rumored augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR, or what is often referred to as “mixed reality”) headset could finally become a reality next year. The latest rumors says it could be called Apple Reality, and rumors on how it will be built and work have changed drastically over the years. (Has it been years, really?) The most recent rumors say it’ll have 8K displays, over a dozen cameras, and an M2 processor.
But whatever it’s called and however it works, it will be the product that makes 2023 a landmark year for Apple. This isn’t a simple hardware accessory, it’s a new platform. Sure, other companies had done headsets before–some of those companies are banking the future on it–but Apple’s is known for taking early innovations and doing a better job of executing them.
Best guess at a reveal date: WWDC in June 2023.
Mac Pro
A new Apple silicon-based Mac Pro was expected this year, the end of a two-year chip rollout. But after a big hint during the Mac Studio reveal back in March, it’s looking like Apple is going to push its release to 2023. Maybe it’s the ol’ “supply chain problems,” maybe Apple decided to take the time to reassess the Mac Pro lineup and do it right, maybe it just wants to give it a huge spotlight. Whatever the reasons, the release of the Apple Watch Ultra is a good reminder that top-of-the-line, extreme products are important to demonstrate the advances Apple is capable of.
More than any other product launching in 2023, we know very little about the new Mac Pro, but all eyes will be on Apple’s new workstation. Will it have an UltraFused M3 Ultra? Will it support PCIe cards? Will it be a tower or a sphere? Whatever the new Mac Pro is, it’ll be the latest Mac ever made for years to come.
Best guess at a reveal date: WWDC in June 2023.
15-inch MacBook Air
Rumors of a larger MacBook Air started running through the mill last year, with a possible release before the end of 2022. That seems less likely now that Mark Gurman has reported that Apple pushed it release to 2023. While it will be interesting how this laptop shapes up, it’ll also be important to see what this means for the rest of Apple’s laptop lineup. Will it finally spell the end of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, will that model be discontinued?
Best guess at a reveal date: Spring 2023.
HomePod with display
2023 will have the birth of a new product and updates to major Apple product lines, so how about a product resurrection? Apple could bring back the HomePod, but rumors about it have been scarce. It’ll likely be a full speaker like the original HomePod and it could be a dramatic redesign with a display.
Rumors have also floated around about a HomePod device that’s like the Amazon Echo Show, a speaker and iPad combo unit that can be used as a smartphone controller, FaceTime station, digital access kiosk, and more. Gurman has previously reported that this device won’t be revealed until 2024, but it sure sounds like a perfect product for the 2023 holiday season.
Best guess at a reveal date: Fingers crossed for a late 2023 One More Thing.
14-inch iPad Pro
Apple hasn’t released a new size of iPad Pro since the 12.9-inch iPad Pro arrived in 2015. Until 2023, that is, which is when Mark Gurman reports that Apple will release a 14-inch iPad Pro, keeping with its recent “bigger is better” product philosophy. This new size will be a better fit for users who are “accustomed to a 16-inch MacBook Pro,” according to rumors, and we’re hoping Apple has some surprises in store for the bigger screen.
Best guess at a reveal date: spring 2023.
‘Ted Lasso’ Season 3
Let’s get real. Headset? Mac Pro? Pffft! This is what 2023 is really all about. This is likely the final season of the show, and it was originally scheduled for 2022, but production delays and drama have caused the show to be pushed back to 2023. Its release will be a great way to balance out Apple’s year.
Best guess at a reveal date: Spring 2023.
