Tim Cook sheds doubt on new M2 MacBook Pros in 2022 - AppleInsider

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Based connected comments from Apple CEO Tim Cook during the quarterly net report, the likelihood of a November merchandise for a caller 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro person dropped.

The autumn is Apple's main merchandise motorboat period, with the yearly iPhone refresh being the centerpiece of events. Flanking them are Apple's different ecosystem changes, covering merchandise areas including the iPad, the Apple Watch, and the Mac, which tin sometimes get their ain events.

Apple's M2 processor debuted successful 2022, with caller MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro models. And, earlier that, the incredibly almighty Mac Studio recovered its mode to store shelves.

The evident adjacent prime for the M2 is successful the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro. That update has been rumored for immoderate time. November has been the astir apt timeframe.

A operation of a autumn merchandise rhythm with atypical timing, and comments made by Tim Cook directly, person called a November lawsuit into question.

So now, we whitethorn not adjacent spot thing caller until 2023.

Maestri's "challenging compare" and Cook's "set" lineup

A mates of things were mentioned successful a telephone to analysts pursuing Apple's quarterly results release. As is emblematic for a results call, Apple doesn't connection opinions oregon details of yet-to-launch products.

However, you tin inactive propulsion retired details based connected what is said.

During the call, which saw Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri sermon mostly favorable revenues and currency challenges, the brace besides broke down details based connected each unit.

For the Mac, Maestri spoke astir the "great quarter" for the Mac unit, achieving an "all-time gross grounds of $11.5 billion, up 25% year-over-year contempt important FX headwinds." Maestri points retired 3 things that helped the quarter, including the motorboat of the M2 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Second was Apple's quality to "satisfy pent-up request that carried guardant from the important proviso constraints we faced during the July quarter," explained the CFO. Lastly, arsenic the proviso presumption improved, the transmission was capable to beryllium filled completely.

Maestri besides referenced however Apple has attracted upgraders and caller customers, expanding the instal basal to an all-time high. "In fact, we acceptable a quarterly grounds for upgraders portion astir fractional of customers buying Macs during the 4th were caller to the device."

Apple CEO Tim Cook during a autumn peculiar event.

While bully for the 4th gone by, Maestri offered immoderate guidance for the fiscal Q1 2023 4th — the important vacation quarter. Maestri expects the 4th volition spot a deceleration of show maturation for the institution arsenic a whole.

A batch of this is simply a 10% antagonistic interaction connected year-on-year maturation caused by currency exchanges, but helium besides highlights the Mac.

"Second, connected Mac, successful summation to expanding FX headwinds, we person a precise challenging comparison against past year, which had the payment of the motorboat and associated transmission consciousness of our recently redesigned MacBook Pro with M1," the fiscal main offered. "Therefore, we expect Mac gross to diminution substantially year-over-year during the December quarter."

The different funny remark is from Cook himself. In a conception astir retail, Cook acknowledgment Apple employees crossed the company, and adds colour astir what's being sold successful the quarter.

In opening statements, Cook addressed the analysts directly.

"As we attack the vacation season, with our merchandise lineup set, I'd similar to stock my gratitude to our retail AppleCare and transmission teams for the enactment they are doing to enactment customers."

Right successful the mediate of that condemnation is the key. Apple is entering the engaged buying play "with our merchandise lineup set."

Interpreting the leaves

Maestri's comments overgarment the fiscal Q1 2023 4th arsenic being pugnacious for Mac revenue. The reasons offered for his forecast are rooted successful known past events and successful bully educated guesses.

In discussing why, helium referred to the precocious Mac gross of Q1 2022, brought connected by the M1 MacBook Pro launches. This could beryllium a telling constituent depending connected however you presumption grounds by omission.

Maestri and Cook don't speech astir aboriginal merchandise launches, arsenic it is usually near to Apple's PR squad to pass of upcoming events. This hasn't stopped them from saying different lawsuit is connected the mode oregon that caller Macs are inbound.

The M2 MacBook Air launched during the summer, but 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro updates to M2 chips look improbable earlier 2022's end.

After all, if determination were to beryllium a motorboat successful Q1 2023, for the Q1 2022 to inactive beryllium amended and beryllium worthy capable to notation M1 launches, the Q1 2023 Macs would person to beryllium anticipated arsenic low-sellers successful comparison.

No company's enactment successful its close caput would archer investors that the motorboat of products successful the adjacent 4th volition beryllium underwhelming. The astir apt crushed is that determination won't beryllium an lawsuit oregon merchandise of immoderate sort.

And, Cook's wide "product lineup set" remark practically kills disconnected immoderate different speculation of an event.

If Apple were to person much products to launch, specified arsenic caller Macs, Cook wouldn't knowingly accidental a lineup has been "set," arsenic that says there's thing much to come.

This precocious successful the twelvemonth and with different commentary successful play, it seems similar the merchandise catalog has been wholly finalized.

Another motorboat is doubtful

After months of rumors astir M2 changes, including adding M2 to the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro and an expected overhaul of the Mac mini, the fiscal commentary makes it look precise improbable that determination volition beryllium different motorboat successful 2022 for Macs.

Sadly, we can't adjacent agelong things by questioning if a alteration successful spot constitutes a caller exemplary for a Mac. Previous refreshes of the Mac enactment that were elemental specification bumps were fixed astatine slightest a property merchandise announcement and person been counted arsenic afloat exemplary upgrades successful the past.

As a much caller example, instrumentality the 2022 iPad Pro refresh, which mostly consisted of Apple sticking an M2 wrong alternatively of the M1, and adding the Apple Pencil hover feature, portion keeping practically everything other static astir the models. This comparatively elemental brace of changes was important capable for Apple to execute a property merchandise launch, and it would beryllium tenable to expect the aforesaid for a Mac oregon MacBook Pro update successful a akin vein.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro benefited from a afloat merchandise launch.

Further grounds of a precocious 2022 refresh being improbable is successful the cadence of different Apple Silicon hardware updates. It took Apple a twelvemonth and a fractional to spell from the M1 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro to the M2 versions of each.

By contrast, the M1 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch counterpart were launched successful October 2021, making them conscionable a twelvemonth old.

Being lone a twelvemonth aged isn't a obstruction for Apple's hardware updates, arsenic successful the Touch Bar epoch of Intel MacBook models, the clip betwixt updates repeatedly went down to astir a year. So it would mostly beryllium imaginable if components were available.

And components are besides a problem, specifically the M2 chips. Apple waited 11 months betwixt introducing the M1 and the faster M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.

With M2 landing successful June 2022, it seems highly aboriginal successful the spot rhythm to bring retired the Pro and Max versions that would spell into updated MacBook Pro models.

All of this firmly puts guardant the thought of Apple genuinely taking a remainder from merchandise launches for 2022. This pushes caller Macs into aboriginal 2023.

Apple can't prevarication successful net reports, lest they autumn afoul of the Securities and Exchange Commission, oregon an assortment of different regulatory bodies internationally. There's capable wiggle-room successful Cook's statement, that if you squint and look astatine it conscionable so, Apple rolling retired a caller MacBook Pro oregon Mac mini successful the aforesaid signifier origin earlier the extremity of the twelvemonth could beryllium construed arsenic an enhancement oregon different akin ineligible dodge to debar SEC ire.

But, it would beryllium caller phrasing for Apple. And, Cook and Maestri person been astatine this agelong capable to marque definite that they don't accidental thing that requires a regulatory creation to enactment astir after-the fact.

A amended mode to debar that ire is to not person said thing astatine each astir the merchandise lineup during the heavy scripted net announcement, going into the vacation season.

But they did. And it wasn't due to the fact that they were caught off-guard.