It seems like we’ve been waiting forever for the new Mac Pro. First, we thought it was coming at WWDC 2022, then in October, then at a March event, then with the arrival of macOS 13.3. Now a new report from Mark Gurman claims the latest macOS beta is testing support for new Macs, which likely includes the Mac Pro.
We understand if you’re skeptical, especially after the latest report that Apple actually halted production of its M2 chips in January due to seriously low Mac sales. According to the Elec, Apple restarted production in March, but at half the level of last year’s M1 chips.
But there’s reason to believe that this rumor is the one that will come true. Even though there are still nine months left in 2023, Apple is beginning to run out of time to release the Mac Pro, and it’s hard to imagine it getting pushed to 2024. Here’s what Apple has booked for 2023 so far:
- June: AR headset
- September: iPhone 15, Apple Watch
- October: M3 chip
I doubt Apple would launch such a major product in late May since it’s so close to WWDC. If the headset does indeed arrive at WWDC 2023, it’s doubtful that it shares the stage with the Mac Pro. Apple very rarely releases new products during the summer, and September is for the iPhone and Apple Watch. And the latest rumors say Apple will use the second fall event to showcase the new M3 chip.
So there’s a window of about five weeks between now and mid-May where we could see the Mac Pro. If not, there aren’t many opportunities throughout the rest of the year when it makes sense unless Apple pulls off a weird July launch or doubles up at WWDC and risks overshadowing its next big thing.
Like the last four rumors, we’ll have to wait and see, but something tells me this one’s the right one. As far as what the new Mac Pro will bring, the latest rumors say it will look the same as the current model but lack its signature expandability for RAM and graphics cards. It will likely have an M2 Ultra processor with 24 CPU cores, 76 graphics cores, and up to 192GB of RAM.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.