It's no secret that we're big fans of the 2021 MacBook Pro – notch and all. Without doubt Apple's best laptop for creative pros, it's one of the fastest and most powerful options out there. And the entry-level MacBook Pro could soon come close to matching its bigger sibling.
Rumour has it that M2, the next generation of Apple silicon, could arrive as soon as this year – and the first machine to rock the chip could be yet another new MacBook Pro, designed to replace the current 13-inch model. (Don't fancy waiting? Check out the best MacBook Pro deals available now.)
We're already big fans of the 2021 MacBook Pro (Image credit: Apple)
According to seasoned Apple leaker DylanDKT (below), the 2022 MacBook Pro 14-inch will arrive alongside the much-rumoured 2022 MacBook Air. They claim both will drop in the second half of this year, and the MacBook Pro will see a slight price increase.
Rather than a direct successor to the new 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro, the M2 MacBook Pro is said to be an upgrade for the 13-inch model. This means the entry-level Pro could be given the same design treatment as the 2021 model (prepare yourselves, notch-haters) – but it isn't clear at this stage whether it'll feature the same LED retina display, or whether this will be reserved for the M1 Pro and M1 Max models released in November.
The currently available M1 MacBook Pro 13 will be replaced with a MacBook Pro 14 with an M2 chip in the 2H of 2022. It will receive a slight price increase over the previous generation. Alongside this release time frame, we will receive the redesigned M2 MacBook (Air).January 17, 2022
If you're thinking this all sounds a little confusing, you're not alone. For one thing, you'd expect M2 to be more powerful than M1 Pro, right? As DigitalTrends suggests, this might not actually be the case – the M2 is rumoured to represent the new 'entry level' chip, and is expected to also hit the new MacBook Air. If this is the case, you can expect the M2 MacBook Pro to be cheaper than the M1 Pro and Max models.
A colourful new MacBook Air is also rumoured for this year (Image credit: Jon Prosser)
But even if it can't quite match the 2021 MacBook Pro in terms of raw power, creatives will no doubt be pleased to hear that a larger display is coming to the entry-level MacBook Pro. And the M1 chip is already no slouch – indeed, we were blown away when it dropped in 2020. If M2 does indeed build on that performance, it's going to be mighty impressive.
Time will tell what Apple has in store for both the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, but one thing's for sure – Apple silicon is going from strength to strength. Want to experience its incredible performance right here and now? Check out the best MacBook deals below, and be sure to visit our main Apple deals page.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
