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Apple Event In October - What To Expect

Mike Thornton

Although yet to be announced, it is expected that Apple will hold one more event in 2022, which will focus on announcing the next batch of new Macs with M2 chips. We explore what to expect from Apple in October 2022…

Mac Pro With M2 Ultra And M2 Extreme Chips

At the Mac Studio launch event back in March 2022, Apple made it clear that the Studio was not a Mac Pro replacement. Apple senior vice president of Hardware Engineering John Ternus went as far as confirming that a Mac Pro is coming "another day" to clear up any confusion about the future of the Mac Pro product line.

Interestingly, Mark Gurman revealed a tidbit about the Mac Pro development in his interview on YouTube with Vadim Yuriev, saying…

“They also had an M1 Mac Pro ready to go months ago. But they scrapped that to wait for the M2 version.”

Apple has been testing a Mac Pro, codenamed J180. This machine is expected to include a successor to the M1 Ultra chip used in the Mac Studio computer.

The Apple Silicon-powered Mac Pro is also expected to offer the option of the M2 Extreme, which is expected to be two M1 Ultra chips combined, just like the M1 Ultra is two M1 Max chips put together. With the M2 Extreme, this would offer a beast of a machine with the following spec…

  • 40-core CPU (32 performance cores and 8 efficiency cores)

  • Up to 128-core GPU

  • Up to 64-core Neural Engine

  • Up to 256GB of RAM

  • 1,600GBps memory bandwidth

When it comes to design, it is being suggested that the new Mac Pro will only see a few design changes, with the main change being getting rid of the current Intel Xeon chips as part of its plan to make the entire range of Mac computers powered by Apple silicon.

As to when to expect the new Apple silicon-powered Mac Pro, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted that a new Mac Pro would ship in 2023.

However, Mark Gurman has a slightly different take on this. In his interview with YouTuber Vadim Yuriev, Mark said that he thinks the Apple silicon-powered Mac Pro will ultimately be announced at the end of the year and then released in 2023.

MacBook Pro 14 And 16-inch With M2 Pro And M2 Max Chips

Apple has been testing a 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips codenamed J414 with the M2 Max chip is expected to have 12 CPU cores and 38 graphics cores, up from 10 CPU cores and 32 graphics cores in the current model, with up to 64 GB of unified memory. Similarly, they have been testing a 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips codenamed J416, with the M2 Max expected to have the same specifications as the 14-inch MacBook Pro version.

There has been some speculation as to whether the 14” and 16” MacBook Pro laptops would get a redesign. However, it is now considered that these MacBook Pro computers will get a simple upgrade.

At one stage, it was expected that the upcoming M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro computers would get OLED displays, but delays in development and supply chains have pushed the new displays back to 2024, leaving these machines as getting a simple processor upgrade.

Although we expect these machines to have a choice of M2 Pro or M2 Max chips, initially, it was expected that these machines would be the first to have Apple Silicon chips manufactured using 3nm technology instead of the existing 5nm technology.

In a paywalled preview of a report in DigiTimes, a daily newspaper for semiconductor, electronics, computer and communications industries in Taiwan and the Greater China region, they said…

“Backend firms are upbeat about demand for the upcoming MacBook chips, which will be built using TSMC's 3nm process technology, with production set to kick off later this year, according to industry sources”.

However, according to DigiTimes, it is not expected that TSMC will generate substantial revenue from 3nm chip production overall until at least the first quarter of 2023.

This is further reinforced by a report in a recent edition of Taiwan's Commercial Times, which said TSMC would begin production of 3nm chips for Apple by the end of 2022. That report claimed that Apple's first 3nm chip may be the M2 Pro chip for Macs.

All of this is being suggested will be too late for the M2 Pro and M2 Max powered MacBook Pro machines. Analyst Ming-chi Kuo, from TF International Securities, a financial services group in the Asia-Pacific region, gathers intelligence from his contacts in Apple's Asian supply chain, translating the information he gleans into research notes that often provide a solid look at Apple's future plans, and while he is not always correct, he is one of the most reliable sources for Apple rumours. Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted…

“New 14" and 16" MacBook Pro with new processors will enter mass production in 4Q22. Given TSMC's guidance that the 3nm will contribute revenue starting in 1H23, processors of 14" and 16" MacBook Pro models may still adopt the 5nm advanced node”

The announcement of new MacBook Pro laptops is strengthened by the fact that by a report published by DigiTimes, that suppliers within Apple's Mac supply chain are preparing for shipments of upcoming MacBook Pros by slowing down production on existing Macs.

Why Does This Matter?

Simply put, chips manufactured using a 3nm process versus those produced using a 5nm process will use less power and run faster. For example, Samsung say…

“Compared to the 5nm process, the first-generation 3nm process can reduce power consumption by up to 45%, improve performance by 23% and reduce the area by 16% compared to 5nm.”

Mac Mini with M2 And M2 Pro Chips

Interestingly, the high-end Mac mini model is still the Space Gray model with an Intel processor from 2018, currently making it and the Mac Pro range the only Apple Mac computers still powered by Intel chips.

Although Apple chose not to announce an M2 Mac mini at the same time as the M2 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro this year, we expect Apple to announce new M2-powered Mac minis at the October Event.

Apple has been testing a Mac mini with an M2 chip codenamed J473, with the same specifications as the M2 MacBook Air, aimed at replacing the M1 Mac mini.

However, it is now expected to be a simple upgrade of the current M1 Mac mini rather than the redesign that has been suggested in the past by sources such as Jon Prosser.

Back in March 2022, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted, “I think the new Mac mini in 2023 will likely remain the same form factor design.”

Then in July, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman was interviewed by YouTuber Vadim Yuriev, in which Mark said of the new M2 Mac mini…

“I don’t think there’ll be a redesign to the Mac mini. I actually don’t know where the rumors of a redesign came from. I think those are also going to be spec bumps. If you look at the Mac Studio, it looks like a double-height Mac mini.”

macOS Ventura

During the WWDC 2022 keynote address back in June, Apple announced the next iteration of their Mac operating system, macOS 13 Ventura. In this article, we take a look at what we know so far is coming in macOS Ventura.

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering told us…

“macOS Ventura includes powerful features and new innovations that help make the Mac experience even better. New tools like Stage Manager make focusing on tasks and moving between apps and windows easier and faster than ever, and Continuity Camera brings new videoconferencing features to any Mac, including Desk View, Studio Light, and more.

With helpful new features in Messages, state-of-the-art search technologies in Mail, and an updated design for Spotlight, Ventura has so much to offer and enriches many of the ways customers use their Macs.”

It has come to light that some of these features will not run on Intel Powered Macs running macOS 13 Ventura. The key new features in macOS Ventura include…

System Settings - Apple has redesigned the System Preferences and called it System Setting in macOS 13. There is a new sidebar design in System Settings, already familiar to iPhone and iPad users, designed to make it easier to navigate settings and configure your Mac.

Spotlight - Apple has improved Spotlight in macOS Ventura. Now you will be able to find images in Photos, Messages, Notes, the Finder, and the web right from Spotlight. You can even use Live Text to search for an image based on the text inside it.

Privacy And Security - Apple has continued its aim of making its OS as secure as possible, including locking hidden and recently deleted albums in Photos and offering to deliver important security improvements to your devices even faster, separately from standard software updates.

Safari - Apple’s browser, which they claim is “the world’s fastest browser”, gets a number of improvements.

PassKeys - Apple is now on a mission to replace passwords for good by introducing Passkeys. Passkeys have been designed to replace passwords with an easier and safer sign‑in method that is end-to-end encrypted and safe from phishing and data leaks. This makes passkeys stronger than all common two‑factor authentication types. They also work on non‑Apple devices.

Apple Mail - With macOS Ventura, Apple’s email client, Mail gets a number of new features, including improved search, undo send and scheduled send.

Messages - You can now edit a message you just sent or unsend a recent message altogether. And you can mark a message as unread if you can’t respond there and then and want to come back to it later.

Photos - With macOS 13 you can now share photos and videos seamlessly with up to five other people, so everyone can collaborate on the family’s collection and enjoy more complete memories. With iCloud Shared Photo Library, family memories are in one place for everyone to enjoy at any time, even if you’re not the one who snapped the shot or edited the photo.

Stage Manager - this new tool automatically organizes your apps and windows in a single view on any Mac, so you can stay focused while easily moving between tasks. You can switch between apps and windows seamlessly with a simple click. Or click anywhere on your desktop to quickly get back to a file or folder. and make different groups of apps for specific tasks or projects. And arrange, resize, and overlap them in your ideal layout.

FaceTime - With macOS Ventura, Handoff comes to FaceTime. You will be able to move a FaceTime call from one device to another with just a click. So you’ll always be able to join a call from the right device.

Continuity Camera - Another new feature in macOS 13, with this feature, you will be able to use the camera system in an iPhone with your Mac to do things never before possible with a webcam. Simply bring your iPhone close to your Mac and it automatically switches to the iPhone as the camera input. And it works wirelessly, so there’s nothing to plug in.

Freeform - This is a new productivity app so that you and your collaborators can bring ideas to life. Plan projects, collect inspiration, brainstorm with your team, or draw with a friend. Share files and insert web links, documents, video, and audio. With Freeform, you will be able to collaborate in real time by inviting collaborators, sharing a link, and start working together instantly. As others add their thoughts, you can see changes on the canvas in real time.

Accessibility - With macOS 13, there are a number of new features to help Macs be as accessible as possible.

Live Captions (Apple Silicon Only) - This is a new accessibility tool for all audio content. This includes FaceTime, Type to Speak on calls, Text Checker to support proofreading for VoiceOver users, and more. This will also only be available for users in the US and Canada.

Emoji Dictation (Apple Silicon Only) - This feature lets a person insert emojis into a conversation using dictation. During WWDC 2022 the Apple presenter gave an example on his iPhone, saying "mindblown emoji" and it appeared in the text field.

Reference Mode with Sidecar (Apple Silicon Only) - Sidecar lets Mac owners integrate their iPad into the workflow. The iPad can act as a secondary display or digital input device for the Mac. Reference Mode will allow an iPad Pro to be used as a secondary reference display for an Apple silicon Mac. It's aimed at professionals in photography and videography that perform colour grading and compositing.

This list demonstrates that there are far fewer restrictions in ‌macOS Ventura‌ for Intel users to contend with than there are with ‌macOS Monterey‌. That said, macOS 13 does drop support for some Intel Macs sold between 2013 and 2016, so you may find that your model simply didn't make the cut for official compatibility.

Which Macs Will Support macOS Ventura?

Apple has announced which Mac computers will support macOS Ventura…

Please note that although the list relates to the Macs that will be able to run macOS Ventura, the links in the list above will refer to compatibility relating to macOS Monterey and not macOS Ventura. This will change once macOS Ventura is released.

Compared to the compatibility list for Monterey, Apple has dumped all Macs released before 2017, including the 2013 Mac Pro, which ran through to December 2019 and the 2016 MacBook Pro models that introduced the Touch Bar. In simple terms, if your Mac uses an Apple T2 or Apple Silicon chip, you're safe. If you're using an older Intel Mac, Apple is progressively dropping support for those systems.

macOS Catalina End Of Life?

With the release of macOS Ventura, we will see the last of the Intel-only Mac Operating Systems being made end-of-life. This means Mac operating Systems like Catalina, Mojave and earlier are unlikely to receive security or stability updates.

What About The iMac And iMac Pro?

If you are looking for a new iMac, you may need to wait much longer. You may have noticed that a 24-inch ‌iMac‌ with the M2 chip has been missing from Gurman's forecast of upcoming M2 Macs on Apple's product plan.

Apple discontinued the iMac Pro back in 2021, and then it discontinued the 27-inch Intel-based version of the ‌iMac‌ in March 2022, leaving the 24-inch ‌iMac‌ with the M1 chip as the only remaining ‌iMac‌ model. The view is that, for now, Apple has effectively replaced the 27-inch ‌iMac‌ with the Mac Studio and its matching Studio Display, with some sources suggesting that Apple has suspended high-end iMac development.

Mark Gurman is not one of them. In his Power On newsletter, he has outlined that Apple is working on at least two ‌iMac‌ models but skipping the M2 chip and going to the M3 series of chips. He suggests that Apple is likely to launch an updated 24-inch ‌iMac‌ featuring the standard M3 chip in late 2023 and that they are continuing the development of a high-end ‌iMac‌…

“I also still believe that Apple is working on a larger-screened iMac aimed at the professional market. I'd imagine this will use a variation of the M3 chip, likely an M3 Pro and M3 Max. That would match the chips inside of the MacBook Pro. I don't think the combination of a Mac Studio or Mac mini plus an Apple Studio Display cuts it for many pro users who want more screen real estate.”

But that date of 2023 may slip as the M3‌ family of chips are expected to be built on TSMC's 3nm technology, unlike the ‌M1‌ and ‌M2‌, which are currently built using a 5nm process. So if you waiting for a new iMac or iMac Pro, you are going to have to wait until late 2023 or even 2024.

When Is Apple’s Next Event?

Although Apple is yet to announce the new Apple Event, it is expected to be in October as Apple has held an event in October in 7 out of the last 10 years. The expected dates are either October 11th or October 18th 2022.

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