After several years of noisy announcements about macOS, WWDC’s recent highlights brought some significant announcements about the Mac, much to the excitement of the Mac platform. Now that WWDC 2022 is almost here, Apple seems to be building on Mac’s momentum to a great extent.
It will be difficult to surpass Apple’s silicon announcement for 2020, of course, but Apple is expected to make some major revelations that will continue to shine in the spotlight on the Mac. Here are the messages for the Mac that we hope to see on WWDC 2022 in order of preference.
For more information on the WWDC, see our full review of the main note, which takes place on Monday, June 6 at 10 a.m. PT.
Mac Pro
When Apple began its transition to a Mac from Intel processors to its own M1 on-chip (SoC) system, the company said it would be a two-year process. WWDC 2022 is a two-year brand, and as Apple Senior Vice President John Ternus pointed out at the March Mac Studio event, there is only one Mac left to make the transition, the Mac Pro.
However, the expectations for the Mac Pro are less for the SoC (I will explain in more detail in the next section), but more for the machine itself and what Apple will do to meet the needs of the Mac Pro user. Will Apple build a Mac tower? What are the capabilities of the components? What kind of access will users have to internal elements? How upgradable will it be?
At the Peek Performance event in March, Apple Senior Vice President John Ternus strongly hinted that the Mac Pro would be announced.
Apple
So many questions that we hope to get answered on June 6. I can’t help but think that Apple will want to limit this transition to a great extent, so my hopes are high, especially for this announcement.
Apple’s next-generation silicon
Apple is completing one transition, but is about to begin another: the transition from the M1 series to the M2 SoC series. The Mac Pro will probably have some configuration that boosts the performance of the M1 Ultra, its fastest Mac SoC, so the company has reached the top for the M1 series. Apple seems to be in a two-year cycle with its Mac silicon, so the time seems appropriate for the start of the next series, although recent rumors suggest that the wait may be a little longer.
What’s next for Apple’s M-Series?
Foundry
But if Apple decides to introduce the M2 to WWDC, it will likely be a “preview” rather than a fully detailed product disclosure. John Ternus could even make another joke in a row about this – any kind of recognition would help to continue the marketing momentum that the M-series has. Apple released the M1 Mac in the fall of 2020, so expect the entry-level M2 to be released in the fall. Then we will understand the essence of the chip.
(While I’ve personally lost interest in what Intel does, chip enthusiasts and people who like to engage in technology debates are very focused on the largest maker of computer chips. Intel’s Raptor Lake and Meteor Lake processors are on the horizon, so Apple says something about the M2 will add a little spark to the game of marketing with one arrogance.)
MacBook Air
WWDC isn’t usually the place for consumer laptops, but the MacBook Air may be an exception. It has been rumored for more than a year that it will receive a massive redesign with thin frames, even smaller prints and colors other than cosmic gray, silver and gold. The MacBook Air hasn’t been as exciting in a while – even the 2018 model was largely an iteration of the previous version – but if the rumors are true, the new model will be one of the most exciting laptops in years.
The next MacBook Air could be something like an updated version of the classic iBook.
We hope to return to the original iBook, just as the 24-inch iMac was a tribute to the original iMac. The M1 MacBook Air is a great machine, but it’s not exciting. A redesigned model, with or without an M2 processor, would be a fantastic way to bring back the thrill.
Functions, fixes and the correct name of macOS 13
We have published our wish list for macOS 13 and we will closely monitor the main note to see if any of our wishes will come true. There are a few items on the list that we want more than others – in particular desktop gadgets (the ability to remove the widget from the Notification Center and place it on the desktop) and a more stable Control Center that can be customized and there are more modules – maybe even from third-party developers.
The only thing Apple really needs to do for macOS is correct long-term bugs and optimize the system. As I said in the macOS 13 wish list, if that’s all Apple did and nothing else – no new features – I’d be very happy.
The control center has a lot of potential that needs to be unlocked.
Foundry
The name macOS can mean how big the release update is. For example, macOS Monterey is named after Monterey Bay, which is part of the larger Big Sur region of central California – and the version of macOS before Monterey is called Big Sur. And Big Sur, with changes in the user interface, support for iOS and iPadOS applications on M1 Macs and others, was a bigger upgrade than Monterey.
But if you’re not familiar with the locations in California that Apple uses, that’s lost. Then it’s just a name, and in the case of macOS, it doesn’t really mean much other than being an alternative starting point to the version number.
Nevertheless, Mac users are investing in the name of macOS and this is a long-awaited announcement. As Apple’s senior vice president, Craig Federigi, arrives at the WWDC keynote speech, anticipation and excitement increase, and the name makes the vague idea of updating the OS come together and become a reality. Then, once the name is established, there is a heated debate over whether this is a good choice or not.
Even Apple’s senior vice president, Craig Federigi, scoffs at the naming of macOS, saying Apple’s “foot marketing team” is exploring California to find the right inspiration for the name.
Apple
Based on Apple’s trademark applications, the money appears to be Mammoth, which will be the next name for macOS. As well as being located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, the word itself would mean that macOS 13 has some big changes and features for the Mac. The rumor mill isn’t full of macOS 13 reports of major changes, so I don’t think the name “Mammoth” is. I think they’ll keep it for a bigger edition down the road.
M1 Pro / M1 Max Mac mini
When Apple’s John Ternus said the Mac Pro was the only Mac left to switch to Apple Silicon, he specifically meant the Mac Pro, but it’s not the only Mac left. There’s also a high-end Mac mini – this $ 1099 model still uses an Intel processor.
There is a gap in Apple’s M1 range between iMac and Mac Studio and a professional-level Mac mini would fit perfectly in this slot. Reports indicate that this Mac mini can be updated with the M1 Pro and M1 Max and may also have more GPU cores and support for more RAM.
iMac Pro
Apple discontinued production of the iMac Pro last year, but reports appear that Apple may return it. It can have a 27-inch display and M1 Pro and M1 Max SoC and may have a design similar to the 24-inch iMac, but not in the professional color palette of silver and space gray.
There have also been reports of a 27-inch standalone Mac mini-LED display, but could this be a case of mixing the display with the iMac Pro? This happened with the studio display; leaked information confused the studio display for iMac. In any case, Apple seems to be working on a 27-inch display for something, and hopefully it will be revealed at WWDC.
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