Apple rumor roundup: M2 Mac, iPad Pro, iPhone 14 and more

Apple is expected to announce a whole slew of new products, so we go over all of the hottest rumors, including the M2 Macs, iPhone 14, VR/AR headset and more. 

The wild world of Apple tech isn’t so wild anymore. An obligated refresh of the iPhone, iPad, Mac and so on are all on point to hit their targets and eventually land on shelves worldwide. However, if you look past the slabs of all-in-one metal, you will actually find that their current output might be the best they’ve ever been – despite being unsurprising.

As of right now – according to Apple insiders – the company plan to release the following this year:

Rumored upcoming Apple releases

• An M2 iPad Pro
• A refreshed Mac Mini with M1 variations
• A new Mac Pro
• iPhone 14 range
• iMac with a new M2 chip

So let’s pull back one second and just break down for those not in the know, what the M2 or M1 chips are.

• Read more: Valve “more than doubling” Steam Deck shipments after production boost

Apple M1 and M2 explained

The Apple M1 and M2 chips are their own unique silicon, which is based on an ARM chip. In a move that made logical sense to Apple, the company decided to go all-in on their own chips across every device. Apple stripped out the Intel chips from their ranges and began implementing the M-series. This was due to Intel’s stagnant development and overheating issues. These are ARM-based chips, meaning that everything is on board the chip, rather than dedicated parts.

It also utilises a neural engine, designed to pump more power when, say, using creative applications, and avoid draining the battery when just sitting back to watch some YouTube. Right now, the M1 comes in M1, Pro, Max and Ultra. Each chip has its own advantages, with the Pro and Max providing support for larger RAM options and better GPUs.

The M1 is nothing to scoff at though, as people realised that it made the 2020 editions of the MacBook Air and Pro 13” viable again, with the Air even gaining capabilities beyond its original scope (video editing, etc.). The M1 Ultra essentially stacks two Max chips together to provide a workstation-level PC.

Apple has begun to shift to the M2, but the high-end versions won’t hit the market until sometime next year. As of right now, M2 chips can be found in the new 13” MacBook Pro and  the upcoming MacBook Air refresh.

• Read more: Sony reveals INZONE esports brand with new line of gaming headsets & monitors

Is Apple releasing an M1 Ultra Mac Pro in 2022?

It’s very likely that Apple will release an M1 Ultra Mac Pro this year. Earlier this year Apple released the Mac Studio, a chunky little thing that is meant to be the intermediate option between a high-end MacBook Pro and the often ridiculed Mac Pro. You know, the one that can cost more than a car?

However, Apple proved that the Intel Xeon CPU inside the current Mac Pro is paltry in comparison to their own M1 Ultra, meaning that a refresh has to be coming, right? Well, certain Apple aficionados believe that this refresh is due later this year. The Mac Studio is great in some respects, but the limitations of its form factor (putting any more things in there means it’s going to get hot) mean that people want more.

John Ternus, senior vice president of hardware engineering at Apple, stated that the Mac Pro with Apple’s own silicon would arrive ‘another day’ after the announcement of the Mac Studio.

If it doesn’t launch late in 2022, expect it at the next 2023 event.

Will there be a new Mac Mini in 2022?

M1 Max and M1 Pro chips are expected to be crammed into a potential refreshed design of the Mac Mini. With most Apple products receiving a new look, it only makes sense for the Mac Mini to do so as well. The Mac Mini is adorable. A lowkey entry in Apple’s lineup, it’s secretly one of their better non-laptop devices. The M1 version came out alongside the M1 Macbooks to little fanfare.

However, content creators and those wanting an upgrade or cheaper way into the macOS ecosystem found a wonderful little device. But, the M1 chip only goes so far and while it’s still a totally viable machine, the 2020 version does leave some wanting more.

The M1 Pro and Max chips are astonishingly good. The only downside is that they’re usually housed in expensive hardware on a MacBook Pro or the Mac Studio. The Mini should provide a cheaper alternative (cheaper doing a lot of heavy lifting there) for those wanting to work or play within Apple’s world, by slashing away all the fancy bits.

Read more: The best gaming laptops of 2022: budget, premium and more

iPhone 14: Everything we know about Apple’s next phone

Apple is very likely making a new iPhone. It’ll be out in September. We could end the entire section there, but we’ll let you in on a few tidbits. The iPhone 14 will have the new A16 chip inside, as well as actually differentiating properly between the Pro and regular models – other than a camera and larger body – by including a hole punch front-facing camera.

Supposedly Apple is dropping the Mini from the 14 lineup, after low sales on the iPhone 13 and 12’s miniature variants. Instead, it appears there’ll be a Max version of the regular iPhone 14, coming in at 6.7”, while the Pro and Pro Max will still be on the cards. It’s a shame that the iPhone Mini didn’t last, the small size always seemed really cool, but the battery life on it wasn’t very good.

iPad Pro 2022: Apple M2 chip incoming?

Rumors from notorious Apple insider Mark Gurman have indicated that the M2 chip being featured in the current MacBook Air and Pro 13” will make an appearance in the iPad Pro 2022, as Apple begin to slowly transition their tablets to a more powerful, stable chip. Apple recently shifted the iPad Pro and iPad Air to the M1 chips, which sort of baffled people when they also announced they’d be keeping macOS and iPadOS separate instead of integrating the two to allow apps to run everywhere.

The M2 iPad Pro should launch in the 11-inch and 12.9-inch variations again.

Apple VR goggles in 2023: what we know

As Facebook, I mean, Meta, and Valve currently dominate the VR headset space, with a myriad of failures or niches lost to the wind, Apple plan to step in with their own take on the hardware.

Supposedly combining both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR),  Apple is gunning for Meta’s current consumer-level dominance with the Meta Quest. Meta’s headset not only provides easier access to VR by containing it all in one but also allows users to access VR on a cheaper scale by using USB-C to transfer video to the headset from a PC.

Apple however seems to be picking up production on the headset, as it was apparently demonstrated to board members in May and Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, has been a little less quiet about it recently.

Supposedly it’ll cost around $2000, making it one of the most expensive headsets to reach the market and the current specs are rumored to be something along these lines:

• Two high-res micro OLED displays at 3000 pixels per inch
• Lightweight, with a focus on being comfortable
• Around a dozen tracking cameras and eye trackers on the inside
• Apparent thimble wearable for interaction
• Multiple 3D-sensing modules to help with interaction and track limb movement
• Voice control (presumably integrated with Siri)
• Skin, spatial and expression detection

This would be followed up in 2024 or ‘25 by actual glasses. We can’t even begin to think what they’d cost.