There have been conflicting reports on whether Apple will announce new MacBook Pro models at an October event, alongside new iPads. A new report today comes down in favor, stating that Apple suppliers are preparing to ship updated versions.

The report also notes a slowing in the shipment of existing MacBook Pro machines, though this is in the midst of a more general market decline …

Expected October event

Apple’s Far Out event launched the new iPhone 14 lineup, the Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 8, the new Apple Watch SE, and the second-gen AirPods Pro.

But as we noted afterward, there were also quite a few things Apple didn’t announce, suggesting a separate event is looming. It’s widely expected that this event will take place in October.

Here’s what we’re currently expecting from an October Apple event:

  • Updated 11- and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, with M2 chip and MagSafe
  • 10th-generation iPad, with USB-C, A14 Bionic chip, and a slightly bigger screen
  • Possible next-gen MacBook Pro models, with M2 Pro and M2 Max processors
  • Possible 2nd-gen Apple Silicon Mac mini

Our recent roundup has more details.

New MacBook Pro models

It’s unclear exactly what Apple might announce in October, and what may be held over until next year, but Mark Gurman last month suggested we’d see at least two new Macs.

Apple has been working on M2-based versions of the Mac mini, Mac Pro and MacBook Pro, so I think we’re likely to see at least a pair of those machines about two months from now […]

According to Bloomberg, a next-gen 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros could be announced during fall 2022 and spring 2023 with M2 Pro and M2 Max processors. Last but not least, a second-generation Apple silicon Mac mini is expected for at least a year now. 

MacBook Pro updates seem likely, though Ming-Chi Kuo pointed instead to a spring launch for these.

New MacBook Pro shipments in preparation

Digitimes carries the brief report, based on supply chain sources.

Suppliers are gearing up for shipments of Apple’s upcoming MacBook Pro series, while shipments of the existing MacBook Pro models are slowing down, according to industry sources. 

Separately, Digitimes Research notes that Apple has been the only company not to be badly hit by the post-lockdown slowing of global PC orders.

Sources pointed out that Apple is currently the only PC brand still pulling in orders, as others see shipment volume drop by 40-50% compared with 2021. At present, manufacturers estimate recovery will not occur until after second-quarter 2022 […]

Quanta Computer, a supplier for Apple, saw record-high revenues in July and August. Sources noted that some of Quanta’s July momentum was a result of deferred orders from the Shanghai lockdown in the second quarter, while August benefited from the new MacBook Pro.

For the rest of the year, Mac sales are expected to remain almost flat, as demand for new models offsets the overall market decline. But compared to the market as a whole, this would be good news.

[We estimate] that Apple’s shipments will witness the smallest decline among the top six PC brands in 2022. Apple is expected to see an on-year decrease of only 1.4%, while Asustek Computer sees an on-year decline of 9.2%, Lenovo 14.7%, Dell 18%, Hewlett-Packard (HP) 22.6%, and Acer 33.2%.

 

 

Source - 9to5mac | Written by Ben Lovejoy