Forget the new MacBook Pro, Apple has something better

Updated Jan 8 – Article originally published Jan 7:

With Apple deciding break a two-decade streak of releases for don’t announce a new Mac In the last quarter of the year, what’s next for the MacBook family? I’m sure the faithful will always wait for the latest releases, but everyone else looking for a new MacBook right now may be considering Apple’s current offering in general and the new MacBook Pro in particular.

However, any other option available now and in the near future is a much better option than Apple’s latest laptop.

Update: Thursday, January 7: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman adds to the many voices for a MacBook Air refresh during 2023, reporting that a 15-inch screen is the most likely candidate to be released this year. But this comes on a disappointing note about another MacBook Air that many expected.

Apple is no longer looking to launch a 12-inch MacBook “in the short term”. Reminiscent of the 12-inch MacBook that was available between 2015 and 2019, this smaller model would have been a highly portable laptop combined with Apple Silicon technology to deliver longer battery life with more power than the previous 12-inch. Intel-based. models offered.

Apple will no doubt guide those looking for a smaller “laptop-like” experience towards existing 11-inch and 12-inch iPad Pro hardware.

Recall that the current new MacBook Pro (launched at WWDC in June 2022) is Apple’s awkward combination of an M2-powered MacBook Air and a MacGyvered fan for extra cooling. That allows the processor to run slightly faster than the Air, but you’re paying a lot for this slight increase over the Air. If you’re in the MacBook game for power, you need a ‘pro’ MacBook Pro; those looking for Apple’s definition of value for money should stick with the MacBook Air.

What about those looking for raw power? The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops with M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets are more powerful but are based on the previous generation of Apple Silicon. The expected update of the alleged M2 Pro and M2 Max that many expected to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2022… did not appear. They are on the cards for the first half of 2023.

Those looking for a larger laptop have plenty of options in the Windows market, but Apple has kept the larger-screen MacBook options under the Pro designation. With Apple Silicon raising the performance baseline to more than adequate levels for the most consumers (even if Tim Cook and his team missed their deadline), a larger screen on the MacBook Air would be one of the most anticipated upgrades. The supply chain suggests that Apple prepares a 15-inch screen for its consumer laptop – an option that would be a welcome departure from Apple’s traditional portfolio.

It’s also worth asking if you really need a laptop. Do you leave your desk and work on the go enough to justify portability, or Would a smartphone or tablet combined with an iMac or Mac Studio be a better option?

You can look elsewhere in the current range, save up for a truly powerful laptop, or hold out for a bigger screen. Apple has plenty of options now and in the near future… and they’re all better than the new MacBook Pro.

Now read the latest Mac, iPhone and iPad headlines in Forbes’ weekly Apple Loop column…