Apple could be planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips later today, if a pair of fresh rumors line up as some are theorizing.
The first leak, as MacRumors reports, is a filing that has been spotted in a Canadian database (Industry Canada Radio Equipment List), pertaining to an inbound MacBook Pro and its Wi-Fi 6E support (as flagged by Wade Penner on Twitter).
New Apple MacBook Pro model A2779 seen in Industry Canada Radio Equipment List database. Approved on January 11, 2023. Likely the new M2 Max or M2 Pro. Device will support WiFi 6E / 6GHz band. pic.twitter.com/KmSo1aGp7GJanuary 16, 2023
This isn’t a source we’re familiar with, but MacRumors has dug into this and confirms that the filing exists (but we should still obviously add a whole heap of seasoning to any leak).
The second part of this is that there has been separate chatter on the grapevine – from well-known Apple leaker Jon Prosser, and other sources including MacRumors again – that Apple has a product reveal planned for later today.
Now, we don’t know what that product might be – all we’re told is that it’ll be a simple press release announcement via the Apple newsroom (as opposed to any kind of launch event).
Put this leak and rumor combination together and we get the theory that this launch, if it does indeed happen later today, could well be the MacBook Pros.
Analysis: If we do see MacBook Pros, they might be underwhelming…
It’s been long rumored that there’ll be MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch models coming out in 2023 (actually, they were first expected to debut late in 2022). However, the latest speculation we’ve heard (previous to this current rumor) is that these MacBook Pros won’t arrive early in 2023 as expected, and may be pushed to Q2.
That’s not certain, by any means – none of this is, of course – but all the previous chatter points to MacBook Pros not turning up anytime soon, and certainly not immediately.
A sighting of a filing doesn’t necessarily mean anything is imminent, either. Then again, it’s a fair old clue that we don’t have that long to wait; and maybe Apple is planning a reveal now, but the on-sale date may be pushed some way down the line.
We’re not hugely convinced about that, though, and we could well see another product revealed today. For example, a new Mac mini is another widely anticipated candidate for being unleashed.
If we do see the MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch introduced to the world via press releases, this would underline another thread that has been presented by the rumor mill of late – namely that there are hardly any changes to the laptops. Mark Gurman, another heavyweight Apple leaker, recently asserted that these portables would keep the exact same design and features as existing models, with the only real upgrade being the M2 Pro and Max chips – and that any performance increase will likely be ‘marginal’, not a word that’ll get anyone excited.
So, if that is indeed the case, then a low-key launch using press releases would make sense. How this one will pan out, then, is a tough one to call, with arguments for and against a MacBook Pro appearance. But we don’t have long to wait to find out if an announcement really is forthcoming today, and if so, what it’ll be. All eyes are on the Apple newsroom.
