Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

WWDC: Apple could launch two ‘surprise’ products this year

By
Promotional logo for WWDC 2023.
This story is part of our complete Apple WWDC coverage

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is only days away, and we might have just received a big clue about what to expect. According to industry analyst Daniel Ives, Apple will unveil revamped versions of both the MacBook Pro 14 and the MacBook Pro 16 at the show. That’s a pretty big deal.

Specifically, Ives’ research note says Apple will show off the usual upgrades to iOS, iPadOS, MacOS, watchOS, and tvOS, but that it also has a “few surprises” up its sleeve. One of those surprises, he believes, is the announcement of the new MacBooks.

Recommended Videos

When it comes to the MacBook Pro 14, there has been a huge range of rumors in recent months. As the name implies, the screen is expected to expand from 13 inches to 14 inches across thanks to the use of slimmer bezels. It could feature a flat-edged design like the iPad Pro, a return of MagSafe alongside a greater variety of ports, and a brighter, higher-contrast display.

Much less is known about the upcoming MacBook Pro 16 refresh, although we would expect it to transition to Apple Silicon chips, as it is still stuck on less performant Intel processors. Currently, it is the only MacBook model not using Apple’s own chips.

However, Ives’ analysis should be taken with a grain of salt, as he suggests both MacBooks will come with the Apple M1 chip inside. We think that is unlikely because Apple is known to be working on much more impressive chips that are nearing release. The MacBook Pro 16, in particular, is surely in line for an upgraded chip, as it is Apple’s flagship laptop and has traditionally been kitted out with its top-end parts.

Apple is said to be readying the next generation of its Apple Silicon line, tentatively called the M1X or the M2, and this is a much more likely candidate for both of the new MacBook Pro models. Ultimately, watching the WWDC show on June 7 will reveal whether Ives’ predictions were accurate.

Elsewhere, Ives’ research note shed some details on the iPhone 13, claiming it will come with up to 1TB of storage. He also said Apple could announce its augmented reality glasses, supposedly dubbed Apple Glass, at WWDC 2022, with the Apple Car set to follow in 2024.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Alex Blake
Alex Blake
Computing Writer
In ancient times, people like Alex would have been shunned for their nerdy ways and strange opinions on cheese. Today, he…
MacBooks could soon fall behind the iPad Pro in this important way
The iPad Pro (2022) sitting in the Magic Keyboard.

The dynamic balance between the Mac and the iPad may be about to shift again. Both the MacBook Air and iPad Pro will reportedly get updated this spring, boosting performance with the inclusion of the new M3 chip.

But a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman indicates that a new "landscape Face ID camera" may be in the works for the iPad Pro, potentially taking away one of the main advantages that MacBooks have over iPads. With so much of work happening in video calls, the iPad Pro might become a far better laptop replacement in this new generation.
The dream experience

Read more
40 years ago today, Apple launched something as audacious as the Vision Pro
A classic Apple Macintosh shows a friendly hello on-screen.

Today marks 40 years since Apple released the very first Mac, upending the entire computer industry and sowing the seeds for four decades of success for the company. Dubbed the Macintosh 128K, the device was an unprecedented success for Apple, and it quickly became one of the most important Macs ever. It also has curious parallels to the company’s situation today.

It's easy to look back now with fondness at the impact the product made -- a familiar piece of tech history that still undergirds so much of our current technology. But at the time, it was the start of something new. A bold, risky, and unprecedented leap forward. It's hard not to make comparisons to the Vision Pro, which officially launches just next week. But will we look back in 40 years at the Vision Pro with the same kind of reverence? Perhaps, but only if Apple learns the right lesson from its own history.
A computing revolution
1984 Apple's Macintosh Commercial (HD)

Read more
This one surprising laptop could actually challenge the MacBook Pro
A rendering of the two color options for the Asus Zephyrus G14.

For the last few years, MacBooks have had a serious advantage over its Windows rivals. No one else has been able to combine power and portability in the way Apple’s 14-inch MacBook Pro does, especially with the arrival of the M3 Max. But that may not be the case for much longer.

Unveiled at CES 2024, the updated Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 seems to have serious ambitions on taking Apple’s crown. It's a gaming laptop, yes, but it's been redesigned from the ground up to cater to a crossover crowd. It’s sleek and svelte, yet doesn’t skimp on the output.

Read more