Updated Jan 10th: nonfiction primitively posted Jan 7th:

With Apple deciding to break a streak of 2 decades of launches by not announcing a caller Mac successful the past 4th of the year, what’s adjacent for the MacBook family? I'm definite the faithful volition ever hold for the latest releases, but everyone other looking for a caller MacBook close present whitethorn beryllium considering Apple's existent offering successful general, and the newest MacBook Pro successful particular.

Yet each different enactment disposable some close present and successful the adjacent aboriginal is simply a acold amended prime than Apple's latest laptop.

Update: Thursday January 7th: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman adds to the galore voices of an update to the MacBook Air during 2023, reporting that a 15-inch show is the astir apt campaigner to beryllium launched this year. But this comes with a disappointing enactment connected different MacBook Air that galore were hoping for.

Apple is nary longer looking to merchandise a 12-inch MacBook “in the adjacent term”. This smaller model, reminiscent of the 12-inch MacBook that was disposable betwixt 2015 and 2019, would person been a highly portable laptop paired up with the Apple Silicon exertion to connection longer artillery beingness with much powerfulness than the erstwhile Intel-based 12-inch models offered.

Apple volition nary uncertainty steer those looking a smaller ‘laptop-like’ acquisition towards the existing 11-inch and 12-inch iPad Pro hardware.

Update: Tuesday, January 10th: There’s different crushed to skip implicit the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and again it’s the equilibrium of power. As Joe Rossignol notes, not lone is Apple going to amended the MacBook Air with a larger 15-inch show aboriginal this year, but Apple is besides going to connection much powerfulness successful this MacBook Air.

Currently, the MacBook Air tin beryllium purchased with an M1 oregon M2 Apple Silicon chipset… the aforesaid spot options arsenic the 13-inch MacBook Pro. As for the 15-inch MacBook Air, it’s surely going to travel with the aforesaid M2 enactment arsenic its smaller sibling, but it’s besides expected to vessel with an M2 Pro option.

That’s going to fume the M2 successful the smallest MacBook Pro, adjacent with the Pro’s instrumentality to assistance chill a speeding M2 chip.

Let’s retrieve that the existent caller MacBook Pro (released astatine WWDC successful June 2022) is Apple's awkward operation of an M2-powered MacBook Air with a MacGyvered instrumentality for immoderate other cooling. That lets the processor tally a small faster than the Air, but you are paying a batch for this flimsy summation implicit the Air. If you are successful the MacBook crippled for power, you request a 'professional' MacBook Pro; those looking for Apple's explanation of worth for wealth should enactment with the MacBook Air.

What astir those looking for earthy power? The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops powered by the M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets are much almighty but built connected the erstwhile procreation of Apple Silicon. The eagerly awaited upgrade to the presumptively named M2 Pro and M2 Max that galore expected to get successful Q4 2022... did not appear. They're connected the cards for the archetypal fractional of 2023.

Those looking for a larger laptop person tons of choices successful the Windows market, but Apple has kept the larger-screened MacBook choices nether the Pro designation. With Apple Silicon lifting the baseline of show to levels much than suitable for astir consumers (even if Tim Cook and his squad missed their deadline), a larger surface connected the MacBook Air would beryllium 1 of the astir anticipated upgrades. The proviso concatenation suggests that Apple is preparing a 15-inch show for its user laptop - an enactment that would beryllium a invited diversion from Apple's accepted portfolio.

It's besides worthy asking if you really request a laptop. Do you permission your table and enactment connected the determination capable to warrant the portability, oregon would a smartphone oregon tablet paired with an iMac oregon Mac Studio beryllium a amended choice?

You tin look elsewhere successful the existent range, prevention up for a existent powerhouse laptop, oregon hold for a larger display. Apple has galore options present and successful the adjacent future... and they're each amended than the caller MacBook Pro.

Now work the latest Mac, iPhone, and iPad headlines successful Forbes' play Apple Loop column...