New Apple Leaks Reveal The MacBook Pro You Must Avoid

Apple’s MacBook Air M2, launched 2022’s Worldwide Developer Conference, is nearing the end of its life; the latest signpost is the reduced production of the M2 chipset driving the consumer laptop. With this year’s WWDC coming up in June, the launch of the MacBook Air M3 is looking like a good bet.

This new Air is going to bring more power to a consumer laptop that is more than most consumers need, thanks to the M3 chipset. A new MacBook Air with a larger 15-inch screen is also expected in the near future for those needing something a bit bigger.

There’s going to be a new MacBook Pro as well. And everyone should avoid it.

Izmir, Turkey – January 10, 2022: Half opened Apple Brand M1 Model Macbook pro laptop computer with … [+] purple and blue colored lights

getty

When the MacBook line ran on Intel silicon, it was easy to understand the two roles of the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro… the former focused on being light and portable at the expense of performance, and the latter focused on power and performance in a heavier laptop.

With the launch of Apple Silicon, Tim Cook and his team changed that equation. The M1 chipset debuted on the MacBook Air in 2020, offering similar power to the last Intel MacBook Pros. Consumers could have the performance they needed with the portability they strived for.

Apple Silicon’s promise of power was extended with the M1 Pro and M1 Max arriving in two new sizes of MacBook Pro with 14-inch and 16-inch variants. These MacBook Pro models stretched away and put the professional into pro. As for the MacBook Air, Apple delivered a great laptop to consumers needing a macOS machine.

And then there was the 13-inch MacBook Pro M1. Launched alongside the M1 MacBook Air, it offered a step up in power from the Air and was briefly the most powerful MacBook on the market until the larger Pro laptops appeared. The 13-inch MacBook Pro found itself down on power compared to the top end, and squeezed by the power already available in the MacBook Air. It offered the worst of worlds.

Perhaps there was an argument for launching the Apple Silicon laptops with an Air and a Pro, but it didn’t take long for the 13-inch MacBook Pro to be superseded.

For some inexplicable reason, Apple continued to offer the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the launch of the M2 chipset… it stayed slightly ahead of the M2 MacBook Air for a significant premium, while the larger MacBook Pro laptops screamed ahead in terms of performance.

Now it looks like Apple is about to double down on the awkward and ill-defined MacBook Pro. With the third version of the Apple Silicon deskbound chip – the presumptively named M3 – on deck to be revealed at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in June, everyone is looking forward to the next MacBook Air and another step up in performance of the consumer laptop.

Those needing power are looking at the larger laptops, those looking for an all-rounder will take the M3 Air, and those more focused on value for money will be hoping the M2 Air becomes the entry-level MacBook at $999. And that’s before we throw an attractive 15-inch MacBook Air into the mix.

Apple is seen as a company that delivers on customer expectations. Who’s waiting on another anemic 13-inch MacBook Pro?

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

Read More
Ewan Spence

Latest

“I cannot divorce the two”: How Star Wars is blending technology, creativity, and products into the experience itself

(Image credit: Disney) “It’s like a community, right? And it’s a global community that people really love and identify with.” That’s how Bobby Kim, Global Creative Director at Disney Consumer Products, describes Star Wars fandom. And it’s a framing that feels especially fitting as another May the 4th is behind us and we’re weeks out

Trump administration defends right to ban content moderation experts from US

The Trump administration is fighting for the right to keep some social media moderation advocates out of the US. On Wednesday, US District Court Judge James Boasberg heard arguments in a lawsuit between the nonprofit Coalition for Independent Technology Research (CITR) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Trump administration officials. The suit concerns

Apple’s 2028 iPhone display sounds impossible, but Samsung and LG are scrambling to build it

Android phones have had curved displays for years and accepted the distortion as the price of aesthetics. Apple is spending two years and billions of supplier dollars to not accept it. Apple's all-screen iPhone 20 mockup Ice Universe / X Apple doesn’t ask its suppliers to build things. It tells them to, hands them a

Tencent Music Posts 7.3% Q1 2026 Revenue Jump, Points to Triple-Digit Live Growth and Continued Superfan Expansion

A live performance from Jay Chou, whose Children of the Sun is said to have generated about $14.7 million on Tencent Music during Q1 2026. Photo Credit: GEM_Ady Amid a continued SVIP expansion and a triple-digit revenue boost on the concerts side, Tencent Music Entertainment (TME) has reported nearly $1.2 billion in Q1 2026 revenue.

Newsletter

Don't miss

“I cannot divorce the two”: How Star Wars is blending technology, creativity, and products into the experience itself

(Image credit: Disney) “It’s like a community, right? And it’s a global community that people really love and identify with.” That’s how Bobby Kim, Global Creative Director at Disney Consumer Products, describes Star Wars fandom. And it’s a framing that feels especially fitting as another May the 4th is behind us and we’re weeks out

Trump administration defends right to ban content moderation experts from US

The Trump administration is fighting for the right to keep some social media moderation advocates out of the US. On Wednesday, US District Court Judge James Boasberg heard arguments in a lawsuit between the nonprofit Coalition for Independent Technology Research (CITR) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Trump administration officials. The suit concerns

Apple’s 2028 iPhone display sounds impossible, but Samsung and LG are scrambling to build it

Android phones have had curved displays for years and accepted the distortion as the price of aesthetics. Apple is spending two years and billions of supplier dollars to not accept it. Apple's all-screen iPhone 20 mockup Ice Universe / X Apple doesn’t ask its suppliers to build things. It tells them to, hands them a

Tencent Music Posts 7.3% Q1 2026 Revenue Jump, Points to Triple-Digit Live Growth and Continued Superfan Expansion

A live performance from Jay Chou, whose Children of the Sun is said to have generated about $14.7 million on Tencent Music during Q1 2026. Photo Credit: GEM_Ady Amid a continued SVIP expansion and a triple-digit revenue boost on the concerts side, Tencent Music Entertainment (TME) has reported nearly $1.2 billion in Q1 2026 revenue.

WD sees sustainability as key business driver in an ‘AI economy’

Hard drive company WD promoted long-term operations and sustainability executive Jackie Jung to become its first chief sustainability officer in February, as it steps up sales to companies building AI data centers. Her vision: Turn sustainability into a “brand” for WD, a strategy that reduces risk for the $6 billion company (formerly known as Western

5 Business Ideas Worth Starting in 2026

If there is one thing Nigerians understand well, it is how to spot opportunity inside hardship. In 2026, that mindset will matter more than ever. The economy is tough, competition is rising, and many people are looking for smarter ways to earn, build, and survive. But even in a difficult environment, some businesses still stand

Getting a business loan now comes with a frequent flyer upside

Australian fintech Prospa has partnered with Qantas Business Rewards, letting eligible SMEs earn up to 500,000 points per loan. What’s happening: Australian fintech lender Prospa has partnered with Qantas Business Rewards to allow eligible small and medium business owners to earn up to 500,000 Qantas Points per loan when taking out a Prospa Small Business