Gurman: Apple may release an entry-level MacBook Pro with the M2 processor this year without Touch Bar, ProMotion, or miniLED
In his latest edition of the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman brings some tidbits about a new entry-level MacBook Pro with the rumored M2 processor.
Context & Ripple Effects
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman frames this as the bottom rung of a much larger silicon ladder: his Power On newsletter has the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro getting the M2 without Touch Bar, ProMotion, or miniLED, while separate reporting points to a new MacBook Air and 13-inch Pro both moving to M2 alongside M2 Pro, Max, and Ultra chips in development. Later sourcing extended that arc to the big machines, with M2-based 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros planned for early 2023.
First-order effects
- Apple would be splitting the MacBook Pro name into two products: a cheaper 13-inch model that keeps the old chassis minus the Touch Bar, and the redesigned 14- and 16-inch Pros that carry miniLED and ProMotion displays.
Second-order effects
- An M2 13-inch Pro lands nearly on top of the rumored M2 MacBook Air, forcing Apple to price-segment two near-identical-silicon laptops and risking cannibalization at the entry tier.
Third-order effects
- With M2 Pro, Max, and Ultra variants in the pipeline, Apple's laptop lineup is being differentiated primarily by silicon tier and display technology rather than by which features ship in which chassis — a structure where the 'Pro' label no longer guarantees pro hardware.
The trend: Apple is rebuilding its Mac segmentation around chip tiers — base, Pro, Max, Ultra — letting one processor family span everything from entry laptops to workstations.