You may have read the reports that Apple’s Spring Event is likely to land sooner than usual this year, with the tech world widely expecting a new iPhone SE in addition to an incremental update on the iPad Air.
We initially thought that would be it for hardware, with Apple perhaps spending some time showcasing iOS 15.4 to pad out the event. But new details have emerged that point to a different story: three new Macs, coming soon.
Apple has filed three new product model numbers with the Eurasian Economic Database, something it usually does ahead of launching new products.
Those devices – registered as A2615, A2686, and A2681 – are shown to run macOS Monterey, and although Apple hasn’t divulged any further information yet, there’s plenty of amateur sleuthing we can do.
So let’s talk release dates. It would be odd for Apple to register the model numbers if a launch wasn’t coming soon, and it would also be unusual for it to host a separate event purely for Mac info. So the upcoming Spring Event (rumored for March 8) does indeed seem the most likely destination for a Mac announcement, although we wouldn’t expect that to change the likelihood of a new iPhone and iPad launch. And if that doesn’t come to pass, we’ll surely see the new Mac models at WWDC in June instead.
As for the nature of these Macs? Well, it’s been pointed out by a few people – including a commenter at MacRumors – that model numbers starting with A24 have been used for iMacs with M1 chips. So could that mean this new batch, starting with A26, could represent a jump to even more powerful M2 chips?
As for the last two digits in the model numbers, Apple plays a little more fast and loose with those, so it’s harder to track a pattern – although we did notice that last year’s 16-inch MacBook Pros ended with 85, very close to the 81 and 86 on two of the three newly registered models.
Whatever the truth ends up being, we’ll have all the info for you just as soon as it drops. But one thing’s for sure – if you’re in the market for a new computer, maybe hang on a few more weeks until Apple’s next event reveals all.