Hoping for a return: what chances AirPort, HomePod, MacBook and iMac Pro have
Apple could be planning the return of four currently canceled product categories. Corresponding indications are currently being consolidated – in particular with three of them. An overview of which technology the iPhone manufacturer does not want to give up entirely.
HomePod: Small is not enough
Apple discontinued the classic HomePod introduced in 2019 in 2021. Since then there has only been the compact HomePod mini, which is inexpensive but hardly meets the demands of high-end friends. Recently, however, reports have been piling up that the end of the great Siri speaker is only temporary.
According to well-known Apple journalist Mark Gurman, the next HomePod is internally codenamed B620 and could appear in 2023. It is said to contain “the same S8 chip” that is also in the upcoming “Apple Watch Series 8”, which is expected for autumn. According to the Bloomberg reporter, the new HomePod will again be closer to the original HomePod “both in terms of size and audio performance.”
iMac Pro: Big must come back
Apple currently only has a very limited range of iMacs. While the Intel models have disappeared from the scene, only the 24-inch iMac M1 is officially available. Apple no longer offers larger all-in-one machines. The situation is therefore calling for the release of a new-generation 27 or even 30-inch iMac Pro.
But Cupertino has apparently been working on the same for a long time. At the moment, it looks like it won’t be introduced before 2023 – and then with the M3 SoC. What exactly is stopping Apple here is something only Cupertino knows. It would be enough to “inflate” the in itself very successful and very popular iMac M1 and equip it with new Max, Pro or even Ultra chips. At the same time, the 24-inch model is gathering dust – it’s from 2021.
MacBook 12″ and AirPort
With the MacBook, fans of the 12-inch form factor discontinued in 2019 continue to hope for redemption. So far, Apple’s only answer is: MacBook Air M2. At 1.24 kilograms, the new Air is heavier and, at 13.6 inches, also more voluminous than the former compact flagship with an Intel chip. At the moment, however, there is no evidence of a quick release of a 12-inch MacBook with Apple Silicon. According to well-known rumor mongers, it can be expected in 2023 at the earliest – if it happens at all.
A possible return of Apple’s AirPort router product line looks similarly bleak. The WLAN devices with integrated Time Machine memory, which work particularly well on Macs and iPhones, have not been on the market since 2018 – and were already outdated back then. Most recently, FCC documents on an unknown Apple network device caused a brief stir. But it was probably internal hardware of the group for its shops.
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