What to expect from Apple in 2022: ARM desktops, no-port iPhones, and more

2021 could be the calm before the storm.

With the exception of a few new Apple Silicon Macs, 2021 has been a quiet year for Apple. The new iPhones offered improved cameras and battery life, but were otherwise nearly identical to the 2020 models. And aside from a slight increase in screen size, the new Apple Watch is virtually indistinguishable from its predecessors.

As 2021 draws to a close and we look ahead to 2022, it’s safe to say that next year will be much more exciting. So we have some predictions to share.

Of course, we’re not 100 percent sure about any of the upcoming predictions – as you know, Apple is a secretive animal. But as cunning as the company was, in the era of Tim Cook, it was sometimes quite predictable. And there have been more leaks about Apple’s plans over the past few years than ever before.

With all that said, here are some of the things we expect to see from Apple over the next 12 months.

Dramatic denouement of transition to Mac desktop chips

The central story of Apple in 2021 has been anticipation. Apple announced and released the first Apple Silicon processors in 2020 and promised a two-year transition from Intel to Apple Silicon across the entire Mac product line.

In late 2020, we saw what the M1 chip did for Apple’s lower-end Macs, and Apple shared bold statements with us about what we can expect from higher-end laptops like the MacBook Pro going forward.

Toward the end of this year, Apple made good on its promise with the launch of the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro laptops with massive performance. But the 27-inch iMac and Mac Pro, traditionally Apple’s most powerful machines, are still owned by Intel.

According to Apple’s previously outlined two-year roadmap, this will change in 2022.

You’ve probably read rumors that Apple will introduce a 30-inch iMac to replace the current Apple Silicon. The iMac will most likely have a MacBook Pro M1 Pro or M1 Max or (less likely) their second generation successor inside.

As for the Mac Pro, a recent report from The Information claimed that it would feature the M1 line of processors (probably based on the M1 Max). It will have two matrices instead of one, potentially giving it a double core.

Along with the M1 Pro/M1 Max specification for the high end Mac mini, this will basically complete the transition from Intel to Apple Silicon. Only a few laggards, like the 13-inch MacBook Pro, will remain at Intel.

In addition, Apple is reportedly working on a radical redesign of the MacBook Air with an entry-level second-generation chip likely called the M2. The upgraded device could be called simply “MacBook”.

All of this is expected in 2022, so this year is going to be huge for the Mac.

Significant iPhone redesign

New iPhones coming in 2022 – no surprises, right? Apart from the usual flagship updates, we may see an updated iPhone SE.

But the big news is likely to be a major redesign of flagship phones this fall. Part of this redesign could be the elimination of the Lightning port.

If Apple hasn’t moved to USB-C on flagship iPhones yet, I don’t think it will. The 2020 redesign would be the right time for that.

Otherwise, expect more emphasis on bigger screens and better cameras, two of the top three things (along with battery life) that consumers most often say when asked about their smartphone preferences.

It is also likely that Apple will introduce an alternative or replacement for Face ID, the face-scanning authentication system that has been used in flagship iPhones since late 2017. Face ID was a good idea, and despite a somewhat shaky start, it proved to be just as convenient and effective as Touch ID. But in the end, the world of masks made it significantly less attractive compared to any number of alternatives.