O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: Mark Gurman

  • Rumor: Debug kit leaks hint at possible iMac Pro featuring the M5 Max chip

    Rumor: Debug kit leaks hint at possible iMac Pro featuring the M5 Max chip

    The iMac Pro may be returning in a big way.

    According to leak posts on Chinese social media websites Weibo and Bilibili over the past week, Apple is thought to be developing a high-end iMac featuring the M5 Max chip. The finding comes from leaked kernel debug kit files used by Apple engineers. These kits, which are used for kernel debugging, enumerate unreleased Apple hardware by internal identifiers, such as codenames and platform names, and can also include separate references that map the products to chip codenames and marketing names.

    The software contains references to an ‌iMac‌ with the identifier J833c running on platform H17C. H17C is associated with the codename “Sotra C,” which relates to the expected marketing name “M5 Max.” This suggests that an ‌iMac‌ with the M5 Max chip is in active testing.

    The leaks refer to several devices believed to be used exclusively for internal testing, such as iPad minis running tvOS and MacBooks with the A15 chip, so there is a chance that the M5 Max ‌iMac‌ is used for testing only. Apple is expected to be introducing its M5 Max Chip in 2026, and there have been rumors about Apple reintroducing the high-end “Pro” iMac for several years now. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has posited that Apple was still “working on a larger-screened ‌iMac‌ aimed at the professional market” following the launch of the Apple silicon ‌iMac‌. This rumor was also supported by noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

    The kernel debug kit has also mentioned several additional Mac configurations, such as 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro notebooks with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, a 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with the M6 chip, and 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models with the M6 Pro and M6 Max chips. Other products mentioned include 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M5 chip, Mac mini models with the M5 and M5 Pro chips, and new Mac Studio models with the M5 Max and M5 Ultra chips. Finally, the leak also lists a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, which is thought to be an all-new, budget model.

    As always, stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors

  • Rumor: Apple presently has no plans to release an updated Mac Pro in the near future

    Rumor: Apple presently has no plans to release an updated Mac Pro in the near future

    If you’re expecting a spiffy new Mac Pro tower, you might have to wait a while.

    Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has “largely written off the Mac Pro.”

    The desktop, which was last updated in 2023 with the M2 Ultra chip, appears to be off the list for updates anytime soon.

    Gurman outlines that Apple’s Mac Pro strategy “doesn’t look set to change anytime soon.” Apple is no longer working on an M4 Ultra chip, and stated that the Mac Pro that was slated to include that chip “was also nixed.”

    This means that Apple’s next high-end chip will be the M5 Ultra, which is currently only destined for the Mac Studio desktop. This indicates that “the Mac Pro won’t be updated in 2026 in a significant way.”

    Granted, this doesn’t explicitly indicate that Apple will never release an updated Mac Pro desktop. As things stand right now, it appears that the Mac Studio will be Apple’s most powerful desktop going forward in the near term.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac and Bloomberg

  • Rumor: OLED MacBook Pro feature could be limited to M6 Pro and M6 Max models

    Rumor: OLED MacBook Pro feature could be limited to M6 Pro and M6 Max models

    If you’re hankering after a MacBook Pro with the long-awaited OLED display, you might have to snag the higher-end M6 Pro or M6 Max version.

    Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, while Apple is expected to redesign the MacBook Pro for the first time since 2021 in the near future, and is thought to be incorporating an OLED display with touch support as an evolution from its current miniLED displays, along with a thinner chassis, potential support for 5G, and possibly more of a Dynamic Island cutout than a notch, it might reserve the OLED display for the higher-end units.

    The company currently offers three MacBook Pro models. A base 14-inch model with an M5 chip, a higher-end 14-inch model with the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, and a 16-inch model with the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips. Outside of performance, the low end and high-end 14-inch models are largely identical.

    The key difference outside of the chipsets is the fact that the base model only offers a single fan, versus two fans on the Pro and Max models. The entry-level M5 MacBook Pro retails for $400 less than the M4 Pro model.

    Gurman’s latest “Power On” newsletter offers the following comments:

    “But two Macs on the road map do mark major shifts. I previously wrote about the first one: a revamped M6 Pro and M6 Max MacBook Pro with an OLED display, thinner chassis, and touch support. That’s slated to arrive between late 2026 and early 2027.

    In short, likely don’t expect a redesign or OLED on the base model MacBook Pro. At least for now, it appears that Apple aims to extend the existing design language on the entry-level model for at least one more year.

    So, if you want the redesign when it debuts as early as next year, you’ll need to buy a higher-end MacBook Pro with an M6 Pro or M6 Max chip.”

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac and Bloomberg

  • Rumor: Apple to incorporate additional satellite-based features into upcoming hardware and software

    Rumor: Apple to incorporate additional satellite-based features into upcoming hardware and software

    Apple is betting on satellite access and features for the future.

    Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and the latest “Power On” newsletter, Apple is looking to incorporate the following satellite-based features into its operating systems:

    • Apple Maps via satellite: Navigation in Apple Maps without cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity.
    • Photos in Messages via satellite: Support for sending photos in the Messages app using satellite connectivity.
    • Natural Usage: Satellite connectivity from indoors environments, without the need to physically point the device toward clear sky.
    • Satellite over 5G: Support for 5G NTN, allowing cell towers to use satellites for increased coverage.
    • Satellite API framework for third-party apps: An API that will allow developers to integrate satellite connectivity into their apps voluntarily. Not all features and services will be compatible.
    • There are apparently no plans to enable phone calls, video calls, or web browsing via satellite at present.

    Apple’s current satellite connectivity features are available for free, albeit it’s rumored that Apple will set up subscription-based plans between the customers and the satellite carriers for additional features in the future.

    Apple could also create a paid option for extended connectivity with a company like SpaceX. Gurman added that there have been discussions in the company about offering its own satellite service, but concerns that Apple shouldn’t act like a carrier have stifled that possibility.

    It’s thought that an assortment of the new satellite features in development will require upgrades to Globalstar’s infrastructure, which Apple helped to bankroll. Gurman said that if SpaceX acquires Globalstar, the necessary enhancements could roll out faster.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Bloomberg

  • Rumor: Apple actively developing a budget-focused MacBook

    Rumor: Apple actively developing a budget-focused MacBook

    When in doubt, you can always work to beat ’em on price.

    Per Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook for ““luring away customers from Chromebooks and entry-level Windows PCs” during the first half of 2026. It’s thought that the unnamed notebook is already being actively tested at Apple, and that overseas production has begun.

    As we’ve noted before, the company is said to be working on a budget-friendly MacBook that’s priced below the $999 M4 MacBook Air.

    This new cheap MacBook will reportedly be powered by an A-series iPhone chip instead of an M-series Mac chip. Early reports indicated that the chip would be an A18 Pro, but Apple has since released the A19 Pro in the iPhone 17 Pro handset. It’s unknown exactly which A-series chip will be used, and Apple’s M-series chips are based on the A-series, albeit they’re larger, faster, and run at higher temperatures than the A-series chips, which are designed around mobile use. Gurman has also pointed out that whichever chip is used in the new MacBook will perform better than the M1.

    Gurman also states that the new MacBook will have “less advanced” components compared to those in the current MacBook lineup, and the display will be a low-end LCD that’s “slightly smaller” than the 13.6-inch MacBook Air. He also says the new machine will have “an entirely new design.”

    Finally, it’s been noted that the intended customer for this notebook would be a general-purpose user whose primary tasks involve productivity apps, internet access, and basic content creation.

    Stay tuned for additional details.

    Via Macworld and Bloomberg