COVID-19 could mean no new 13-inch MacBook Pro at WWDC22

What you need to know

Apple had been rumored to have a new MacBook Pro refresh ready for WWDC22.
A new report notes that ongoing factory closures in China could have put paid to this week’s release.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro is expected to look similar to the current 2020 model but without the Touch Bar.

COVID-19 lockdowns could have caused a delay for Apple’s next 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple’s rumored M2-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro might not make a WWDC22 announcement, according to a new report. The machine, which was rumored for an announcement alongside a new MacBook Air, might have to wait thanks to COVID-19.

Writing in his weekly Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the 13-inch MacBook Pro refresh may have been delayed due to ongoing manufacturing issues in China. Local COVID-19 lockdowns have caused manufacturing to stall at various times, with Apple’s WWDC22 lineup potentially affected.

The new machine, whenever it does arrive, is expected to usher in the next generation of Apple silicon while using the familiar chassis that has been used for the last couple of years. The new refresh is expected to do away with the Touch Bar, however.

A faster 13-inch MacBook Pro had also been planned to launch around the same time as the new Air, but those same lockdowns in China could have thrown off that part of the road map as well. When that machine does launch, expect it to look the same as the current 13-inch MacBook Pro from 2020 sans the Touch Bar.

Apple is still expected to announce a new MacBook Air using the same M2 chip, with the news that the Apple Store has gone down ahead of the WWDC opening keynote adding further fuel to the suggestion hardware is on the way.

The WWDC22 event is expected to give us our first look at iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16 with betas likely to be made available to developers following the event. The rest of the world will need to wait until later this fall to get their hands on the software.