As noted by Gurman, this release window would allow Apple to launch the new MacBooks around the same the macOS Ventura 13.3 and iOS 16.3 updates come out, which are expected sometime between early February and March. This prediction aligns with Ming-Chi Kuo's tweet from August that suggests Apple could release the new MacBook Pros early next year, as well as a recent rumor from Korean leaker Lanzuk (yeux1122), which also indicates the new MacBook Pros will arrive in March.

Gurman cites Apple’s recent earnings call as further evidence that the upgraded line of MacBook Pros isn’t coming this year. During the call, Apple CEO Tim Cook says the company’s product lineup is “set” for the holiday season, while chief financial officer Luca Maestri says he expects Mac revenue to “decline substantially” in December, potentially because Apple doesn’t plan on releasing a new MacBook Pro this year. When Apple released the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros last October, the devices added $10.9 billion in Mac revenue, and it doesn’t seem like Apple’s expecting the same trend this year.

The upgraded 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros aren’t expected to come with any major design changes, but they’ll likely feature the more powerful M2 Pro and M2 Max processors. According to Gurman, the M2 Max chip is rumored to feature 12 CPU cores and up to 38 GPU cores, an upgrade from the 10 CPU cores and up to 32 GPU cores in the M1 Max. While Apple released its 13-inch MacBook Pro in June, it comes with the base M2 chip (also included in the new MacBook Air), featuring eight CPU cores and up to 10 GPU cores.