2022 promise to be another big twelvemonth for the Mac , with the second half of the Apple atomic number 14 transition play a new27 - in iMac , Mac Pro , and aredesigned MacBook Air . But while we ’re worked up about the performance gains and new designs , the conclusion of the switch to its own potato chip is also an chance to create some further feature para between the Mac and our iOS devices .
As much as we love our Macs , the iPhone has become our primary twist throughout the day . So we ’ve gotten used to the gizmo the iPhone wreak and feel ourselves longing for many of its feature when we grow to our Macs . Here ’s are the unity we ’d like to see come to the Mac after the Apple silicon conversion is finish .
5G cellular connectivity
It ’s odd how Apple has never offer cellular connectivity with any of its MacBooks . We thought that would modify with the14- and 16 - inch MacBook Pro — Apple promote these laptop as genuine “ pro ” machine and we hoped that finally included 5G. But that did n’t happen . The only wireless connectivity offer in any MacBook is Wi - Fi and Bluetooth , and while it ’s relatively soft to find a publicly - accessible Wi - Fi connection or tether our iPhones , it ’s ordinarily much slower and not as convenient as build up - in cellular networking .
5 G cellular bar on a Mac fare bar would be a welcomed sight .
IDG
However , if a 5 G MacBook is going to happen , 2023 seems more likely . Apple bought Intel ’s modem businessover two years ago , and right before the Intel deal , Apple settled a lawsuitwith modem manufacturer Qualcomm that imply a six - twelvemonth licensing agreement . Analysts guess that an Apple wireless chip could appear in 2023 — the item of the licensing concord are n’t publically known , but it ’s likely it has nothing to do with the Mac , which would allow Apple to debut its new wireless chips in a MacBook .
TrueDepth Camera
The 14- and 16 - in MacBook Pro and the 24 - in iMac get along with improved 1080p FaceTime camera . We ’ll admit that they ’re a Brobdingnagian advance over the 720p FaceTime cameras that Apple used for far too long , but they ’re also a far cry from what the camera on the Mac should be . Apple could do even better by using the iPhone ’s TrueDepth camera , which twin a 12 MP , f/2.2 , 23 mm wide television camera with a 3D structured light profoundness / biometrics sensor .
Apple does n’t even ask to put it in all of its Macs , just the pro model . As we wrote in our14 - in MacBook Pro review , “ putting the 12MP FaceTime photographic camera on the MacBook Pro would give pro exploiter a top - mountain pass TV - conferencing experience . ” Rumor has it that Apple is pitch up to launch a larger iMac with an M1 Pro to revive iMac Pro this year , and we hope it ’s the first Mac that will be equip with the 12MP FaceTime camera . Speaking of …
Center Stage
Okay , this is n’t technically an iPhone feature of speech , but it feels like one . One of the well new features in iPadOS 15 is Center Stage , which adjust the pad ’s front - facing camera to keep you in the skeleton during a videoconference . It can whizz along in when there ’s just one someone on camera , or zoom out when there are multiple people . If you move , Center Stage adjusts so you ’re still in the center of the frame .
For a Mac to have Center Stage , it need the Ultra Wide tv camera found on the iPad Pro .
Dominik Tomaszewski / IDG
It ’s a terrific feature and it needs to be on the Mac , which is oft used for videoconferences . As Jason Snellpointed outin a recent More people of colour column for Macworld , Center Stage “ is perfect for any twist that generally stays still while people place themselves around its front - facing camera . ” It ’s an idealistic feature for the iMac , and it would knead great on the MacBook , too .
Face ID
Hey look , another lineament involve the front - facing camera ! With the release of the 24 - inch iMac and the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID , fingerprint assay-mark has become ubiquitous on the Mac . It ’s a convenient feature — it ’s a lot comfortable to read your finger than recruit a complicated password — and much more unafraid , but confront ID take it one pace further .
Imagine that the project you ’re doing requires authentication , and the Mac performs a Face ID check so quickly you barely even notice it . That would be coolheaded . Apple could even keep Touch ID around , so a drug user can pose a orientation for either method and have a surefire way to pay off for affair . Like the TrueDepth camera above , Apple could limit Face ID to pro Macs to aid differentiate those modeling from consumer Macs .
Multi-Touch
With an iMac Pro almost sure enough coming out this class , it ’s an opportunity to storm the community with the firsttouchscreen Mac . Since the iMac Pro will have a concealment bigger than 24 inches , UI element will also be fully grown and be more conducive to touch . Maybe Apple introduces it as a mode to further iPhone and iPad apps running on Apple silicon Macs . App developers tend to apply pro mackintosh , so the touchscreen UI could be acquaint in the iMac Pro and finally be wreak over to the 14- and 16 - inch MacBook Pro .
The ability to run iPhone and iPad apps on Apple atomic number 14 Macs could be the incoming point for a touchscreen Mac .
Apple
We ’ll let in it ’s probably not endure to happen . We ’ve been enounce for long time thattouchscreen Macs are an opportunityfor Apple , but the company has been adamant that the engineering is n’t in the Mac ’s architectural plan . Apple has flipped on alike declarations in the retiring — technology and exploiter demand are invariably changing , and Apple is willing to modify , too . We have n’t get wind so much as a peep about touchscreen development , so if this did happen in 2022 ( if at all ) , it might be Apple ’s honorable ever kept secret .
