Despite WWDC being a software conference, there are sometimes Mac releases, and there are always predictions that there will be, but it’s very unlikely this time.
Whether it’s fuelled by wishful thinking or click bait, WWDC coverage invariably includes commentary on new Mac releases. And it invariably goes that before the event, it is rumored or certain or sometimes apparently confirmed, that there will be new Mac hardware.
Then almost always, there isn’t. And then immediately after the event, the coverage is about how there was never going to be any new Mac hardware, that’s coming in the next event.
At risk of being another piece of commentary on this same issue, here’s why 2026 will almost certainly not include any new Mac hardware.
It’s a software conference.
Plus there is history here, specifically this history. From 2015 to 2025, there were seven without Mac hardware, and four with.
The four WWDC events with new Macs were:
- 2017: MacBook, MacBook Pro, iMac, iMac Pro
- 2019: Mac Pro, Pro Display XDR
- 2022: M2 MacBook Air, M2 13-inch MacBook Pro
- 2023: 15-inch MacBook Air, M2 Max and M2 Ultra Mac Studio, M2 Ultra Mac Pro
You can make a case that 2020 featured the Apple Silicon developer kit, but there wasn’t anything for the public. Apple announced it then partly because Apple Silicon made a significant difference for app developers, but also because WWDC is a spotlight.
If Apple wants to promote something, it either puts it in WWDC or maybe holds it for the iPhone launch. In both cases, Apple is getting the maximum coverage and attention then than it does all year.
This is why the Apple Watch was launched alongside the iPhone, although originally the Apple Watch was particularly dependent on the phone. Apple is very good at choosing its moments to launch devices, and it’s really hot on how not to dilute attention by releasing too much at once.
So back in 2017, Apple wanted to show pro users that it hadn’t abandoned them, as had persistently been rumored just before then. Apple used that WWDC to reveal the iMac Pro, even though the firm was clear that it wouldn’t ship until December 2017.
In 2019, it was a similar story, since users had begun to wonder if Apple would ever update its flagship Mac Pro. Under that global spotlight, Apple revealed that it had, and that it was also back in the monitor business with the Pro Display XDR.
Apple’s iMac Pro
So Apple certainly does bring out Macs at WWDC when there’s a bigger purpose to it. But then there’s also the release of the MacBook Air at WWDC 2022.
In that case, it was a radical redesign, as this is when the MacBook Air lost its famous wedge-shape design. It’s just not so obvious a headline that Apple was looking for.
Nor, really, was 2023 with its 15-inch MacBook Air. That did bring the larger screen size, a first for that model, but it wasn’t an answer to loud and vocal public demand.
With both of these years, 2022 and 2023, there were also updates to the MacBook Pro, the Mac Pro, or the Mac Studio, but again they were just updates.
And they were also as close to being a sideshow as they ever could be, because this was the year Apple announced the Apple Vision Pro.
Heading into WWDC 2026
If Apple wants to make a lot of noise about new Macs, it does have WWDC in which to do it. But it’s true that Apple has launched Macs that weren’t headline-shaking, plus this time it didn’t save the MacBook Neo for WWDC 2026.
Consequently, despite it being statistically less likely that there will be new Macs, it could still happen. Except there’s no one calling for an improved Mac Pro, and they won’t get one if they did.
Mac Studio buyers want still faster processors, but they’re not complaining about the lack of a redesign. It’s the same with Mac mini users, you might want more and faster, but you don’t feel abandoned.
There are just no obvious gaps in the Mac lineup at the moment. Given how much of a hit the MacBook Neo is, Apple could well be looking to do more low-cost Macs, but as yet there’s no indication that will happen this year.
The MacBook Neo has been a big hit due to its price
Then there’s this. WWDC is a great time to release important new Macs, but 2026 is a bad time to do it because of the global chip shortage.
If Apple did launch some new Mac at WWDC 2026, it would have to be something pretty special. If it were, the odds are that it would be an enormous hit.
And even Apple would surely struggle to add another MacBook Neo-like hit to its lineup when it’s reportedly struggling to get enough processors for its current models.
It’s not impossible that Apple will release new Macs at WWDC, it’s never impossible. But WWDC remains a software conference, Apple’s Mac releases there tend to be important updates, and there’s a shortage of processors.
Don’t expect new Macs at WWDC 2026, then. But do expect the next version of macOS, and at least that can make your old Mac feel a little new.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
