Mac14.6 and Mac15.4: Two mysterious model names for Apple’s Macs that have yet to be released are heating up rumors, and one of the two has been popping up in a number of places. Both are currently listed in a Steam gaming service stat. One possible explanation is that Apple is currently testing the devices before they are released and therefore they are appearing more and more on the Internet.
These model numbers are one of several internal Apple designations for its own devices. While model names familiar to customers, such as the iPhone 14 or AirPods Max, are often determined by marketing considerations, and products like the standard iPad always share the same name, making it sometimes difficult to tell them apart, the Model identification numbers are more clearly differentiated. For example, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is called the iPhone 15.3. The current 2020 Mac Mini with M1 chip is called MacMini9,1. Also, Apple devices still have part numbers that allow for more conclusions about batches and regions. With the current Mac Mini, these are MGNR3xx/A and MGNT3xx/A.
What the designations fit
The two designations that came up in a November Steam survey cannot currently be assigned to any commercially available Mac. The monthly hardware and software survey is conducted anonymously and is used by the service to find out what hardware and software configurations users use in order to know what technology and products the company should invest in in the future. In the Mac hardware model overview, the two designations can be seen at the bottom of the list with a 0 percent share; the low percentage can be explained by the fact that they will be individual devices.
Following the logic of Apple’s previous model numbers, it’s hard to place the two designations. But that also has to do with the fact that the MacBook Pro 13″ with M2 released this year made a clandestine break in naming. While the previous model with M1 from 2020 was still called MacBookPro17.1, the current MacBook Pro is titled Mac14.7 – so close to the name that has now appeared The curious thing, however, is that the model that has now been seen is in the order of the previous names.
Of course, the license plates that appeared could just be a joke. At least of the self-built Hackintosh models, it is known that the “Model Identifier” can be set. This means that this type of transmission could be generated to services such as Steam and recently to Geekbench.
Will the new Macs appear in early 2023?
Back in the summer, new MacBook Pro models with 14-inch and 16-inch displays were expected for the fall of this year. A new Mac Mini was also considered a great contender. This could be hidden behind the Mac15 designation, for example, if Apple were to leave the previous identification scheme for the Mac Mini as well. It’s not yet clear when the proposed Mac Pro will be unveiled and released. At least the Mac14.6 shouldn’t be if the benchmarks that have turned up are correct. Due to the increase in performance, these suggest a similarity to the larger MacBook Pro models. New releases are currently expected in early 2023.
(mki)
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