MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019) misidentified as 2018 model

[stevenjklein]

How does jamf identify Mac models?

Our newest Macs identify themselves as MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019), but Jamf inventory shows them as MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018).

Presumably Jamf will issue an update that fixes this problem, but in the meantime, is it possible to identify these models using an extension attribute, or some other method?

[sshort]

Unfortunately, Apple is the source of this problem. For whatever reason the MacBookPro15,1 and MacBookPro15,2 model identifiers match both 2018 and 2019 Macs. This has happened before on the old-style MacBook Airs when they just got a minor processor bump, but it's definitely annoying on these new Pros.

For an EA to work, we'd need a unique component that is not shared with the 2018 models, the video card model number, perhaps?

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201300

[summoner2100]

Pretty sure that's a Jamf update issue. So when the new version comes out, it can identify new models, etc.

[stevenjklein]

I found this bit of code returns the correct model name:

/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "print :'CPU Names':$(system_profiler SPHardwareDataType | awk '/Serial/ {print $4}' | cut -c 9-)-en-US_US" ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.SystemProfiler.plist

I found that here: https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/359753/41287

(The author of that comment actually included two different one-liners, the other of which returns the wrong model name on the 2019 MBPs.)

I'll wrap that up in an extension attribute.

Does anyone here know how Jamf itself determines the model?

[diradmin]

@stevenjklein Per Jamf Support, Jamf Pro utilizes the model identifier. Documented internally as PI-007140 "2019 MacBook Pros listed as 2018 models".

[cdev]

The same behavior exists with:

• Mid 2014 15" MacBook Pros – the model identifier is identical to the Late 2013
• Early 2013 MacBook Pros (both 15" and 13" models) – model identifier is the same as the 15" Mid 2012 and 13" Late 2012

It's just because the model identifier is identical. Think of it as a processor bump, as little else (often nothing else) changed about the new model.

[stevenjklein]

Where does macOS get the model name to display in the "About This Mac" dialog?