Apple reportedly does not plan to hold an in-person iPhone 14 event this September. Instead, the company will once again announce the upcoming iPhones via a virtual event.
Apple seemingly diversified its supply chain by adding a new component supplier for the iPhone 14 lineup. Chinese company SG Micro has acquired the necessary certifications to supply components for the high-end iPhone 14 Pro series.
The move comes as Apple looks to avoid disruptions in its supply chain due to external factors.
MacBook Pros powered by upgraded Apple M2 Pro and M2 Max chips could debut as early as this fall. The new chips would focus on delivering improved GPU performance.
The upcoming 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro refresh is not expected to pack any other significant changes.
The iPhone 14 is reportedly already in the test production phase. That puts Apple’s next-gen smartphone on schedule to launch in September, as expected.
But, in a separate report, an industry analyst warns that one version of the 2022 iPhone may be in short supply when it launches.
Apple’s second-generation AR/MR headset could debut in 2025 with a more affordable price tag than the original. The company seemingly plans to launch two different variants of the headset to target consumers with different budgets.
Apple’s first-generation mixed reality headset is currently expected to launch in the first half of 2023.
iPhone 14 could cost $100 more than iPhone 13 due to an increase in component costs across Apple’s supply chain, according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: This could be the year Apple Watch goes large … and rugged … and maybe long. Like, long enough to track the kind of intense, multi-hour workouts that “extreme sports athletes” engage in.
So the question is, what will this beefier (and pricier) Apple Watch look like? We can’t help letting our imaginations run a little wild.
Also on The CultCast:
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The rugged Apple Watch designed for hardcore athletes will come with the smartwatch’s biggest screen yet, according to a new report.
Slated to launch this fall alongside Apple Watch Series 8, the sports-oriented smartwatch will come with a beefier battery to make it through longer workouts. A more shatter-resistant screen and a brawny metal case will round out the package — along with a hefty price bump.
Going forward, Apple might make its latest and greatest A-series chips exclusive to high-end iPhone models, according to a reputable analyst.
Apple previously did not differentiate between Pro and “regular” iPhones when it came to processors. But that could change with this year’s iPhone 14 lineup.
The upcoming Apple Watch Series 8 could feature a body temperature sensor that will allow the wearable to detect when you are running a fever.
Both the regular Apple Watch Series 8 and the rumored rugged variant aimed at hardcore athletes should feature the new sensor.
Apple’s upcoming M2 Pro chip will be made with an improved manufacturing process that will make it even faster and more energy-efficient, according to an unconfirmed report. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s 3nm process supposedly will be used on the M2 Pro, as well as the M3.
Quite a few Macs using these chips are already in the pipeline.
Apple is working on a new HomePod that could launch next year with a new S8 chip. The smart speaker reportedly will be similar in size to the original HomePod rather than the HomePod mini.
Apple is also working on a powerful new Apple TV with an A14 chip and more RAM.
Rumors of an Apple Watch Explorer Edition started last year, when Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple was working on ruggedized smartwatch designed specifically for athletes. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, from TF International Securities, added fuel to the fire last December, claiming that an “extreme sports version” could debut in 2022.
This month at WWDC, Apple’s focus on new fitness features for watchOS 9 lent further credence to these rumors. As a fitness-fanatic myself, all this hype has got me pretty excited. It inspired me to create these Photoshop mockups, exclusively for Cult of Mac, to explore exactly what the Explorer Edition might look like.
It goes without saying that AirPods Pro 2 will offer better sound. Duh. But Apple also will add some surprise features to the next generation of its earbuds, according to a new leak. That includes heart rate detection and a new hearing aid feature.
Plus, the charging case supposedly will make the switch to USB-C, to match reports that iPhone 15 will dump the Lightning port.
Apple CEO Tim Cook teased the company’s rumored AR/VR headset during an interview with Chinese state-affiliated media on June 14.
He expressed his excitement about augmented reality and the opportunities in this space.
The first MacBook with an OLED display will launch in 2024, according to an Apple analyst. The laptop will swap out the traditional LED screen for one that’s brighter and more colorful.
Two iPads with OLED displays also reportedly will debut in 2024.
A 15-inch MacBook will debut in less than a year that offers either an M2 or an M2 Pro processor, according to a reliable Apple analyst. That could make it one of the first with the upgraded version of the M2.
Note that the notebook might not be branded as a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air. It could be a “MacBook.”
Although one reliable Apple tipster recently said a 12-inch M2 MacBook is on the drawing board, another is skeptical that any such device is in development.
If released, the small notebook would be a change of strategy for Apple.
The iPhone 14 series could bring the smartphone’s biggest front camera upgrade in years, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The addition of autofocus and a newer lens should help in “significantly improving the selfie and video performance,” he said.
Apple is developing new form factors and planning upgrades for its MacBook lineup, Bloomberg reported Thursday. That should result in a 15-inch M2 MacBook Air and a new version of a 12-inch M2 MacBook arriving by late 2023 or early 2024.
And, likely sooner than that, we could see faster chips in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
Apple is working on an iPad Pro with a 14.1-inch mini-LED display, ProMotion and Face ID, sources suggested Thursday.
Unfortunately for folks who are already salivating at the idea of such a big Apple tablet, it probably won’t arrive until early 2023.
Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks Apple’s AR/VR headset won’t ship until the second quarter of 2023 due to delays caused by COVID-19 lockdowns in China.
Apple made no mention of its long-rumored AR headset, or the realityOS platform upon which it reportedly will operate, during Monday’s WWDC22 keynote — as predicted by Kuo himself. However, the company could announce the headset at a special media event next January, according to the analyst.
An unannounced Mac mini is now listed on the B&H website, though without full product details. The desktop’s most eye-catching feature is an Apple M2 processor, which also has not yet been announced.
In addition, the retailer lists a “Mac mini Tower” running an M1 Pro. Both products are labeled as “New Item – Coming Soon.”
Contrary to rumors, the upcoming M2 MacBook Air may not come in the same eye-catching colorways as the M1 iMac.
Instead, it will be available in the standard three colors as the current-gen MacBook Air, with a shade of blue being the only new addition to the lineup, according to the latest intel.
We’re less than a week away from WWDC22, but it’s not too late to take a look ahead to the unveiling of iOS 16, macOS 13, iPadOS 16 and watchOS 9. As always, these operating system upgrades are expected to be the highlights of Apple’s annual developer conference.
Some details about them already leaked out, though. Here’s a foretaste of WWDC22.