Top Stories: Mac Studio and Studio Display Now Available, iOS 15.4 Released, and More

Following last week's Apple event, this week remained busy with the launch of all of the hardware introduced at the event, as well as the next round of operating updates.

top stories 19mar2022
Ahead of Friday's hardware launch, we saw early media reviews of the Mac Studio, Studio Display, iPad Air 5, iPhone SE 3, and even some hands-on looks at the new green iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro colors.

We also saw the public release of iOS 15.4 and associated updates with a bunch of new features including the long-awaited Universal Control, so read on for all of the details on these stories and more!

Mac Studio Reviews: Faster Than a $13,000 Mac Pro

Just over a week after Apple introduced the Mac Studio, the first reviews of the desktop computer have surfaced.

Mac Studio Display Feature Pink
The first Mac Studio reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, with reviewers praising the computer for its impressive performance. When configured with Apple's new M1 Ultra chip, the Mac Studio is faster than a Mac Pro with a 28-core Intel processor, which costs $12,999.

Apple began accepting Mac Studio pre-orders last week ahead of a launch on Friday, March 18. Mac Studio pricing starts at $1,999 with an M1 Max chip and at $3,999 with an M1 Ultra chip.

Apple to Improve Studio Display's Camera in Software Update After Several Poor Reviews

The first reviews of Apple's Studio Display are out, and one common criticism among reviewers was that the webcam's image quality ranges from equivalent to an "old BlackBerry" to downright "awful."

apple studio display blue
In response, an Apple spokesperson said the company "discovered an issue where the system is not behaving as expected" and will be "making improvements in a software update," without specifying further.

iPhone SE 3 Reviews: Impressive Performance in a 'Tired Design'

While reviews of the third-generation iPhone SE praised the addition of a faster A15 chip and 5G support at a budget-friendly $429 price point, the device still has the same design as the iPhone 8 from 2017.

iPhone SE 3 stacked
Other key features of the new iPhone SE include longer battery life, more durable glass, new camera features, the return of a 256GB storage option, and an increased 4GB of RAM.

iPad Air 5 Reviews: Great Value With M1 Chip From $599

The new fifth-generation iPad Air began arriving to customers on Friday and, ahead of the launch, the first reviews of the device were shared online while we've already started to go hands-on with our own unit.

m1 ipad air hands on
Overall, the new iPad Air remains a great value, with performance now on par with the iPad Pro thanks to the addition of the M1 chip. The new iPad Air also features 5G connectivity on cellular models, an upgraded 12-megapixel front camera with support for Center Stage, up to a 2x faster USB-C port for data transfer, new color options, and more.

iOS 15.4 Released: Here is Everything New

Apple this week released iOS 15.4 and iPadOS 15.4 to the public following nearly two months of beta testing, and there are several new features for iPhone and iPad users to check out.

iOS 15
Notably, iOS 15.4 lets you unlock an iPhone with Face ID while wearing a mask, with no Apple Watch required. This is just one of many new features, so be sure to check out our list of everything that is new in iOS 15.4.

Other releases this week included macOS 12.3, watchOS 8.5, tvOS 15.4, and HomePod software version 15.4.

Kuo: Only iPhone 14 Pro Models to Get A16 Chip, Standard Models to Retain A15

Only the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will receive Apple's latest A16 Bionic chip later this year, with the two lower-end iPhone 14 models to stick with the A15 chip, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

iPhone 14 Mock pill and hole
Should this information be accurate, it seems plausible that Apple might only offer a new chip with the "Pro" models, and then that chip would trickle down to the two cheaper ‌iPhone‌ models the following year.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

10 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Thursday October 31, 2024 9:42 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well. ...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 Cinema 4D Slack Finder Xcode 1

Apple Announces MacBook Pro Models With M4 Pro and M4 Max Chips, Thunderbolt 5 Support, and More

Wednesday October 30, 2024 8:01 am PDT by
Apple today announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models featuring M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, alongside a new entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the M4 chip. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new M4 Pro and M4 Max machines come with a minimum of 24GB of Unified Memory as standard, up from 18GB in the previous models. Both models feature three...
M4 Pro on Blue

M4 Pro Chip Benchmark Results Reveal an Extremely Impressive Performance Feat

Thursday October 31, 2024 7:06 pm PDT by
The first Geekbench 6 benchmark results for the M4 Pro chip surfaced today. Impressively, the results that are available so far show that the highest-end M4 Pro chip is faster than the highest-end M2 Ultra chip in terms of peak multi-core CPU performance. Here is a comparison of the results: Mac mini with M4 Pro (14-core CPU): 22,094 multi-core score (average of 11 results) Mac Studio...
m3 macbook air blue

Apple Announces MacBook Air Now Starts With Increased 16GB of RAM With No Price Increase

Wednesday October 30, 2024 8:04 am PDT by
Apple today in its new MacBook Pro press release announced that the MacBook Air lineup now starts with 16GB of RAM, up from 8GB previously. This change applies to the 13-inch model with the M2 chip, the 13-inch model with the M3 chip, and the 15-inch model with the M3 chip. In the U.S., the MacBook Air lineup continues to start at $999, so there is no price increase associated with the...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces Redesigned Mac Mini With M4 and M4 Pro Chips, Two Front USB-C Ports, and More

Tuesday October 29, 2024 8:01 am PDT by
Apple today announced fully redesigned Mac mini models featuring the M4 and M4 Pro chips, a considerably smaller casing, two front-facing USB-C ports, Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, and more. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The product refresh marks the first time the Mac mini has been redesigned in over a decade. The enclosure now measures just five by five inches...
Apple iPhone SE 4 5G Modem 1

iPhone SE 4 First to Get Apple-Designed 5G Modem, iPhone 17 Pro to Add Custom Wi-Fi 7 Chip

Friday November 1, 2024 4:04 am PDT by
The iPhone SE 4 that's set to come out early next year is expected to debut Apple's first in-house 5G modem, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain. In a research note this week with Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu said Apple is expected to roll out its custom-made 5G modem starting with the next-generation...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

Skipping the New MacBook Pro? Here Are Two Bigger Changes Rumored

Thursday October 31, 2024 4:00 pm PDT by
While the new MacBook Pro lineup features faster M4 chip options, Thunderbolt 5 support for higher-end configurations, a nano-texture display option, and more, most of the previous MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon chips still offer the latest overall design, and fast performance, which might lead you to avoid upgrading this year. If you are planning to skip the new MacBook Pro, here are ...

Top Rated Comments

ct2k7 Avatar
34 months ago
Great to see loads of good products being released.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Danfango Avatar
34 months ago

Great to see loads of good products being released.
This is a great comment. I see so much bitching and moaning here. They actually deliver a lot of good stuff.

Compare to Google and Microsoft…
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
34 months ago
This week involves reviews of everything that was announced at the March 8 event, which has made for some interesting discussions about Apple’s hardware goals and what’s a good buy now.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)