WWDC 2022 Rumor Report Card: MacBook Air With White Bezels, iOS 16 Lock Screen Changes, and More

This week, Apple held a jam-packed WWDC keynote where it announced iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, watchOS 9, the next-generation of Apple silicon with M2, a new redesigned MacBook Air, and a revamped 13-inch MacBook Pro.

wwdc live stream
As is typical with all of Apple's events, there were rumors and leaks about what Apple would announce. While many of the rumors and reports did end up becoming true, a few didn't turn out to be accurate. Below we've rounded up which rumors and reports nailed it and which unfortunately didn't.

Wrong: Colorful MacBook Air With White Bezels

prosser macbook air keyboard
In May 2021, Apple leaker Jon Prosser shared renders showing a MacBook Air with white bezels, a white keyboard, and a lineup of bright, vibrant colors. Those renders also depicted one USB-C port on one side, which turned out to not be the case.

The new MacBook Air features a MagSafe 3 connector and two USB-C ports on the left side, with a headphone jack on the right. The new MacBook Air features a notch like the MacBook Pro but features black bezels and a black keyboard.

Unlike the rumors, which were debunked by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman before Monday's keynote, the new MacBook Air only comes in four muted colors. The new MacBook features the M2 chip and starts at $1199 with pre-orders next month.

Right: 13-inch MacBook Pro With No New Design

13 inch macbook pro m2 mock feature 2
The same leaker who accurately claimed the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros would feature a notch also accurately provided details on the revamped 13-inch MacBook Pro.

The source said the revamped low-end Macbook Pro would feature the same design as previous models, with the only change being the M2 Apple silicon chip. The source did, however, claim the laptop would launch in March.

Wrong: Improved Low Power Mode for watchOS 9

f1654537462
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that watchOS 9 would include an expanded version of Low Power Mode that lets users use the watch with reduced battery life usage.

The Apple Watch currently has a Power Reserve mode which restricts the Apple Watch functionality to only show the time. At least in the first watchOS 9 beta, a Low Power Mode reported by Gurman does not exist. Apple may add the feature to watchOS 9 later this fall, but exclusive to the upcoming Apple Watch Series 8.

Right: iOS 16 Lock Screen Changes, Apple Pay Later, and More

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman accurately reported that Apple would be planning major changes for the iOS lock screen, letting users add widgets, change the font and color, and new dynamic wallpapers.

Bloomberg also accurately reported on Apple Pay Later and its development last year, which will launch this fall.

Right: macOS Ventura and iPadOS 16 Changes

Ventura Macs Feature Red
While macOS "Ventura" was not on our list of possible options for macOS 13, there were several rumors that did turn out to be accurate about Apple's upcoming macOS release.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that System Preferences, now renamed System Settings, would be getting a redesign that's more in line with iOS. Gurman also reported that stock system apps such as Mail, Notes, Reminders, Safari, and Messages would be getting updates.

Perhaps the most accurate rumor pre-WWDC was Bloomberg reporting on Apple's plan to revamp multitasking on the iPad and make it more Mac-like. With the M1 iPad Air and M1 iPad Pro, Apple has introduced Stage Manager, which allows multiple apps to be open at once in windows.

Wrong: Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR 2 Preview

mac pro 2019 new
Not originating from any credible sources, there was initial speculation and chatter circulating online that Apple would announce its Apple silicon Mac Pro and an accompanying update to the Pro Display XDR at this year's WWDC.

Apple previewed the current Intel-based Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR at WWDC 2019, adding to the belief a repeat could happen this year. That did not happen, as Apple instead announced its next-generation "M2" Apple silicon chip and a new MacBook Air and low-end MacBook Pro.

Popular Stories

New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of 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. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
iphone 16 apple intelligence

Apple Drops Plans for iPhone Hardware Subscription Service

Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Rumored to Stick With 'Triangular' Camera Design

Wednesday December 18, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital." In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
elevation lab airtag battery

Your AirTag's Battery Will Last for Up to 10 Years With Elevation Lab's New TimeCapsule Enclosure

Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag. Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
apple tv 4k yellow bg feature

New Apple TV Rumored to Launch Next Year With These Features

Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year. Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
blackmagic vision pro

Blackmagic Debuts $30K 3D Camera for Capturing Video for Vision Pro

Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro. The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
mac pro creativity

Apple Launched the Controversial 'Trashcan' Mac Pro 11 Years Ago Today

Thursday December 19, 2024 7:00 pm PST by
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup. The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' With 'Major' Design Changes and 19-Inch MacBook Detailed in New Report

Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie. The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...

Top Rated Comments

JosepPont Avatar
33 months ago
Jon Wronger
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mac Fly (film) Avatar
33 months ago
Lesson learned: stop reporting a petulant YouTuber on MR.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Unggoy Murderer Avatar
33 months ago
Prosser has only ever been a lucky guesser. At least Gurman actually appears to be informed - I'll bet the low power mode is a feature on the Series 8 watch.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CyberBob859 Avatar
33 months ago
So, three right and three wrong. 50-50. The same odds as flipping a coin. About right when placing any faith on rumors.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DHagan4755 Avatar
33 months ago
Yeah, John Prosser was the biggest loser here.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
33 months ago
You just can’t win with Apple. Apple did an amazing job keeping everything a secret. While the analytics and YouTubers were too busy shooting the darts all blindfolded. ?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)