Top Stories: M2 MacBook Air Release Date, New HomePod Rumor, and More

The M2 MacBook Pro has started making its way into customers' hands and we're learning more about how it performs in a variety of situations, but all eyes are really on the upcoming M2 MacBook Air which has seen a complete redesign and should be arriving in a couple of weeks.

top stories 2jul2022
Other top stories this week included a host of product rumors including additional M2 and even M3 Macs, an updated Apple TV, and a revived HomePod, so make sure to read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Apple Plans to Launch MacBook Air With M2 Chip on July 15

MacRumors has learned from a source that Apple plans to launch the new MacBook Air with the M2 chip on Friday, July 15, meaning that pre-orders are likely to begin on Friday, July 8.

M2 MacBook Air 2022 Feature0010
Apple previously announced that the new MacBook Air would be available in July, but did not provide a specific date.

The new MacBook Air has been redesigned with a larger 13.6-inch display, a notch, a flatter appearance, and new Starlight and Midnight color options. The notebook features MagSafe 3 charging, an upgraded 1080p camera, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a Magic Keyboard with physical Fn keys, a Touch ID button, and more.

Pricing starts at $1,199 in the United States, while the previous MacBook Air remains available for $999.

Base 13-Inch MacBook Pro With M2 Chip Has Significantly Slower SSD Speeds Than Previous Model

The base model M2 MacBook Pro with 256GB of storage has significantly slower SSD read/write speeds compared to the equivalent M1 model.

13 inch macbook pro m2 mock feature 2
YouTube channels such as Max Tech and Created Tech tested the 256GB model with Blackmagic's Disk Speed Test app and real-world tests and found that the SSD's read and write speeds are around 50% and 30% slower, respectively, compared to the previous model.

M2 Pro Mac Mini, New Apple TV With A14 Chip, and More Rumored to Be in Development

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman outlined additional M2 Macs on Apple's product roadmap, including a new Mac mini powered by an M2 Pro chip.

m2 mac mini screen feature
Gurman listed several other new Apple products in the works, including a new Apple TV with an A14 chip and an increased 4GB of RAM. Most of the products are expected to launch between late 2022 and mid 2023.

New Version of Original HomePod to Return Next Year

One of the new Apple products that Gurman mentioned is in the works is a new HomePod with the same S8 chip as will be found in the Apple Watch Series 8.

homepod feature blue2
Gurman said the new HomePod will be closer to the original model in terms of size and audio performance, as opposed to being a new HomePod mini. He also said the new HomePod will feature an updated display on the top of the speaker, potentially with multi-touch functionality.

Video Comparison: M2 MacBook Pro vs. M1 MacBook Pro

In a recent video on our YouTube channel, we compared Apple's new 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip to the previous model with the M1 chip.

m1 vs m2 macbook pro
The video provides a look at the M2 MacBook Pro's overall performance, SSD speeds, and more compared to the previous model. Both machines have a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM in our comparison.

Kuo: Apple's Work on 5G Modem Chip 'Failed,' Qualcomm to Remain Supplier for 2023 iPhones

For years, rumors have suggested that Apple is working on its own 5G modem for future devices, but analyst Ming-Chi Kuo this week claimed that Apple's efforts have "failed" so far and said that Qualcomm will remain Apple's modem supplier for 2023 iPhones.

Apple 5G Modem Feature Triad
If Kuo is accurate, this means iPhone 15 models could be equipped with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X70 modem as Apple continues work on its own modem.

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

CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
iOS 19 Roundup Feature

iOS 19 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday April 15, 2025 7:37 am PDT by
The first iOS 19 beta is less than two months away, and there are already a handful of new features that are expected with the update. Apple should release the first iOS 19 beta to developers immediately following the WWDC 2025 keynote, which is scheduled for Monday, June 9. Following beta testing, the update should be released to the general public in September. Below, we recap the key...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.4.1 With Bug Fixes

Wednesday April 16, 2025 10:11 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.4.1 and iPadOS 18.4.1 come two weeks after the launch of iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. There have been complaints about ...
tvOS 18 Thumb 1

Apple Releases tvOS 18.4.1

Wednesday April 16, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.4.1, a minor update to the tvOS 18 operating system that came out last September. tvOS 18.4.1 comes two weeks after Apple released tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.4.1 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software....
iPhone Security Feature 25

Five iPhone Security Features You Should Be Using

Wednesday April 16, 2025 4:15 pm PDT by
Apple has quite a few security features that it's added to iPhones, iPads, and Macs over the years. Now more than ever, it's important to make sure you're taking advantage of the built-in security tools that are available to keep yourself and your data safe, so we've rounded up a list of the most important options. If you don't already have these enabled, you might want to consider turning...

Top Rated Comments

trashmac Avatar
37 months ago
I have an original HomePod and wish I'd bought a second one before they were discontinued. Instead I bought a HomePod mini and the sound just doesn't compare.
I'd welcome the return of the original...
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Funny Apple Man Avatar
37 months ago
I’m looking forward to see the reviews for the M2 MacBook Air. I’m not buying it since I already have an M1 MBA but I’d love to see how much better it is than mine and then suffer from FOMO.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Isengardtom Avatar
37 months ago
If they're going to make an M2 pro Mac mini, would they also make an M2 pro iMac 24"?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Freeangel1 Avatar
37 months ago
the M2 Toaster. I bet you can fry eggs on that sucker. the M2 MBA. with NO FAN!!

The M2 MacBook Pro already COOKS with a fan!!

I bet this is gonna be a lemon. A design flaw.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tCdemon Avatar
37 months ago
I have high hopes for the MacBook Air M2, going to make this my main device.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Massy1989 Avatar
37 months ago
[S]This post says the MacBook Air has two Thunderbolt 3 ports? (Should say Thunderbolt 4)[/S]

Oh, wow — they are Thunderbolt 3, but also USB 4? USB-C never fails to complicate…
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)