Top Stories: M2 MacBook Air Orders, iOS 16 Beta 3, and More

Apple's completely revamped MacBook Air is here! In line with our report from late June, Apple has now started taking orders for the new notebook ahead of a launch next week.

top stories 9jul2022
This week also saw the release of the third set of developer betas for iOS 16, macOS Ventura, and other upcoming updates, and we're expecting public betas to debut next week. Finally, we're continuing to hear rumors about Apple's product pipeline for the iPhone and Apple Watch, so read on below for details on all of these stories!

Apple Now Accepting Pre-Orders for New MacBook Air With M2 Chip

Apple on Friday began accepting orders for the new MacBook Air equipped with the M2 chip, after announcing the date earlier in the week to confirm our exclusive report from last month. The first deliveries to customers and in-store availability will begin one week later on Friday, July 15, but launch-day availability is already starting to slip.

M2 MacBook Air 2022 Feature0013
The new MacBook Air has been redesigned with a slightly larger 13.6-inch display, a notch, flatter edges, and new color options. The notebook features MagSafe charging, an upgraded 1080p camera, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, and more.

iOS 16 Beta 3 is Out: Here is What's New

Apple this week released the third betas of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16, and a handful of new features have been added across the platforms.

ios 16 lock screen feature2
We've unpacked everything new in the latest iOS 16 beta for the iPhone, including a new Lockdown Mode that offers "extreme" security for high-profile individuals targeted by state-sponsored spyware, a new Clownfish wallpaper inspired by the original iPhone, Lock screen changes, and more.

Apple also enabled two new features in the latest betas: iCloud Shared Photo Library and AFib History.

Apple Announces New Lockdown Mode on iOS 16 With 'Extreme' Level of Security

Apple shared more details about the new Lockdown Mode enabled in the third betas of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura this week.

Lockdown Mode Feature
Lockdown Mode is found in the Settings app under Privacy & Security. When enabled, Apple said the optional feature provides an "extreme" level of security by strictly limiting or disabling the functionality of features, apps, and websites, such as Safari, Messages, and FaceTime.

iCloud Shared Photo Library Support Added in Latest iOS 16 and macOS Ventura Betas

The new iCloud Shared Photo Library feature that Apple previewed at WWDC has been enabled in the third betas of iOS 16 and macOS Ventura this week.

icloud shared photo library
‌iCloud‌ Shared Photo Library is designed to make it easier for you to share photos with your family members or friends. The feature allows you and up to five other people to add, edit, or remove photos in a shared library accessible across multiple devices via iCloud.

Apple Watch Series 8 Might Be Able to Detect a Fever

Apple Watch Series 8 models launching later this year will be able to detect if you have a fever, should the feature pass final testing, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said in the latest edition of his newsletter.

Apple Watch Series 8 What We Know Feature
Fever detection is also expected to be a feature on a new "rugged" version of the Apple Watch Series 8, which is rumored to feature a strong metal casing, a larger and more shatter-resistant screen, and a larger battery.

Apple's Latest Chips to Remain Exclusive to Pro Models for iPhone 15 and Beyond

Back in March, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that only iPhone 14 Pro models would be upgraded with Apple's latest A16 chip this year, with the standard iPhone 14 models sticking to the A15 chip.

iPhone 14 Pro Lineup Feature Purple
It was unclear whether this would be a one-off change due to the ongoing chip shortage, but Kuo has now claimed that the trend of only the Pro models getting Apple's latest chip will continue with the iPhone 15 series and beyond.

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

election results 2024 live activities

Track 2024 U.S. Election Results Live on Your iPhone Lock Screen

Tuesday November 5, 2024 5:02 am PST by
Apple News is providing Live Activities support for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, allowing iPhone and iPad users to track electoral results in real time directly from their Lock Screen. The feature is rolling out for U.S. users over the course of Election Day, November 5, providing continuous updates of the electoral count. So if you're interested, you don't need to repeatedly check...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 2

Monday November 4, 2024 12:34 pm PST by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 updates to developers, and Apple is continuing to refine the Apple Intelligence capabilities. There are also a handful of smaller features that are worth knowing about. Find My Find My has a new option to Share Item Location with an "airline or trusted person" that can help you locate something that you've misplaced....
iCloud General Feature

Here's What's New in Apple's Updated iCloud Terms and Conditions Taking Effect Next Week

Friday September 13, 2024 7:39 am PDT by
Apple has started notifying users about an upcoming revision to its iCloud Terms and Conditions, which takes effect on Monday, September 16. We compared the text of the upcoming iCloud Terms and Conditions with the current U.S. version from September 18, 2023 and identified four key changes: "Apple ID" references have been changed to "Apple Account" throughout. iCloud users must agree to ...
ipads early bf deals

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Tuesday November 5, 2024 7:02 am PST by
Black Friday is still a few weeks away, but you can already find great prices on numerous iPads, including the 9th generation iPad, 10th generation iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Of course, there is a chance that ...
ios 18 2 chatgpt plus

iOS 18.2 Beta 2 Shows Siri ChatGPT Limit, Offers 'Plus' Upgrade Option

Monday November 4, 2024 10:54 am PST by
With the second beta of iOS 18.2 that's available for developers today, Apple has further fleshed out the ChatGPT integration that's available with Siri. In the Settings app, there's now a section that shows the ChatGPT daily limit, and offers an option to upgrade to the paid ChatGPT Plus plan. The beta includes an Advanced Capabilities section with a "Daily Limit" reading that shows up as...
M4 MacBook Pros Thumb

M4 MacBook Pro Reviews: Processor Benchmarks Impress, New Nano-Texture Option Worth the Extra $150

Thursday November 7, 2024 6:14 am PST by
The first wave of reviews of Apple's new M4-powered MacBook Pro models were published this morning. We've collected some of the latest impressions from YouTube channels and select media outlets below. Apple last month announced the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding next-generation M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, with Thunderbolt 5 ports on higher-end models, display and camera ...
early apple watch black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Watch Deals

Wednesday November 6, 2024 6:33 am PST by
Black Friday is just around the corner, and Apple Watch deals have begun appearing ahead of the shopping holiday on November 29. In this article, we'll take a look at all of the best early Black Friday Apple Watch deals, including the new Series 10 models. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small...

Top Rated Comments

JasterMereel Avatar
31 months ago

Still stuck on my 2013 MacBook Pro. Even though the trade-in value is decreasing every year, I still have not updated yet.
I'm on a 2013 13" MBP right now. The M2 Air is what is finally making me upgrade.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)