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

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

iPhones Could Cost Up to $2,300 in the U.S. Due to Tariffs, Analyst Says

Friday April 4, 2025 9:30 am PDT by
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that steep tariffs will be applied to imports from many countries, starting April 9. The tariffs could have a significant impact on Apple, as the company assembles the majority of iPhones in China, and products imported to the U.S. from China will be subject to a 54% tariff. iPhone prices could increase by up to 43% in the U.S. due to the...
iphone 16 pro colors 1

Is Now the Time to Upgrade Apple Devices Before Tariffs Lead to Price Increases?

Friday April 4, 2025 3:41 pm PDT by
If you have an older Apple device that you've been considering upgrading, you're probably wondering how the newly announced tariffs might impact prices going forward, and whether it's worth buying now before there's a price hike. Given analyst and economist responses to the tariffs, market panic, and Trump's stance on the current financial chaos, the answer is that making a purchase...
iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Tuesday April 1, 2025 4:06 am PDT by
Apple has released iOS 18.4, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new things your ‌iPhone‌ ...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 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. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple Logo Cash Orange

Apple Stock Sell-Off Continues After China Unveils Matching Tariffs

Friday April 4, 2025 7:05 am PDT by
Apple stock dropped 4% in early Friday trading, broadly following yesterday's trend after China announced reciprocal tariffs in response to U.S. President Trump's trade policies. The latest decline follows Thursday's dramatic 9% plunge that erased nearly $300 billion from Apple's market value – the company's worst single-day performance in five years – amid growing fears that Trump's...

Top Rated Comments

JasterMereel Avatar
36 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)