Top Stories: iOS 16.2 in Mid-December, No New Macs Until 2023, and More

Apple's apparent final hardware launch of 2022 is here with the latest Apple TV 4K, as it seems we won't be seeing any Mac updates until early next year.

top stories 5nov2022
There's still a bit more on the calendar before the end of the year, however, including the holiday shopping season and software updates such as iOS 16.2 that will bring a number of new features and improvements when they are released in another month or so. This week also saw rumors about future products like the iPhone 15 and iPhone SE 4, so read on for details on these stories and more!

iOS 16.2 Expected to Launch in Mid-December With Several New Features

After the seeding of initial betas of iOS 16.2 and associated updates last week, we now have an estimated time frame for their public release, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman indicating they will launch in mid-December.

iOS 16
The updates will bring a number of new features including Live Activities integration for select sports games via the built-in TV app, a new Sleep widget for the iPhone Lock Screen, the new Freeform collaboration app across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and more.

Gurman: Apple Planning No New Mac Releases For Remainder of 2022

While earlier rumors had suggested we could see some Mac updates before the end of the year, it looks like that's no longer the case. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says updated Mac models such as the MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and Mac Pro won't be appearing until at least the first quarter of 2023.

apple silicon mac lineup wwdc 2022
The claim matches up with comments from Apple CFO Luca Maestri in last week's earnings conference call where he indicated that's Apple's "product lineup is set" for the holidays and that Mac sales will see a substantial year-over-year decline in the current quarter.

Kuo: iPhone 15 Pro Models to Feature Solid-State Buttons and Three Taptic Engines

The volume and power buttons on next year's iPhone 15 models may no longer be mechanical buttons and could transition to a solid-state design, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

apple taptic engine
Similar to the Home button on iPhone 7 and later models with Touch ID, the physical click of the side buttons on upcoming models may be replaced by haptic feedback using two additional Taptic Engines.

The change would come at the same time as Apple moves to a USB-C port rather than Lightning on next year's iPhone models, marking the first change in the physical connector in over a decade.

Apple TV 4K 2022 Reviews: Faster and More Affordable With HDR10+ Support and USB-C Remote, But Largely Unchanged

What appears to be Apple's last product launch of 2022 took place this week with the third-generation Apple TV 4K, and ahead of Friday's launch, reviews from various media publications and YouTubers hit the web. We also did our own brief unboxing and hands-on with the new box on launch day.

apple tv 4k yellow bg feature
The new Apple TV is a modest update, but it delivers faster performance, HDR10+ support, a USB-C charging port on the remote, and a slimmer and lighter fanless design. Most importantly, it comes with a lower price tag.

Apple Has Not Finalized Details for iPhone SE 4 Display, 5.7" to 6.1" OLED and LCD Screens Under Consideration

Apple's budget iPhone SE continues to be based on an older design with a Home button and large top and bottom display bezels, but it sounds like the next version planned for release in 2024 will come with a significant upgrade from the current 4.7-inch display.

iphone se 4 modified
Exactly what that upgrade will entail is apparently yet to be settled, however, with display analyst Ross Young claiming this week that Apple is weighing options that include a 6.1-inch OLED display and a 5.7-inch or 6.1-inch LCD display.

Apple Now Selling Refurbished M2 MacBook Air Models

Just a few months after their July launch, M2 MacBook Air models have started in appearing in Apple's online store for refurbished products.

m2 macbook air pink
The store is offering a roughly 10% discount compared to brand-new prices, and Apple's refurbished products go through a thorough reconditioning process to make them almost identical to brand-new units. Refurbished units are also eligible for AppleCare and have the same one-year standard warranty and 14-day return policy.

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

cook trump

Trump Responds to Apple Keeping Diversity Policies

Wednesday February 26, 2025 6:32 am PST by
In an all-caps post on Truth Social today, U.S. President Donald Trump said Apple should fully end its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Tim Cook meeting with President Trump in 2017 "APPLE SHOULD GET RID OF DEI RULES, NOT JUST MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THEM," he wrote. Trump's post comes one day after Apple held its annual shareholders meeting, during which a majority of...
iOS 18

Apple Says iOS 18.4 Will Be Released in April With These New Features

Wednesday February 26, 2025 7:15 am PST by
In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 18.4 will be released in April. From the Apple News+ Food announcement:Coming with iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 in April, Apple News+ subscribers will have access to Apple News+ Food, a new section that will feature tens of thousands of recipes — as well as stories about restaurants, healthy eating, kitchen essentials, and more — from the...
apple watch ultra snow

6 Features Coming to the Apple Watch Ultra 3

Tuesday February 25, 2025 9:00 am PST by
The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to launch later this year, arriving two years after the previous model with a series of improvements. While no noticeable design changes are expected for the third generation since the company tends to stick with the same Apple Watch design through three generations before changing it, there are a series of internal upgrades on the way. By the time the ...
iPhone Fold Vertical Feature

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Has No Visible Display Crease – Report

Tuesday February 25, 2025 2:58 am PST by
Apple is making significant headway on its long-rumored foldable iPhone, with a new report suggesting the company has achieved a major breakthrough by effectively eliminating the screen crease that plagues current foldable devices. According to Korean publication ETNews, Apple is finalizing its component suppliers for the foldable iPhone, with the selection process expected to be completed...
trump iphone dictation issue

Apple Fixing 'Trump' Dictation Processing Bug

Tuesday February 25, 2025 1:18 pm PST by
Multiple iPhone owners today noticed a pronunciation processing issue that causes the word "Trump" to momentarily show up when using dictation to send a message with the word "racist." In some cases, when speaking the word racist through the iPhone's built-in dictation feature, the iPhone briefly interprets the spoken word as "Trump" and "Trump" text shows up in the Messages app before being ...
airpods pro purple

Here's When AirPods Pro 3 Are Rumored to Launch

Monday February 24, 2025 9:14 am PST by
According to a post on X today from a leaker known as Kosutami, Apple plans to launch AirPods Pro 3 in May or June this year. The leaker also claimed that an AirTag 2 will launch around the same time. Kosutami is best known as a collector of prototype Apple hardware, but they have occasionally shared accurate information about Apple's future product plans. For example, they accurately...
airtag orange

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch in May or June With These New Features

Monday February 24, 2025 6:11 am PST by
Apple plans to launch a second-generation AirTag in May or June this year, according to a post today from a leaker known as Kosutami. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that a new AirTag would be released in mid-2025. May or June would align with that timeframe. Below, we recap three new features rumored for the AirTag 2: With a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, the...
ios 18 4 carplay

iOS 18.4 Includes a Small But Useful Change for CarPlay

Sunday February 23, 2025 2:23 pm PST by
The first beta of iOS 18.4 is now available, and it includes a small but useful change for CarPlay. As we noted in our list of iOS 18.4 features, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra, which can be equipped...

Top Rated Comments

EightyEight Avatar
30 months ago
Why does "slimmer and lighter" matter for Apple TV?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CarAnalogy Avatar
30 months ago

Why does "slimmer and lighter" matter for Apple TV?
Honestly it probably matters more for Apple. Less material to buy, no fans to purchase and potentially have to replace.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
30 months ago
One thing I can predict for certain: there will be more predictions in the future.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jwdsail Avatar
30 months ago

Honestly it probably matters more for Apple. Less material to buy, no fans to purchase and potentially have to replace.

More units per pallet...
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Boil Avatar
30 months ago

While earlier rumors had suggested we could see some Mac updates before the end of the year, it looks like that's no longer the case. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says updated Mac models such as the MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and Mac Pro won't be appearing until at least the first quarter of 2023 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2022/10/30/gurman-no-new-macs-2022/').
I guess we now wait to see how TSMC does with production of the 3nm variant (N3, N3E...?) of the M2 family of SoCs...?

Macs still in need of updating:

* 24" iMac
* Mac mini
* 14" MacBook Pro
* 16" MacBook Pro
* Mac Studio
* Mac Pro

I would love to see a bunch of releases thru Spring 2023, culminating with the release of the ASi Mac Pro at WWDC 2023...

Although, the real excitement might just be the refreshed ASi Mac Pro at WWDC 2025; featuring M3 Ultra & M3 Extreme SoCs on the N3X process...! ;^p
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Atomic1977 Avatar
30 months ago
Why in the world did Apple kill the home button. I really like that my Ipad 9 has one .
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)