Top Stories: Apple's Smart Home Command Center, iOS 18.2 Details, and More

With the first set of M4 Macs having officially launched last week, Apple still wasn't quite done with news for 2024 as this week saw some software news with updates for Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro as well as new betas for iOS 18.2 and related updates with continued refinements ahead of an expected early December release.

top stories 16nov2024
Looking ahead to 2025, we also learned some new details about Apple's plans to increase its emphasis on smart home products, led by a "command center" hub that could be unveiled as soon as March, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Apple to Launch AI-Powered Home 'Command Center' as Soon as March 2025

We've been hearing for quite a while about Apple's plans for smart home hub products, and this week we learned some fresh details about what we can expect from the first iteration: a thin device with a ~6-inch squarish display equipped with a camera and speakers with an interface that looks like a cross between the iPhone's StandBy mode and watchOS.

iPad iOS 16 WP Display Feature eric edit
The "command center" product will be able to display calendars, photos, smart home controls, and more, and it can be mounted on a wall or on a tabletop base. As part of Apple's push into smart home products, the company is also reportedly considering its own line of HomeKit cameras and other devices.

Here's Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 3

Apple this week released a fresh round of betas for iOS 18.2 and related updates, and there are a number of tweaks and other changes in iOS 18.2, including continued work on next-generation CarPlay and more.

iOS 18
Apple also officially announced that iOS 18.2 will support AirTag location sharing in partnership with over 15 airlines, aiming to help users get reunited with lost bags.

Based on upcoming changes to Wi-Fi calling on British carrier EE, it appears iOS 18.2 and other updates may arrive on Monday, December 9.

Apple Customers Sue Over Unfixed AirPods Pro Crackling Issue

A trio of customers this month filed a class action lawsuit against Apple, accusing the Cupertino company of violating California consumer protection laws and false advertising for continuing to sell first-generation AirPods Pro models that had ongoing issues with crackling or static sounds.

AirPods Crackling Feature
Apple has had a repair program that covers affected AirPods Pro earbuds for three years from the first date of sale, but customers are finding that the replacement earbuds suffer from the same issues.

Apple Releases Final Cut Pro 11 for Mac

After over a decade on version 10, Apple's professional video editing software, Final Cut Pro, has finally been updated to version 11 with a number of new features such as AI-generated captions, spatial video editing, and a Magnetic Mask tool.

General Final Cut Pro Feature
Apple's corresponding audio editing app, Logic Pro, also received an update to version 11.1 for Mac and 2.1 for iPad with several new features and improvements.

M4 Max MacBook Pro: Real-World Usage Tests

Following last Friday's launch of M4-based MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac models, we've taken a dive into the high-end M4 Max MacBook Pro to see how it performs in real-world testing.

M4 Max Benchmarks Thumb 3
For users looking to push the limits of their computers, the M4 Max delivers a solid upgrade over last year's M3 Max, and it will be a major leap for anyone running anything older than that.

The new M4 Pro and M4 Max chips also include support for Thunderbolt 5, and we took a look at what that means for users looking for maximum performance.

Apple Black Friday Deals for 2024

Deals are continuing to ramp up as we head toward Black Friday, and we're tracking all of the best ones in our Apple Black Friday roundup.

best early black friday deals
We've also got some dedicated coverage focused deals for specific Apple products, so make sure to check in for the latest and stay tuned because deals are coming and going quickly!

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

maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
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 ...
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...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...

Top Rated Comments

deeddawg Avatar
19 weeks ago
They really chose a yoga butt as the image to go with?



Attachment Image
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
19 weeks ago

They really chose a yoga butt as the image to go with?


That is a bizarre wallpaper to highlight for an article. Is this from some past article that also got the same comments?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Olde Dave Avatar
19 weeks ago

The "command center" product will be able to display calendars, photos, smart home controls, and more, and it can be mounted on a wall or on a tabletop base.
Maybe I'm missing something, but couldn't I just do all these things with a repurposed old iPad? My wife is a teacher and sometimes her school district sells old base model iPads for around $50.00. I could get one of those, a custom iPad frame and essentially have the same thing.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ronno Avatar
19 weeks ago
I was about to write the same thing about the buttocks ?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)