MacRumors

In 2022, Apple introduced the M2 chip – the second-generation custom silicon chip for the Mac. After the M1 chip revolutionized the Mac starting in November 2020, how much better really is the M2?

m1 vs m2
Apple says that the ‌M2‌ chip takes the performance per watt of the ‌M1‌ even further with an 18 percent faster CPU, a 35 percent more powerful GPU, and a 40 percent faster Neural Engine. There are also other significant enhancements such as more memory bandwidth and support for up to 24GB of unified memory.

As the second major iteration of Apple silicon, it may not be clear how significant of an improvement the ‌M2‌ is over the ‌M1‌, especially as it sticks with a 5nm fabrication process, contrary to some rumors that suggested a bigger performance and efficiency leap would be in store. The ‌M2‌ chip debuts in the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the redesigned MacBook Air, so the extent to which the ‌M2‌ is better than its predecessor could be an important consideration when purchasing a new Mac. Read on to learn more about the differences between the two chips.


M1 Chip

  • Made using TSMC's 5nm process (N5)
  • 16 billion transistors
  • 4 high-performance "Firestorm" cores
  • 4 energy-efficient "Icestorm" cores
  • 3.2GHz CPU clock speed
  • CPU cores first seen in the iPhone 12 lineup's A14 Bionic chip
  • 8-core GPU
  • Support for 8GB or 16GB unified memory
  • 68.25GB/s memory bandwidth
  • Neural Engine
  • Media engine for hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC
  • Video decode engine
  • Video encode engine
  • Image signal processor (ISP)


M2 Chip

  • Made with TSMC's enhanced 5nm process (N5P)
  • 20 billion transistors
  • 4 high-performance "Avalanche" cores
  • 4 energy-efficient "Blizzard" cores
  • 3.49GHz CPU clock speed
  • CPU cores first seen in the ‌iPhone‌ 13 lineup's A15 Bionic chip
  • 10-core GPU
  • Support for 8GB, 16GB, or 24GB unified memory
  • 100GB/s memory bandwidth
  • 40 percent faster Neural Engine
  • Media engine for hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW
  • Higher-bandwidth video decode engine
  • Video encode engine
  • ProRes encode and decode engine
  • "New" image signal processor (ISP)

Fabrication Process and Transistors

Like the A14 Bionic, the ‌M1‌ chip is built using TSMC's first-generation 5nm fabrication process. On the other hand, the ‌M2‌ uses TSMC's second-generation 5nm process like the A15 Bionic chip. The ‌M2‌ adds four billion additional transistors for a total of 20 billion – 25 percent more than ‌M1‌. The enhanced 5nm fabrication process is at the heart of many of ‌M2‌'s performance and efficiency improvements.

CPU

The ‌M1‌ and ‌M2‌ both have four high-performance and four energy-efficient cores, but while the ‌M1‌ features "Firestorm" and "Icestorm" cores from the A14 Bionic chip, the ‌M2‌ offers "Avalanche" and "Blizzard" from the A15 Bionic chip. According to Apple, this results in 18 percent greater multithreaded performance than ‌M1‌.

m1 vs m2 cpu performance
In early Geekbench benchmarks, the ‌‌M2‌‌, which runs at 3.49GHz compared to 3.2GHz for the ‌‌M1‌‌, earned a single-core score of 1,919, which is roughly 12 percent faster than the 1,707 single-core score of the ‌‌M1‌‌ 13-inch MacBook Pro. The ‌‌M2‌‌ earned a multi-core score of 8,928, up about 20 percent from the 7,419 score of the ‌‌M1‌‌ model. This is right in line with Apple's claim that the ‌‌M2‌‌ chip is up to 18 percent faster than the ‌‌M1‌.

Both chips have high-performance cores with 192KB of L1 instruction cache and 128KB of L1 data cache. The energy-efficient cores have a 128KB L1 instruction cache, 64KB L1 data cache, and a shared 4MB L2 cache. The only difference here is that the shared L2 cache is larger on the ‌M2‌ chip — 16MB instead of 12MB on the ‌M1‌.

GPU

The ‌M2‌ features two more GPU cores over the ‌M1‌, resulting in a moderate boost in graphics performance. Apple says that the ‌M2‌ has up to 25 percent higher graphics performance than ‌M1‌ at the same power level, and up to 35 percent better performance at its max power. In early Geekbench Metal benchmarks, the ‌‌M2‌‌ chip scored 30,627, a notable improvement over the 21,001 score earned by the ‌‌M1‌‌.

m1 vs m2 gpu performance

Media Engine

Both the ‌M1‌ and the ‌M2‌ have dedicated video encode and decode engines for hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC, but the ‌M2‌'s video engines are also able to accelerate ProRes and ProRes RAW to enable playback of multiple streams of 4K and 8K video. In addition, the ‌M2‌'s media engine includes a higher-bandwidth video decoder, supporting 8K H.264 and HEVC video.

Unified Memory

The ‌M1‌ and the ‌M2‌ come in configurations with 8GB or 16GB of unified memory, but the ‌M2‌ adds an additional, top-tier 24GB configuration. The ‌M2‌'s memory controller can also deliver 100GB/s of unified memory bandwidth, a substantial improvement over the ‌M1‌'s 68.25GB/s memory bandwidth.

Other Improvements

The ‌M2‌ features improvements to several of Apple's custom silicon technologies. For example, the Neural Engine can process up to 15.8 trillion operations per second — over 40 percent more than ‌M1‌. The ‌M2‌ also contains Apple's latest Secure Enclave and a new image signal processor (ISP) for better image noise reduction.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the ‌M2‌ chip offers moderate improvements over the ‌M1‌, even if most ‌M1‌ users are unlikely to notice significant improvements when upgrading to the ‌M2‌. The ‌M2‌'s advancements are generally worthwhile, if not transformative, and the chip is certain to provide a more up-to-date experience with lower-spec Apple silicon machines – especially for those coming from an Intel-based machine.

While the ‌M2‌ offers improvements across the board thanks to its enhanced 5nm process, updated cores, and additional GPU cores, the major upgrades come to users who need to work with video, as well as those who have memory-intensive workflows. The ‌M2‌'s higher-bandwidth video decoder and dedicated engine for ProRes and ProRes RAW video offer meaningful improvements for video editors, while the 24GB unified memory tier and 100GB/s of memory bandwidth significantly boost the capacity of ‌M2‌ machines to deal with memory-hungry applications and intense multitasking.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Related Forums: MacBook Pro, MacBook Air

iOS 16 introduces a useful new feature for dual-SIM iPhone users: the ability to sort messages per SIM in the Messages app. This feature is particularly beneficial to those who have both personal and work lines set up on a single iPhone.

General Apps Messages
"Messages now supports the ability for customers with a dual SIM iPhone to filter their messages based on their SIMs," says Apple's release notes for the second beta of iOS 16, which was made available to developers for testing on Wednesday. When enabled, the feature filters both iMessages and SMS/MMS messages.

It appears that per-SIM message sorting requires enabling message filtering in the Settings app under Messages → Filter Unknown Senders. Then, users can tap on the icon with three dots at the top of the Messages app, which opens a menu with options to sort messages based on "All Lines" or individual SIMs, such as Personal, Business, or Travel.

iPhone XS and newer models are equipped with both a physical nano-SIM card slot and a digital eSIM, allowing for dual-SIM functionality. This means you can have two lines of service on one iPhone, which is useful for having personal and business lines on a single iPhone or for purchasing data-only plans via eSIM while traveling abroad. Starting with the iPhone 13 lineup, dual-SIM mode also works with two eSIMs.

iOS 16 is currently in beta for registered Apple developers. The update will be released to all users with an iPhone 8 or newer around September.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Apple's AirPods 2 and AirPods Pro have returned to some of the best prices we've tracked in 2022, with as much as $74 off these wireless headphones.

AirPods Combo Discount Feature YellowNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

AirPods 2

You can get the AirPods 2 for $99.99, down from $129.00. This is the best price that we've tracked on the AirPods 2 in 2022, and overall it remains a solid second-best price on the headphones.

airpods yellow

This is the model of AirPods that comes with the Wired Charging Case. Apple discontinued the AirPods 2 with the Wireless Charging Case so we haven't seen any notable deals on that accessory in months.

AirPods Pro with MagSafe

Next, the AirPods Pro with MagSafe Charging Case is available for $174.99 on Amazon, down from $249.00. This is another best price for 2022, and we haven't seen all-time low prices return for this version of the AirPods Pro since last holiday season.

airpods pro new yellow

The headphones are in stock today, and they are shipped and sold directly by Amazon. The new AirPods Pro launched in 2021, and are essentially the same as the 2019 model with the addition of the new MagSafe Charging Case.

We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

CEO Tim Cook this week did an interview with China Daily, where he once again commented on on the future of augmented reality and hinted at Apple's work on an AR/VR headset.

apple ar headset concept 2


Cook said that Apple is excited about the opportunities available with augmented reality, which is not too far off from prior comments that he's made, but he went on to say that people should "stay tuned" to see what Apple has to offer.

I am incredibly excited about AR as you might know, and the critical thing to any technology including AR is putting humanity at the center of it. And that is what we focus on every day. Right now, as an example, we have over 14,000 ARKit apps in the App Store, which provide AR experiences for millions of people around the world.

I think despite that, we're still in the very early innings of how this technology will evolve. I couldn't be more excited about the opportunities we've seen in this space and sort of stay tuned and you'll see what we have to offer.

Though Apple has not confirmed its work on an AR/VR wearable device, rumors have been circulating about it for years now. Apple's headset is expected to offer mixed reality technology, with a curved visor and soft mesh that fits against the face. It will be lighter than other headsets on the market, and will use an Apple Watch-like strap to hold it in place.


The headset is rumored to feature two 4K micro-OLED displays, 15 camera modules, powerful processors equivalent to the M-series chips, eye tracking capabilities, hand gesture support, and spatial audio. When it launches, the headset could cost somewhere around $3,000.

Apple is expected to debut the headset as soon as next year, and has already been demoing it to board members, suggesting it is getting closer to being finished.

Related Roundup: Apple Vision Pro
Buyer's Guide: Vision Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: Apple Vision Pro

Apple today seeded the second betas of iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 to developers for testing purposes, and the new betas introduce new features and refine some of the changes that Apple made with the first iOS 16 release.

Lock Screen Photo Wallpaper Customization

When customizing a photo on the Lock Screen, there are two new DuoTone and Color Wash overlay options to change the look of the photo.

customize wallpaper setting ios 16

Wallpaper Photo Editing

If you set a photo as your wallpaper, Apple lets you know that you can use pinch gestures to adjust the crop of the image.

ios 16 pinch to crop

Back Ups Over LTE

iPhone and iPad users can back up their devices over an LTE cellular connection, in addition to a 5G or WiFi connection. Apple introduced support for 5G backups in iOS 15, and has expanded it to LTE in iOS 16.

Astronomy Wallpaper Location

The Astronomy wallpaper now shows a green dot to let you know where you are located. The dot appears in the Earth wallpaper options, but it does not stay on the wallpaper at all times and is instead only visible when editing the wallpaper. These dynamic wallpapers are also now available on older iPhones.

astronomy wallpaper location ios 16

Wallpaper Editing

In the Settings app, the Wallpapers section has been tweaked to make it easier to customize the different wallpapers that you set for the Home Screen and Lock Screen. There are new "Customize" options under the Lock Screen and ‌Home Screen‌ options to make it clearer that there are settings that can be adjusted.

customize wallpaper setting ios 16
When you choose your look, there's also an option to "Set as Wallpaper Pair."

Apple Cash and Apple Card

The Apple Cash "Send and Request" interface has been changed in the second beta of iOS 16. It's now a single merged button instead of two separate buttons, and the balance is shown more clearly.

apple cash send request ios 16

For Apple Card, the "Weekly Activity" section also lets you know how much Apple Cash you've earned for the week. t

Screenshots

There's now a "Save to Quick Note" option when saving a screenshot, which joins the Save to Photos, Save to Files, and Delete Screenshot options.

ios 16 quick note screenshot

Delete Lock Screens

It's now easier to delete a Lock Screen by swiping upwards.

delete lock screen ios 16

SMS Filtering

According to Apple's release notes, developers are able to classify incoming SMS messages from unknown numbers into 12 sub-categories with Transaction and Promotion categories for improved organization.

For Indian users, Messages supports event extraction from SMS. EVent and appointment messages are shown as Siri suggestions and are also presented to users in Messages thread and the Calendar inbox.

iPadOS 16 Stage Manager

In iPadOS 16 beta 2 on compatible iPads, there is a new Stage Manager setting under the "‌Home Screen‌ and Dock" section of the Settings app. It displays options for hiding recent apps and hiding the dock while using ‌Stage Manager‌.

Messages Junk Reporting

For some U.S. carriers, Messages in iOS 16 beta 2 extends the "Report Junk" feature to allow users to report SMS/MMS junk to carriers.

report junk message ios 16

Translate

The Translate app now supports Turkish, Thai, Polish, Indonesian, and Dutch.

HealthKit APIs

For developers, HealthKit workout APIs support multisport workouts with activities that include swimming, cycling, and running.

iOS 16 beta 2 also adds HealthKit support for the new running workout metrics that Apple announced at WWDC. Workout metrics include running power, ground contact time, vertical oscillation, running speed, and stride length.

Other New Features

Know of a new feature in iOS 16 that we left out? Let us know in the comments below.

With watchOS 9, Apple is adding a new recalibration feature for the Apple Watch Series 4 and Apple Watch Series 5, according to the watchOS 9 release notes. The recalibration will result in a more accurate estimate for maximum battery capacity.

apple watch series 5

After updating to watchOS 9, your Apple Watch Series 4 or Series 5 will recalibrate and then estimate its maximum battery capacity more accurately.

Following the watchOS 9 update, Apple Watch Series 4 and Series 5 owners who have noticed battery life being misrepresented should be able to get a better read on how long their device will last.

Apple has previously introduced recalibration functionality for the iPhone 11 to make ‌iPhone‌ battery life estimates more accurate, but there has been no similar feature made available for the Apple Watch until now.

The recalibration process will happen during the update and will be complete once it's installed.

Related Roundup: watchOS 11
Related Forum: Apple Watch

The iPad will no longer be able to be used as a home hub following the launch of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS Ventura, and the HomePod 16 software this fall, Apple confirmed today.

home app ios 16
As discovered in iOS 16 code by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser, Apple says that the ‌iPad‌ will no longer be supported as a home hub. This information will be displayed in the Home app after updating to iOS 16.

A home hub is required to take advantage of features like receiving accessory notifications and allowing other people to control your home. You will not be able to view shared homes until those homes are also upgraded to the latest HomeKit. iPad will no longer be supported as a home hub.

With Apple dropping support for the ‌iPad‌ as a home hub, users will need to have a ‌HomePod‌, HomePod mini, or Apple TV to take advantage of features enabled by a hub, such as accessing accessories remotely with Siri and using location-based automation features.

Apple's iOS 16 preview webpage suggested that the ‌iPad‌ would not be able to be used as a home hub, but it was not confirmed until now because in the first iPadOS 16 beta, it was still possible to set an ‌iPad‌ as a home hub. "Only ‌Apple TV‌ and ‌HomePod‌ are supported as home hubs," reads the website.

The wording in the code found in the second beta of iOS 16 suggests that Apple is removing the home hub functionality from the ‌iPad‌. The company has not explained why the ‌iPad‌ will no longer function as a home hub, but it could be related to Apple's upcoming cross-platform Matter smart home standard implementation.

Coming later this year, Matter will let HomeKit users add more smart home accessories to their ‌HomeKit‌ setups.

Related Forum: iOS 16

iOS 16 and macOS Ventura add support for the Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) standard in the Mail app, helping users to easily verify authenticated emails sent by brands by displaying the brand's logo alongside the email's header.

iOS 16 Digitally Certified Mail
In the Mail app, emails sent by brands with a BIMI record are marked with a "Digitally Certified" label, which is visible after tapping to expand the email's header. Next to the label, a "Learn More" link leads to the following message: "This email was verified as coming from the owner of the logo shown and the domain [example.com.]"

For a brand's logo to be displayed, the sender's domain must pass DMARC authentication checks, according to the BIMI Group website. If the email passes authentication, the Mail app queries the DNS for a corresponding BIMI record.

Based on a tweet shared by software engineer Charlie Fish, it appears that Chase Bank is an example of a brand that has implemented BIMI, with the Chase logo appearing next to an email sent by the bank in the Mail app on iOS 16. BIMI is also supported by Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and Fastmail, according to BIMI Group.


This is just one of several new features added to the Mail app on iOS 16 and macOS Ventura, with others including the ability to unsend an email up to 10 seconds after sending it, scheduled emails, notifications if you forget to include an attachment on an email, support for rich links in emails, improved search functionality, and more.

Related Forum: iOS 16

With the second iOS 16 beta, Apple is expanding the built-in "Report Junk" feature in the Messages app to cover SMS/MMS messages, allowing spam messages to be reported to select carriers in the United States.

report junk message ios 16
If you long press on an SMS/MMS message in the Unknown Senders section of the Messages app in iOS 16, you can select the "Report Junk" option. Using this option lets you report a message as junk, sending it to Apple and Verizon and deleting the message.

"Report Junk" was previously available for iMessage, with junk iMessages able to be reported to Apple, but the new option also covers SMS/MMS messages and makes it easier to report spam directly to carriers.

Related Forum: iOS 16

The second beta of iOS 16 that was released to developers today introduces support for backing up over LTE, according to Apple's release notes for the update.

iCloud General Feature
Apple says that iPhone and iPad users are now able to back up their devices over an LTE connection, in addition to a 5G or WiFi connection.

Since iOS 15, Apple has allowed customers to choose to back up their devices using 5G if a WiFi connection is unavailable, but the option was not present for LTE connections.

LTE connections can be slower and backups can use quite a bit of data, but many cellular plans available today offer unlimited data usage, facilitating LTE backups.

Apple today seeded the second beta of macOS 13 Ventura, the next-generation version of the Mac operating system that's set to launch this fall. The second beta comes two weeks after Apple unveiled the update at WWDC and provided the first beta to developers.

macos ventura roundup header
Registered developers can download the beta through the Apple Developer Center and once the appropriate profile is installed, betas will be available through the Software Update mechanism in System Preferences.

macOS Ventura introduces Stage Manager, a new feature that lets Mac users focus on a task while keeping other apps at the ready for easy swapping between tasks. The update adds Continuity Camera, which is designed to let you use the iPhone as a webcam for your Mac. It supports Center Stage, Desk View (for showing off your desk), and Studio Light.

Handoff is now available for FaceTime so you can transfer calls between ‌iPhone‌, iPad, and Mac at will, and Messages supports features for marking an iMessage as unread, unsending an iMessage, and marking as unread. SharePlay also now works in the Messages app.

The Mail app supports scheduling and undoing emails for up to 10 seconds after they're sent, and there are now Weather and Clock apps that are available on the Mac. System Preferences has been renamed System Settings, and it features an iOS-like design.

Safari supports Shared Tab Groups and Apple is working on Passkeys, a next-generation credential that replaces the password. There are updates to Spotlight, Photo Library has new features, and Metal 3 is included in macOS Ventura for better graphics in games.

For everything new in macOS Ventura, we have a dedicated roundup that goes through all of the features. macOS Ventura is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple plans to make a public beta available in July.

Related Forum: macOS Ventura

Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the updates coming two weeks after Apple unveiled the new software at WWDC and released the initial betas.

ios 16 lock screen feature2
Registered developers can download the iOS and iPadOS 16 profiles from the Apple Developer Center, and once installed, the betas will be available over the air. Given that this is an early beta that could have bugs, it is best to install iOS 16 and iPadOS 16 on a secondary device.

iOS 16 introduces a revamped Lock Screen that offers a new level of personalization and customization through widgets, a notification redesign, and adjustable fonts and colors for the time. Multiple Lock Screens are supported, similar to watch faces, and can be associated with Focus modes.

Focus is easier to set up than before and more customizable, with Focus filters available to cut out distracting content within apps. The Messages app now features tools for editing a iMessage, unsending an iMessage, and marking messages as unread, plus it supports SharePlay, much like FaceTime.

The Mail app has improved search and tools that include undo send, schedule send, and follow up so you can get a reminder to check up on an email if you haven't gotten a response. Safari supports Shared Tab Groups and Apple is working to replace passwords with Passkeys, a more biometrically secure way to log in to accounts.

iCloud Photo Library allows users to more easily share photos with family members, and Live Text is supported in video. There's a neat new feature for lifting the subject from a background with a tap, which is part of Visual Lookup.

Dictation has improved, Maps now supports multi-stop routing, Apple Pay Later lets you split up purchase payments, and the Home app has been entirely overhauled with a new look. On the iPad, the update adds a new Stage Manager feature for more Mac-like multitasking, but it's limited to M1 iPads.

There are tons of other new features in iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, with a full rundown on everything available in our dedicated roundup.

Related Forum: iOS 16

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming watchOS 9 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta coming two weeks after Apple unveiled the update at WWDC and provided the first beta to developers.

watchOS 9 Feature
To install ‌watchOS 9, developers will need to download the configuration profile from the Apple Developer Center. Once installed, ‌watchOS 8‌ can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General > Software update. To update to new software, an Apple Watch needs to have 50 percent battery life, it must be placed on the charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌iPhone‌‌.

watchOS 9 introduces four new watch faces, including Lunar, Playtime, Metropolitan, and Astronomy, plus it includes updates to some existing watch faces and complications. The ECG app now supports AFib History for tracking how long a person has been in atrial fibrillation.

The sleep tracking feature now includes sleep stages, letting the Apple Watch track when users are in REM, Core, or Deep sleep, and Apple has added a Medications app. The Medications app lets users manage and track their medications, vitamins, and supplements, with reminders when it's time to take them.

Updates to the Workout app add custom workouts and improvements for runners, triathletes, and swimmers. Fitness+ workouts now support streaming to certain third-party TVs for those who don't have an Apple TV, and notifications have been redesigned to be less obtrusive when the watch's screen is active.

Other new features include a CallKit API that allows VOIP calls to be answered on Apple Watch, Apple Watch Mirroring for controlling the Apple Watch with an ‌iPhone‌, Quick Actions for doing more with a double pinch gesture, and updates to the Reminders and Calendar apps.

‌watchOS 9 is limited to developers at the current time, but Apple plans to provide a public beta later this summer ahead of the software's fall launch alongside new Apple Watch models.

Related Roundup: watchOS 11
Related Forum: Apple Watch

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming tvOS 16 update to developers for testing purposes, with the beta coming two weeks after Apple introduced tvOS 16 at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

apple tv 4k design triad
Developers can download the new tvOS 16 beta by downloading a profile onto the Apple TV using Xcode.

tvOS 16 enables cross-device connectivity, a feature that allows developers to integrate ‌Apple TV‌ apps with iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch apps to unlock new experiences on the TV. Apple has also improved how multiple user profiles work in tvOS 16 by adding a shared keychain, so users won't need to sign in and choose their profile when launching an ‌Apple TV‌ app.

Game controller support has been expanded to the Nintendo Joy-Cons and Pro Controller, and HDR10+ support is available in the tvOS 16 ‌Apple TV‌ app. With tvOS 16, the ‌Apple TV‌ will support Matter, an upcoming standard that will improve interoperability between smart home accessories from different companies.

tvOS 16 is limited to developers right now, but Apple will provide a public beta of the software to public beta testers in July.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Volvo-backed electric vehicle maker Polestar today announced that the latest over-the-air update for the Polestar 2 adds CarPlay support, allowing iPhone users to conveniently access commonly used apps from the dashboard, complete with Siri control.

Polestar CarPlay
The addition of CarPlay in the Polestar 2 is interesting given that the vehicle's infotainment system is powered by Android Automotive, which is a full-stack operating system running directly on the in-vehicle hardware. Android Automotive is not to be confused with Google's similarly-named CarPlay competitor Android Auto.

In a tweet, Polestar said the over-the-air software update is rolling out to customers incrementally, and noted that the update is also available for installation at Polestar workshops. It's unclear when the rollout will be completed.

CarPlay is available in over 600 vehicle models from dozens of automakers, according to Apple, but some of the most popular electric vehicle brands like Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid Motors have yet to support the feature in their vehicles.


At WWDC 2022 earlier this month, Apple previewed the "next generation" of CarPlay, which includes support for multiple displays in a vehicle and direct integration with a vehicle's speedometer, fuel gauge, climate controls for A/C and heat, and more.

Apple said the first vehicles to support the new CarPlay experience will be announced in late 2023, with committed automakers including Ford, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Infiniti, Honda, Acura, Jaguar, Land Rover, Audi, Nissan, Volvo, Porsche, and more. Apple said it would share additional information about the new CarPlay experience in the future.

Related Roundup: CarPlay

Today we have a pair of deals from ZAGG and Satechi, which recently kicked off summer sales on accessories like iPhone cases, iPad cases, USB-C hubs, wireless chargers, and more.

ZAGG

ZAGG is offering a BOGO sale on its cases from Gear4 today, letting shoppers buy one case and get a second for free for a limited time. This sale covers cases for the iPhone 13 family of devices, as well as the iPhone 12 and iPhone 11. There are also some iPad and Android cases in the sale.

zagg summer 2Note: 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.

Case styles include clear cases, reinforced drop protection cases, cases with slots for credit cards, and more. All accessories are from Gear4, and the promo won't be activated until you add two compatible cases into your cart.

Satechi

At Satechi, you can save on a variety of the company's charging and dock accessories during its new Summer Sale. This event includes a markdown on a few Satechi devices, with as much as 75 percent off docks, chargers, plugs, and more.

satechi summer 2

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro with a faster M2 chip launches this Friday. Ahead of time, early reviews of the notebook have been shared by some YouTube channels and media outlets, offering a hands-on look at the performance improvements.

13 inch macbook pro m2 mock feature 2
The only notable change to the 13-inch MacBook Pro is the M2 chip, which features an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. Apple said the M2 chip has up to an 18% faster CPU, up to a 35% faster GPU, and up to a 40% faster Neural Engine compared to the M1 chip. The new 13-inch MacBook Pro features the same design as the previous model, including the Touch Bar and two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the left side of the machine.

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro's headphone jack has also gained support for high-impedance headphones, in line with the 14-inch and 16-inch models.

With the M2 chip, the 13-inch MacBook Pro can be configured with up to 24GB of unified memory, whereas the M1 chip maxes out at 16GB of memory. In line with the previous model, the notebook also supports up to 2TB of SSD storage.

13-inch MacBook Pro pricing continues to start at $1,299 in the United States, with space gray and silver color options available.

Reviews

Many reviews agreed that it might be worth waiting for the redesigned MacBook Air with the M2 chip, which Apple says will be available in July. The new MacBook Air starts at a lower price of $1,199 and features newer design elements like MagSafe charging, a 1080p camera, thinner bezels around the display, physical function keys, and more.

However, one notable difference between the notebooks is that the MacBook Air features a fanless design, while the MacBook Pro has an active cooling system to ensure sustained performance for users with more demanding workflows.

WIRED's Brenda Stoylar:

If you just need a good, new laptop, wait for the upcoming MacBook Air. You get a slightly larger, more modern-looking screen, a better webcam, nicer speakers, and a fast-charging support, all in an overall lighter package (and fun colors!). This MacBook Pro remains an awkward middle child and doesn't bring nearly enough to the table to be worth your while.

Gizmodo's Phillip Tracy:

Viewed in a vacuum, the MacBook Pro 13 is a great laptop with outstanding performance and unbeatable battery life, characteristics that put it ahead of some of its PC rivals. Zoom out and it's hard to see where this model fits within Apple's portfolio. The most direct rival to this entry-level Pro isn't the more premium versions, but rather, the MacBook Air. Not only does the Air have a lower starting price, but it has a larger display, a better webcam, quad speakers, more interesting color options, a slimmer chassis, and the benefit of a traditional shortcut row.

The Verge's Monica Chin:

This would be the perfect device for someone like me — if it weren't for the new MacBook Air. This new MacBook Air, also powered by the M2, is coming very soon. It will be, as far as I can tell from Apple's website, the same price as the M2 MacBook Pro for the same specs in most cases (they level out at the $1,499 mark). But, unlike the MacBook Pro, the M2 MacBook Air did get a big redesign, and it includes all kinds of new features — including new colors, a larger display, a 1080p webcam, and, especially, MagSafe — that this device doesn't have.

Chin shared several benchmarks comparing the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with the previous model powered by the M1 chip. Geekbench 5 results confirm the new 13-inch MacBook Pro has up to 18-20% faster multi-core performance than the previous model.

13 inch macbook pro m2 benchmarks
TheStreet's Jacob Krol said the new 13-inch MacBook Pro delivers even more impressive battery life compared to the previous model:

Notably, our battery test beat the promised 20 hours of video playback that Apple was promising. In our testing, the 13-inch MacBook Pro lasted for 23 hours and 15 minutes with a 4K playback test. I also set the brightness to 50% and turned off connectivity during the playback. It's quite impressive, and in day-to-day use, it's tough to make the MacBook Pro die.

I could easily have the 13-inch MacBook Pro last over a full day of use, coming in around 18 hours of full use, and the laptop can sit in standby mode for several days.

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Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess is skeptical that Apple is planning to sell a physical vehicle and believes that the company is focusing on cockpit software instead (via Reuters).

next generation carplay multi display
Diess made the comments at the hub.berlin technology conference in Berlin, where Apple is also in attendance represented by its vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson. "I'm not sure if Apple will actually bring cars to the market in the end. It would be a big effort," he said, adding that he believes Apple will focus on car cockpit software instead.

The remarks come weeks after Apple unveiled a next-generation CarPlay experience at WWDC 2022, featuring support for multiple large displays, speedometers, fuel levels, climate controls, and more. Users will be able to personalize their in-car experience by choosing different gauge cluster designs and widgets, with the new version of CarPlay effectively offering a wholly Apple-designed experience for all of a car's displays and functions. While the new ‌CarPlay‌ experience is designed so that users never need to exit the system, Apple said that automakers will be able to retain a sense of brand identity with the new system.

Apple said the first vehicles to support the new ‌CarPlay‌ experience will be announced in late 2023. While Volkswagen is not among the automakers that have committed to implement it in new cars, two of the goliath automaker's sub-brands, Audi and Porsche, were included in Apple's list of initial supporters.

Apple has been rumored to be working on a self-driving electric vehicle for around eight years, but a series of development challenges have led to questions about when the project will be officially revealed, if ever. Earlier this year, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo warned that Apple's car team had "been dissolved for some time," and needed to be reorganized soon in order for mass production to begin by 2025.

Related Roundup: CarPlay