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The M2 MacBook Pro has started making its way into customers’ hands and we’re learning more about how it performs in a variety of situations, but all eyes are really on the upcoming M2 MacBook Air, the one has undergone a complete redesign and should arrive in a few weeks.
Other top stories this week included a variety of product rumors, including additional M2 and even M3 Macs, an updated Apple TV, and a revived HomePod. So read on below for all the details on these stories and more!
Apple plans to launch MacBook Air with M2 chip on July 15th
MacRumors has learned from a source that Apple is planning to launch the new MacBook Air with the M2 chip on Friday 15th July, meaning pre-orders are expected to start on Friday 8th July.
Apple previously announced that the new MacBook Air would be available in July, but didn’t give a specific date.
The new MacBook Air has been redesigned with a larger 13.6-inch display, a notch, a slimmer appearance, and new Starlight and Midnight color options. The notebook features MagSafe 3 charging, an enhanced 1080p camera, dual Thunderbolt 3 ports, a Magic Keyboard with physical Fn keys, a Touch ID button, and more.
Pricing starts at $1,199 in the US, while the previous MacBook Air is still available for $999.
The base 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip has significantly slower SSD speeds than the previous model
The base model M2 MacBook Pro with 256GB of storage has significantly slower SSD read/write speeds compared to the equivalent M1 model.
YouTube channels like Max Tech and Created Tech tested the 256GB model using Blackmagic’s Disk Speed Test app and real-world tests and found that the SSD’s read and write speeds increased by about 50% compared to the previous model. or 30% slower.
M2 Pro Mac Mini, new Apple TV with A14 chip and more are said to be in development
In the latest issue of his Power On newsletter, BloombergApple’s Mark Gurman outlined other M2 Macs on Apple’s product roadmap, including a new Mac mini with the M2 Pro chip.
Gurman listed several other new Apple products in the works, including a new Apple TV with an A14 chip and 4GB more RAM. Most products are expected to hit the market between late 2022 and mid-2023.
New version of original HomePod is set to come back next year
One of the new Apple products Gurman mentioned that is in the works is a new HomePod with the same S8 chip that will also be found in the Apple Watch Series 8.
Gurman said the new HomePod will be closer to the original model in terms of size and audio performance than it is a new HomePod Mini. He also said the new HomePod will feature an updated display on top of the speaker, potentially with multi-touch functionality.
Video comparison: M2 MacBook Pro vs. M1 MacBook Pro
In a recent video on our YouTube channel, we compared Apple’s new 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M2 chip to the previous model with the M1 chip.
The video provides a look at the M2 MacBook Pro’s overall performance, SSD speeds and more compared to the previous model. In our comparison, both machines have a 256 GB SSD and 8 GB RAM.
Kuo: Apple’s work on 5G modem chip ‘failed’, Qualcomm remains supplier for 2023 iPhones
For years Apple has been rumored to be working on its own 5G modem for future devices, but analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed this week that Apple’s efforts so far have “failed,” saying Qualcomm will remain Apple’s modem supplier for 2023 iPhones.
If Kuo is correct, it means that iPhone 15 models could come with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon X70 modem while Apple continues work on its own modem.
MacRumors Newsletter
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