Top Stories: iOS 18.2 Coming Soon, iPhone 17 Rumors, and More

[MacRumors]

2024 is rapidly drawing to a close, but Apple isn't quite done with releases for the year as iOS 18.2 and related operating system updates are arriving very shortly. Apple Intelligence is a major focus for these updates, but there are some other tweaks and improvements arriving for all users.

Looking toward hardware rumors, discussion continues around Apple's work on a foldable iPhone, an expanded push into the smart home market, and M5 chips for future Macs, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Apple Seeds Release Candidate Versions of iOS 18.2 and More With Genmoji, Image Playground and ChatGPT Integration

We're expecting Apple to release iOS 18.2, macOS Sequoia 15.2, and other updates on Monday, and that's looking like a pretty good bet at this point as Apple this week seeded release candidate versions of all of the updates to beta testers.

For compatible devices, the updates bring a number of new Apple Intelligence features including Image Playground, Image Wand, Genmoji, ChatGPT integration with Siri, and more. Users of other devices will also see plenty of improvements and bug fixes, so be sure to check out the full iOS 18.2 release notes for all of the details.

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Could Reinvigorate Stalling Market

Apple has been rumored to be working on a foldable iPhone for a number of years, but while the company reportedly hasn't been happy enough with the results to yield a product worth releasing, that may be changing in a couple of years.

A new report claims Apple is aiming to debut a foldable iPhone in the second half of 2026, and it could help reinvigorate an overall foldable smartphone market that has been stagnating after an initial surge of interest in models from Samsung and other manufacturers.

The MacRumors Show: Apple's Foldable iPhone and Smart Home Plans

Speaking of that foldable iPhone, Dan and Hartley discussed the topic in this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, tackling the pros, cons, and use cases for such a device.

Apple's apparent plans to move more aggressively into the smart home market were also a topic of discussion, as it looks like Apple may be working on several smart home hubs, a first-party HomeKit camera, and more.

Apple Orders M5 Chips From TSMC Ahead of Late 2025 Production

Apple launched the M4 chip family earlier this year in the iPad Pro and just recently expanded it to the Mac while adding more powerful M4 Pro and M4 Max versions, but the company is already moving full-speed ahead on their successors.

Apple has reportedly placed orders with its chip supplier TSMC for next-generation M5 chips, which should bring significant performance and efficiency gains.

Apple CEO Tim Cook Opens Up About AI Plans, Vision Pro Future, and More in New Interview

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently sat down with WIRED's Steven Levy for an in-depth interview regarding Apple's AI ambitions and concerns, the future of the Apple Vision Pro headset, and more.

The interview also covered Apple's ongoing effort to bring medical technology tools to consumers, as well as Cook's tenure at Apple and how much longer he might remain in his position as CEO.

Apple Music's Full Replay 2024 Experience and Year-End Charts Now Out

Apple has launched Apple Music Replay for 2024, giving subscribers early access to their personalized music listening statistics and trends for the year.

iPhone users on iOS 18.1 or later can now access the Replay 2024 experience directly in the Apple Music app, from the Home, New, and Search tabs. Users with previous iOS versions can still access the experience at replay.music.apple.com.

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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!

Article Link: Top Stories: iOS 18.2 Coming Soon, iPhone 17 Rumors, and More

 

[Max Webb]

Apple just are so boring in the IOS department, I was so underwhelmed with IOS 18.2 I have actually switched to Android this year, I hope they make some major improvements with IOS 19... otherwise a shiny new iPhone will still be boring. Honestly even just having small text notifications is more pleasing on the eye, apple needs to overhaul its software way more than it has tried.

 

[Tozovac]

....apple needs to overhaul its software way more than it has tried.

And for anyone from Apple lurking here, that does NOT mean forcing revamped interface controls for the sake of introducing something new. Instead, fix bugs in the hidden underpinnings but keep the best of what works now and bring back the best of what was taken away and used to work before iOS7.

1. No more text-for-buttons hyper-small touch points. Bring back larger tap areas that aren't covered by the fingertip (especially the phone dialer).
2. No more low-contrast text on white backgrounds.
3. Find ways to decrease the amount of tapping required for a function, not increase! (why now does the default configuration require 3 swipes/taps to access wifi in control panel when it used to be 2).
4. Improve control panel by using the same/similar icons as the app instead of the white/monochromatic simplified flat design icons...the timer/clock and lock/rotate still look too similar and takes more time than it should have at times to find/select.
5. Bring back some effective borders to differentiate "zones" (nobody was ever distracted away from the "content" if the controls stood out... That was all marketing nonsense, and/or engineers and designers looking for a solution to a non-problem in order to have something fun to do at work back when the UI worked pretty damn intuitively and there was little to improve but lots to change for the sake of some change).

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I carry a 16PM and a Flip 6. Really like both phones. I would only consider a Flip type of iPhone if the cover display is as good or better than the Flip 6 and not that big of a compromise with the camera.

I would love to go to having a slab Android device, and have a Flip iPhone.

 

[Realityck]

We're expecting Apple to release iOS 18.2, macOS Sequoia 15.2, and other updates on Monday, and that's looking like a pretty good bet at this point as Apple this week seeded release candidate versions of all of the updates to beta testers.

So the RC comes out Thursday 12/5 and you guys still are expecting it on Monday 12/9 because of the UK post weeks ago. What’s are the odds of that?

 

[mabaker]

Imagine the scratches on a foldable iPhone…

 

[Black Belt]

Oh gawd not the foldable iPhone again. 🙄

 

[Flight Plan]

And for anyone from Apple lurking here, that does NOT mean forcing revamped interface controls for the sake of introducing something new. Instead, fix bugs in the hidden underpinnings but keep the best of what works now and bring back the best of what was taken away and used to work before iOS7.

1. No more text-for-buttons hyper-small touch points. Bring back larger tap areas that aren't covered by the fingertip (especially the phone dialer).
2. No more low-contrast text on white backgrounds.
3. Find ways to decrease the amount of tapping required for a function, not increase! (why now does the default configuration require 3 swipes/taps to access wifi in control panel when it used to be 2).
4. Improve control panel by using the same/similar icons as the app instead of the white/monochromatic simplified flat design icons...the timer/clock and lock/rotate still look too similar and takes more time than it should have at times to find/select.
5. Bring back some effective borders to differentiate "zones" (nobody was ever distracted away from the "content" if the controls stood out... That was all marketing nonsense, and/or engineers and designers looking for a solution to a non-problem in order to have something fun to do at work back when the UI worked pretty damn intuitively and there was little to improve but lots to change for the sake of some change).

Your suggestions are specific and (I think) reasonable. There are buttons, at the OS level and at the app level, where I have to press-press-press a button to start a feature, dismiss a dialog, or do some other thing…and it doesn’t come back at me with a response.

Eventually, I get them to work, but it’s annoying.

But I am getting ready to upgrade from my 12 to a 16, so I guess it’s not bad enough yet to make me jump.

 

[applefan8254]

Can we get separate data spaces? limit the feature to 512gb devices so it's an upsell - everyone wins - apple gets the extra revenue/profit, users get more/improved privacy options

 

[MobiusStrip]

With Apple's continual attempts to make the iPhone seem "thinner," why would they make a folding one?