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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 which has seen a complete redesign and should be arriving in a couple of weeks.

top-stories-2jul2022.jpg

Other top stories this week included a host of product rumors including additional M2 and even M3 Macs, an updated Apple TV, and a revived HomePod, so make sure to read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Apple Plans to Launch MacBook Air With M2 Chip on July 15

MacRumors has learned from a source that Apple plans to launch the new MacBook Air with the M2 chip on Friday, July 15, meaning that pre-orders are likely to begin on Friday, July 8.

M2-MacBook-Air-2022-Feature0010.jpg

Apple previously announced that the new MacBook Air would be available in July, but did not provide a specific date.

The new MacBook Air has been redesigned with a larger 13.6-inch display, a notch, a flatter appearance, and new Starlight and Midnight color options. The notebook features MagSafe 3 charging, an upgraded 1080p camera, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a Magic Keyboard with physical Fn keys, a Touch ID button, and more.

Pricing starts at $1,199 in the United States, while the previous MacBook Air remains available for $999.

Base 13-Inch MacBook Pro With M2 Chip Has Significantly Slower SSD Speeds Than 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.

13-inch-macbook-pro-m2-mock-feature-2.jpg

YouTube channels such as Max Tech and Created Tech tested the 256GB model with Blackmagic's Disk Speed Test app and real-world tests and found that the SSD's read and write speeds are around 50% and 30% slower, respectively, compared to the previous model.

M2 Pro Mac Mini, New Apple TV With A14 Chip, and More Rumored to Be in Development

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman outlined additional M2 Macs on Apple's product roadmap, including a new Mac mini powered by an M2 Pro chip.

m2-mac-mini-screen-feature.jpg

Gurman listed several other new Apple products in the works, including a new Apple TV with an A14 chip and an increased 4GB of RAM. Most of the products are expected to launch between late 2022 and mid 2023.

New Version of Original HomePod to Return Next Year

One of the new Apple products that Gurman mentioned is in the works is a new HomePod with the same S8 chip as will be found in the Apple Watch Series 8.

homepod-feature-blue2.jpg

Gurman said the new HomePod will be closer to the original model in terms of size and audio performance, as opposed to being a new HomePod mini. He also said the new HomePod will feature an updated display on the 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.

m1-vs-m2-macbook-pro.jpg

The video provides a look at the M2 MacBook Pro's overall performance, SSD speeds, and more compared to the previous model. Both machines have a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM in our comparison.

Kuo: Apple's Work on 5G Modem Chip 'Failed,' Qualcomm to Remain Supplier for 2023 iPhones

For years, rumors have suggested that Apple is working on its own 5G modem for future devices, but analyst Ming-Chi Kuo this week claimed that Apple's efforts have "failed" so far and said that Qualcomm will remain Apple's modem supplier for 2023 iPhones.

Apple-5G-Modem-Feature-Triad.jpg

If Kuo is accurate, this means iPhone 15 models could be equipped with Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X70 modem as Apple continues work on its own modem.

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!

Article Link: Top Stories: M2 MacBook Air Release Date, New HomePod Rumor, and More
 

lix220

macrumors newbie
Jun 28, 2022
11
-7
So Apple tricks you with the new Macbook Air M2 is coming a month prior to its availability, and then they dump you with the dogshiet - Macbook Pro with stupid touch bar and slower SSD.

I wonder how many idiots fell for this, thinking they're the same thing.
 

Massy1989

macrumors newbie
Nov 29, 2016
29
38
This post says the MacBook Air has two Thunderbolt 3 ports? (Should say Thunderbolt 4)

Oh, wow — they are Thunderbolt 3, but also USB 4? USB-C never fails to complicate…
 
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Realityck

macrumors G3
Nov 9, 2015
9,807
14,551
Silicon Valley, CA
New Version of Original HomePod to Return Next Year

One of the new Apple products that Gurman mentioned is in the works is a new HomePod with the same S8 chip as will 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, as opposed to being a new HomePod mini. He also said the new HomePod will feature an updated display on the top of the speaker, potentially with multi-touch functionality.​
People use to get a pair of these for external speakers, I hope these return to the marketplace and can still be used in the same manner.
 

MasterHowl

macrumors 65816
Oct 3, 2010
1,052
161
North of England
So stoked for an M2 MacBook Air. My 2014 MBP is ready for retirement — random shutdowns half a dozen times a day, sluggish performance, and no new macOS updates.
 

yellow8

macrumors 6502a
Mar 14, 2017
528
1,032
Can't wait for the first test of the MBA. And the new homepod is also great news!
 

hoorayforhollywood

macrumors regular
Apr 26, 2017
101
214
Not experienced the M2 yet, but here's just an argument for conversation.... Seeing as rumours suggest the M2 Pro and M2 Max are going to be 3nm (who knows?) and given some odd reviews of the M2 base chip, when we've seen M3, M4, M5, will the M2 be seen in retrospect as an odd chip? A bit of a stutter?
 

Realityck

macrumors G3
Nov 9, 2015
9,807
14,551
Silicon Valley, CA
Not experienced the M2 yet, but here's just an argument for conversation.... Seeing as rumours suggest the M2 Pro and M2 Max are going to be 3nm (who knows?) and given some odd reviews of the M2 base chip, when we've seen M3, M4, M5, will the M2 be seen in retrospect as an odd chip? A bit of a stutter?
Advanced speculation against non-existing AS SoCs is never a good table conversation, you have to deal with the present. ;)
 

Menneisyys2

macrumors 603
Jun 7, 2011
5,997
1,101
Not experienced the M2 yet, but here's just an argument for conversation.... Seeing as rumours suggest the M2 Pro and M2 Max are going to be 3nm (who knows?) and given some odd reviews of the M2 base chip, when we've seen M3, M4, M5, will the M2 be seen in retrospect as an odd chip? A bit of a stutter?
It's odd in that it's, CPU-wise, just an overclocked M1, with disproportionally higher power consumption.
 

Chrjy

macrumors 65816
May 19, 2010
1,095
2,098
UK
Hoping that Air is not what we have seen with the 13" MPB M2. Fingers crossed for this.
 

Freeangel1

Suspended
Jan 13, 2020
1,191
1,753
the M2 Toaster. I bet you can fry eggs on that sucker. the M2 MBA. with NO FAN!!

The M2 MacBook Pro already COOKS with a fan!!

I bet this is gonna be a lemon. A design flaw.
 
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IllinoisCorn

Suspended
Jan 15, 2021
1,217
1,652
This is factually incorrect. The CPU-cores in the SoC are the updated Avalanche and Blizzard cores from the A15. The Avalanche cores are seemingly pretty similar to the previous gen but the Blizzard cores are considerably improved.
This is more like a version 1.5 of the M series than a version two. You’re correct, of course—it’s not just an overclocked M1. But it’s also something less than an “all new” chip.
 

flottenheimer

macrumors 68000
Jan 8, 2008
1,521
630
Up north
Sooo ready to order an Air! Love the design on this thing! (Base model + 16 GB RAM + 512 SSD (256 would have been fine if not for the expected sluggish performance on that config).
 

crsh1976

macrumors 68000
Jun 13, 2011
1,538
1,674
This post says the MacBook Air has two Thunderbolt 3 ports? (Should say Thunderbolt 4)

Oh, wow — they are Thunderbolt 3, but also USB 4? USB-C never fails to complicate…
It's been the case since M1 Macs hit the market - yes it complicates an already complicated scheme (for non-tech folks at least).
 

Coreymac84

macrumors regular
Jul 9, 2020
247
595
Sooo ready to order an Air! Love the design on this thing! (Base model + 16 GB RAM + 512 SSD (256 would have been fine if not for the expected sluggish performance on that config).
The right configuration. The 10 core gpu will throttle without a fan, get warmer and be pointless.
 
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