Top Stories: Apple Car Rumors, Windows on an M1 Mac, AirPods Max Compared

The holiday season is in full swing, and we'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of our readers for having joined us in another year that was jam-packed with Apple news and rumors.

Top Stories 41 Feature
The calendar will shortly be turning over to 2021, and Apple has a lot more on its plate, as we've seen in rumors over the past week about the long-rumored Apple Car, next year's iPhone 13 lineup, and a new Apple TV. For highlights on these stories and more from the past week, read on below!

Apple Car Production Slated for 2024 With 'Next Level' Battery Technology

Apple's long-rumored electric vehicle plans made headlines again this week. Shortly after a questionable supply chain report out of Taiwan claiming that the so-called "Apple Car" will debut next year, Reuters reported that Apple is targeting 2024 for production of the vehicle.

Apple car wheel icon feature yellow
The report claimed that Apple's self-driving vehicle will feature a unique "monocell" battery design that "frees up space inside the battery pack by eliminating pouches and modules that hold battery materials," potentially resulting in longer range per charge.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk reacted to the news on Twitter, claiming that a "monocell" battery is "electrochemically impossible." Musk also claimed that "during the darkest days" of Model 3 production, he reached out to Apple CEO Tim Cook to discuss the possibility of Apple acquiring Tesla for a fraction of its current value, but Cook apparently declined the meeting.

Meanwhile, in a LinkedIn post, Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess said "we look forward to new competitors who will certainly accelerate the change in our industry again and bring new skills."

iPhone 13 Lineup May Support Wi-Fi 6E, Larger iPhone SE Unlikely in Early 2021

Following discussions with multiple Apple suppliers, Barclays analysts this week outlined a few expectations for future iPhones and iPads.

iPhone 13 Wi Fi 6E greener2
First, the analysts said iPhone 13 models may support the new Wi-Fi 6E standard, which offers the same features and capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 — higher performance, lower latency, and faster data rates — extended into the 6 GHz band. The additional spectrum will provide a lot more airspace beyond existing 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi, resulting in increased bandwidth and less interference for devices that support Wi-Fi 6E.

As for the iPhone SE, the analysts believe Apple has no plans to refresh the device in the foreseeable future. While they had heard about a larger iPhone SE, rumored to feature a 5.5-inch or 6.1-inch display, the device was not mentioned in any of their discussions with Apple suppliers. In April, well-known analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the larger iPhone SE was delayed until the second half of 2021.

Last, the analysts said that an iPad with an OLED display is unlikely to launch until 2022 at the earliest. Apple is still expected to release at least one iPad Pro model with Mini-LED backlighting next year.

Video: Testing Windows on an M1 Mac With Parallels 16

Last week, Parallels launched a preview version of its virtualization software with support for Apple Silicon. Paired with a preview version of Arm-based Windows available through the Windows Insider program, it is possible to get Microsoft's operating system up and running on M1 Macs.

Windows on M1 Feature
In a recent YouTube video, we installed Parallels on the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 chip and tested out Windows, but it didn't exactly go smoothly. Of course, there are some issues to be expected with beta software that is still in development.

It remains unclear if Microsoft will ever make a licensed release version of Arm-based Windows available to customers.

Comparison: AirPods Max vs. Sony/Bose/Sennheiser Options

It's been a little over a week since the AirPods Max launched, marking Apple's entry into the higher-end over-ear headphones market.

AirPods Max vs Others Thumb triad
Priced at $549, the AirPods Max are hundreds of dollars more expensive than many highly-rated noise cancelling headphones from other brands, which can make for a tough purchase decision.

In a recent YouTube video, we compared the ‌AirPods Max‌ to Sony's WH-1000XM4s, Bose's Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, and the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless to see if they're worth the premium price tag. In a separate video, we covered five reasons you might want to consider buying AirPods Max despite their high price tag.

AirPods Max still face lengthy shipping estimates on Apple.com, although delivery times have improved somewhat to mid-February for the Space Gray and Silver colors and 8-10 weeks for the Pink, Green, and Sky Blue options, compared to 12-14 weeks for all of the colors recently.

Apple's A14 Chip Outperforms New Snapdragon 888 Chip Coming in Future Android Phones

Qualcomm this week shared benchmark results for its new Snapdragon 888 chip that will be used in flagship Android smartphones coming out in 2021, and not only is it unable to keep pace with Apple's A14 chip in iPhone 12 models, but it is even slower than the last-generation A13 chip used for the iPhone 11 lineup.

a14 bionic chip video
While the Snapdragon 888 delivers significant performance improvements over the previous-generation Snapdragon chip, this means that future Android smartphones like Samsung's rumored Galaxy S21 will be slower than already-released iPhone models.

Apple's mobile processors have led the industry in performance for years, and the company recently extended this expertise to the Mac with its new M1 chip, which also delivers industry-leading performance per watt.

New Apple TV With Gaming Focus, Updated Remote, and Faster Chip Expected Next Year

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman this week briefly reiterated that Apple plans to release a new Apple TV with a stronger gaming focus, an updated remote, and a new processor at some point next year.

apple tv 4k banner
Gurman has previously indicated that Apple is working on a new remote with Find My-like capabilities, which would make it easier to find when misplaced. As part of the gaming focus, there have also been rumors that Apple may introduce a dedicated gaming controller for the Apple TV.

Earlier this year, an anonymous leaker known as "Fudge" on Twitter indicated that Apple has prototyped new Apple TV models with variants of the A12 and A14 chips for faster performance; if true, it's unclear if Apple will ultimately settle on one chip or release two different models. The new Apple TV may also have larger 64GB and 128GB storage capacity options.

The current Apple TV 4K model was released over three years ago, so odds are looking good for an update next year.

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

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...

Top Rated Comments

DaveN Avatar
59 months ago
I can see the squirm in Microsoft engineering. They probably have a M1 native version of Windows running in the lab and it beats any of their ARM or Intel versions. It would be cool to release it but it would burn too many bridges and no way does management want to do that.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
59 months ago
I would be shocked if Microsoft agreed to release a Arm flavor.

Really curious what they roll out with the next Apple TV - likely give an indication how serious Apple will take gaming.

I’m not getting my hopes up too high.
I am not getting my hopes up too high, either. I am short and have a fear of heights.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
59 months ago
2021 is going to be a great year. Let’s hope.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mozumder Avatar
59 months ago
Are WiFi 6E routers or access points even available yet? Seems like they should come first before clients do.. clients last only a few years. Routers/Access points last a decade or more.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sideshowuniqueuser Avatar
59 months ago

Would really like some experts to comment on Musk's claim that a "monocell" battery is "electrochemically impossible."
Electrical engineer here. The voltage per cell is determined by the type of chemicals used for the battery. For example, to get a car battery up to 12V, it has to have 6 cells. If you make each cell bigger, the battery lasts longer (more Wh or mWh), and although it can then provide more current, there is no extra voltage supplied. High power electric car motors need both a pretty high voltage and high current to create enough power efficiently, so for example, Tesla car motors are around 350V. There is no battery chemical reaction that can provide anything close to that voltage with a single cell.

That all said, I have no idea what Apple is working on, but I'd be more willing to bet on Elon Musk's opinion, the man is the modern equivalent of Steve Jobs.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wood1208 Avatar
59 months ago

I can see the squirm in Microsoft engineering. They probably have a M1 native version of Windows running in the lab and it beats any of their ARM or Intel versions. It would be cool to release it but it would burn too many bridges and no way does management want to do that.
Interesting thought. That may be reason Microsoft announced or leaked that Microsoft in house building it's own ARM processor like M1. Unless Apple said no, Microsoft should just port Windows natively on M1.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)