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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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