Top Stories: New MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, HomePod, and More

Surprise! This week ended up being a very busy one for Apple with a number of announcements for several new products we knew were in the works but thought might not be launching quite so soon.

top stories 21jan2023
We'll have a lot more to come over the next few weeks as the new products launch, but read on below for all of the announcement details!

Apple Announces New MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, HomePod, and More

Apple made some rare January product announcements this week, introducing updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, an updated Mac mini, a new full-size HomePod, and more.

M2 Mini MacBook Pros HomePod Unity Apple Watch Feature 1
We've put together a recap of everything that Apple announced this week for those looking for a quick overview of all the new products introduced this week. We've also rounded up all of our coverage of the announcements below with more details about each new product.

Apple Announces New MacBook Pros With M2 Pro/M2 Max Chips, Up to 96GB RAM, and More

The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are available with Apple's latest M2 Pro and M2 Max chips for up to 20% faster performance and up to 30% faster graphics. The laptops can now be configured with up to 96GB of RAM and feature Wi-Fi 6E, an upgraded HDMI 2.1 port with support for an 8K external display, and an extra hour of battery life.

Apple MacBook Pro M2 Feature Blue Green
The laptops can be pre-ordered now on Apple's online store, with the first deliveries to customers and in-store availability to begin January 24.

Apple Announces New Mac Mini With M2 and M2 Pro Chips at Lower $599 Starting Price

Apple also updated the Mac mini with new M2 and M2 Pro chip options, resulting in the final Intel-based Mac mini being discontinued. There are no design changes, but M2 Pro configurations are equipped with four Thunderbolt 4 ports and an HDMI 2.1 port.

m2 mac mini screen feature
The new Mac mini can be pre-ordered now on Apple's online store, with the M2 base model starting at a lower $599 price. Availability begins January 24.

Apple Announces New HomePod for $299 With Full-Size Design, S7 Chip, and More

The second-generation HomePod features a virtually identical design as the full-size HomePod that was discontinued in 2021. The Siri-enabled smart speaker has two fewer tweeters and microphones than the original model, an S7 chip for computational audio, a U1 chip for handing off music from an iPhone, and support for Spatial Audio. The speaker also supports Matter for controlling smart home accessories.

HomePod 2 White and Midnight Feature Purple Blue
The new HomePod is available to pre-order now for $299 in white and midnight colors and launches on February 3.

iOS 16.3 Coming Next Week: Here's What's New

In its press release about a new Unity watch band for the Apple Watch, Apple said a matching Unity wallpaper for the iPhone will be available next week on iOS 16.3, which confirms that the software update will be released to the public next week — here's what's new.

iOS 16
The only major new features coming in iOS 16.3 are support for physical security keys as a two-factor authentication option for Apple ID accounts and a worldwide expansion of optional Advanced Data Protection for iCloud accounts.

Apple Launches Black Unity Sport Loop With Matching Apple Watch Face and iPhone Wallpaper

Apple this week released a special-edition Black Unity Sport Loop for the Apple Watch in celebration of Black History Month. Available now for $49, the band features the word "Unity" woven into the fabric with red, green, and black yarns that pay homage to the Pan-African flag, according to Apple.

Apple Watch Unity Band 2023
Apple is also releasing a companion Unity-themed iPhone wallpaper and watch face with iOS 16.3 and watchOS 9.3.

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!

Top Rated Comments

Leon Ze Professional Avatar
16 months ago
An enjoyable week of product releases.

Can't wait to see the reviews for the new 14 and 16 inch Macbook Pro's.

So I think the Mac Pro and 15 inch Macbook Air should be the next Macs to get released, I hope?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
16 months ago
What an exceptional week, to be honest Apple made up in one day what they lacked in the last 2 quarters.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...