The MacRumors Show: Apple's 2023 Year in Review

In the final episode of The MacRumors Show for 2023, we take a look back and evaluate Apple's year as a whole.


The year kicked off in January with an unusual array of hardware releases consisting of the relaunch of the HomePod alongside the release of the M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pros, as well as the M2 and M2 Pro Mac mini. In May, Apple announced Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro for iPad, extending its own professional-grade creative tools to its tablet users for the first time.

June was particularly eventful with the announcement of iOS 17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10, tvOS 17, and macOS Sonoma at WWDC. Apple simultaneously unveiled the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, a new 15-inch MacBook Air model, and updates to the Mac Studio and Mac Pro lines with the M2 Ultra chip.

September marked the official release of the new operating systems and the debut of the iPhone 15 series, Apple Watch Series 9, and Apple Watch Ultra 2, alongside the introduction of FineWoven as a new material for accessories, and the launch of AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C. In October, Apple continued by introducing the Apple Pencil with USB-C, and somewhat unexpectedly announced the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max MacBook Pros, as well as the M3 iMac, at the end of the month.

November saw Apple announce support for Rich Communication Services (RCS). The year concluded with the release of iOS 17.2, Aston Martin and Porsche previewing the next-generation CarPlay, and a notable legal development where sales of the Apple Watch Series 9 and ‌Apple Watch Ultra 2‌ were briefly banned in the United States.

How do you think 2023 was for Apple? Let us know in the comments. The MacRumors Show is now on its own YouTube channel, so head over and subscribe to keep up with new episodes and clips going forward:

You can also listen to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or your preferred podcasts app. You can also copy our RSS feed directly into your podcast player.


If you haven't already listened to the previous episode of The MacRumors Show, catch up for our discussion where we take your questions about Apple rumors and more.

Subscribe to ‌The MacRumors Show‌ for new episodes every week, where we discuss some of the topical news breaking here on MacRumors, often joined by interesting guests like Kevin Nether, Jared Nelson, Eli Hodapp, Luke Miani, Mike Bell, Sara Dietschy, iJustine, Jon Rettinger, Andru Edwards, Arnold Kim, Ben Sullins, Marcus Kane, Christopher Lawley, Frank McShan, David Lewis, Tyler Stalman, Jon Prosser, Sam Kohl, Quinn Nelson, John Gruber, Federico Viticci, Thomas Frank, Jonathan Morrison, Ross Young, Ian Zelbo, and Rene Ritchie.

‌The MacRumors Show‌ is on X @MacRumorsShow, so be sure to give us a follow to keep up with the podcast. You can also head over to The MacRumors Show forum thread to engage with us directly. Remember to rate and review the podcast, and let us know what subjects and guests you would like to see in the future.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Wednesday January 15, 2025 7:16 am PST by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the "ultra-thin" device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Due to its thinness, the device is expected to have some limited specifications compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, only a single speaker, no SIM...
new magsafe charger

Apple Releases Updated MagSafe Charger Firmware

Tuesday January 14, 2025 11:30 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the 25W MagSafe Charger that is compatible with the iPhone 12 and later and the latest AirPods and Apple Watch models. The updated firmware is version 2A143, up from the 2A138 firmware that the accessory shipped with. In the Settings app, you'll see a different version number than the internal firmware number. The 2024 MagSafe charger was...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.3 Coming Soon: Here's What's New

Monday January 13, 2025 5:33 am PST by
iOS 18.3 is currently in beta for developers and public beta testers. So far, the upcoming iPhone software update is very minor in scope. Below, we outline what is new in iOS 18.3 so far. The only potential new feature coming to iPhones with iOS 18.3 so far is robot vacuum support in the Home app, but this functionality is not yet live. Apple is laying the groundwork for the feature,...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website. Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50. We have outlined some examples below: Device New Value Old Value iPhone 15 Pro Max Up to $630 U ...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 8 New Features

Thursday January 9, 2025 5:45 am PST by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025: More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
severance new york promo 1

Apple Promotes Severance Season 2 Premiere With Lumon Industries Pop-Up and Visits From Actors

Tuesday January 14, 2025 3:47 pm PST by
Ahead of the season two premiere of hit TV show Severance, Apple is marketing the show with a fun Severance pop-up at the Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Apple has assembled a glass cube with workstations that are identical to the setups that Lumon employees use on the show, complete with employees "working," doing yoga, playing catch, throwing paper airplanes, sipping coffee, and...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected This Year: Here's What We Know

Wednesday January 8, 2025 7:05 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
MacBook Air 15 Inch Feature Blue

MacBook Air Likely Apple's First Product Update of 2025: What to Expect

Wednesday January 15, 2025 8:49 am PST by
There is a good chance that Apple's first product announcement of 2025 will be updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M4 chip. Last month, Apple released macOS Sequoia 15.2, and in doing so it accidentally confirmed new MacBook Air models are coming this year (unsurprisingly). Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the new MacBook Air models will be announced "earlier" than some...
apple power beats pro 2

Powerbeats Pro 2 Filed in Regulatory Databases Ahead of 2025 Launch

Wednesday January 15, 2025 6:02 am PST by
In September, Apple said that it would be launching Powerbeats Pro 2 in 2025, and now further evidence of the wireless earbuds has surfaced. Powerbeats Pro 2 images found in iOS 18 code Apple submitted Powerbeats Pro 2 regulatory documents to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in mid-December. The documents were made available to the public this week, and they were spotted by 91M...

Top Rated Comments

roland.g Avatar
14 months ago

I thought that this years WWDC 2023 announcements were more important then most years. Didn't expect the M3 SoC's to be available so early. Then there was the long awaited mixed reality Vision Pro unveiling before its 2024 releases. It was still a bit uninspiring for product announcements for the rest of the year as was the previous 2022 seemed more active.
Apple under Tim has been an unfortunate timeline. Some good things, but so many missed opportunities. He doesn't understand the brand.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
14 months ago
I'd like to give Dan and Hartley a huge tip-of-my-cap for putting together and hosting all of the MacRumors Shows this year. Thank you!

Each one takes a huge chunk of work and time brainstorming, researching, organizing, and creating a polished video that people enjoy and look forward to.

Wishing you both a great 2024!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
picpicmac Avatar
14 months ago

He doesn't understand the brand.
Well, I disagree on that. He understands "the brand" very well.

Apple was headed to the dustbin of history before they introduced the Mac. It was a radical play, an attempt to boldly not go where IBM was attempting to directly the microcomputer marketing.

I remember when our department go that first Mac - it was a curiosity, a draw to the office that had it from those masses with their IBM PCs.

But Apple is not defined only by such moves. Even under Jobs' original tenure there was flailing. Then after he left there was a lot of flailing. Jobs comes back and the company had three hit product lines: iPod, iMac, and iPhone. But there were also failings during Jobs second tenure too.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Realityck Avatar
14 months ago

Apple under Tim has been an unfortunate timeline. Some good things, but so many missed opportunities. He doesn't understand the brand.
I think you are forgetting China's finally ceasing city shutdowns that severely affected manufacturing in many cities on Dec 7th, 2022. It took the first half of 2023 to recover how much that countries manufacturing/transportation of produced goods effected the rest of the world's economy including product announcements from Apple. Up to then Apple was deliberately cherry picking announcements/updates to their manufacturing releases that could best shore up not the greatest earning projections. Yes remember the financial warnings earlier this year. So is it the fault of a CEO in those conditions, hardly. If you want to poke fun at him, IMHO the Indian Factory that Apple/FoxConn talked up as a big thing mostly fizzled in the end. ;)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
McTaste Avatar
14 months ago
Podcast thumbnails always give me uncanny valley vibes.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sjsharksfan12 Avatar
14 months ago

What are the names of the presenters?
Dan Barbera and Hartley Charlton


Their names are listed amongst the staff of McRumors on the bottom of the page.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)