Top Stories: iOS 18 Beta 2, Apple Vision Pro International Launch, New Beats Speaker, and More

Apple is moving right along on iOS 18, macOS Sequoia, and other new operating systems that were unveiled at WWDC earlier this month, releasing the second developer betas of the updates this week with a number of new changes and additions. Public betas will follow sometime next month ahead of a full public release in the fall.

top stories 29jun2024
Other news and rumors this week included international availability of the Vision Pro headset, upcoming expansion of support for third-party display and battery replacement parts for iPhones, the debut of a revamped Beats Pill speaker, and more, so read on below for all the details!

Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 2

Apple this week seeded the second betas of iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11, and more to developers for testing. A handful of changes have been discovered on the iPhone in the second iOS 18 beta, as outlined in our list of everything new.

Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock
The first public beta of iOS 18 will be released at some point in July, according to Apple. However, anyone with a free Apple developer account is able to install the developer beta, as a $99/year Apple Developer Program membership is no longer required for this purpose. As always, make sure to back up your device before installing beta software.

Apple Vision Pro Launches in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore

Availability of Apple Vision Pro has expanded beyond the United States for the first time, with the headset now availabile in China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore. Pre-orders have also gone live in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom ahead of a July 12 launch in those countries.

Apple Vision Pro availability Wangfujing Beijing first purchase
During WWDC earlier this month, Apple announced visionOS 2, the first major update to the Vision Pro's operating system. visionOS 2 includes several new features and changes, including a redesigned Photos app with SharePlay support, the ability to turn existing 2D photos into spatial photos, a larger ultra-wide version of Mac Virtual Display that is equivalent to two 4K monitors side by side, plus support for a physical mouse.

Apple Says iPhones Will Better Support Third-Party Displays and Batteries Later This Year

Apple this week published a lengthy whitepaper that highlights the company's approach to device repairability and longevity. In the document, Apple revealed that iPhones will better support third-party displays and batteries later in 2024.

iPhone 15 General Feature Black
More specifically, Apple said third-party iPhone displays will support True Tone, while battery health metrics will be visible when a third-party battery is installed. However, Apple said it cannot guarantee that the features will work properly.

Beats Pill Speaker Makes a Comeback With Improved Sound, Water Resistance, and Lower Price

Over two and a half years after Apple discontinued the Beats Pill, the company has brought the portable Bluetooth speaker back to life.

beats pill 1
The new Beats Pill features improved sound, water resistance, a lower $149.99 price, an optional lanyard, Find My support, and other enhancements compared to the previous version. The speaker comes in three colors, and is available to order now on Apple's online store.

iOS 18 to Bring These 5 New Features to AirPods Pro

The upcoming iOS 18 update for the iPhone includes five notable new features for the AirPods Pro, with more details outlined in our list.

iOS 18 and AirPods Pro Feature
One particular feature that Apple showed off during its WWDC 2024 keynote was hands-free Siri interactions. With the second-generation AirPods Pro and iOS 18, you can gently nod your head "yes" or gently shake your head "no" to accept or decline an incoming call, without having to speak.

iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro: 60+ Upgrades to Expect

While the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max have yet to be announced, there are already many new features and changes rumored for the devices.

iPhone 13 Pro vs 16 Pro Feature
If you still have a three-year-old iPhone 13 Pro model, and will be considering upgrading to an iPhone 16 Pro model when they are released later this year, read our in-depth iPhone 13 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro guide. In it, we outline over 60 changes to expect if you upgrade.

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

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

'New' iPhone SE Product Listing Appears on French Website

Wednesday February 12, 2025 6:49 am PST by
As the wait continues for Apple's long-rumored, fourth-generation iPhone SE, French electronics retailer Boulanger has prematurely published a product listing for a "new" model of the iPhone SE. The placeholder page says the device is "coming soon," but it offers no further information, and the price shown is obviously not real. The listing was spotted by a reader of the French technology...
M4 Mac mini Apple Video

Apple's Refurbished Mac Mini Pricing Has a Problem

Thursday February 13, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple this week began selling refurbished Mac mini models with the M4 chip for the first time, but this has led to a pricing conundrum. In the United States, Apple is offering a refurbished Mac mini with the base M4 chip, 256GB of storage, 16GB of RAM, and Gigabit Ethernet for $509, down from $599 new. This is the standard 15% discount that Apple offers on refurbished Macs. The issue is...
iPhone 16 Apple Store

iPhone 17 in New Sizes This Year: What to Know

Thursday February 13, 2025 2:45 am PST by
Last year, Apple tweaked iPhone 16 Pro screen sizes to make them bigger than 2023's iPhone 15 Pro models, and this year we are also expecting a change in the size of the displays in the iPhone 17 lineup. Here's what we know. Standard iPhone 17 Apple could introduce a new display size for the standard iPhone 17 model in 2025. The iPhone 17 could measure in at 6.3 inches, up from 6.1 inches,...
iphone air concept weis

iPhone 17 Air Could Look Like This in Real Life

Friday February 14, 2025 3:41 am PST by
There have been several alleged leaked details of the iPhone 17 Air, Apple's rumored new slim iPhone, but images have been limited to grainy shots taken in component factories. However, this hyper-realistic concept created by WEIS Studio gives us the best idea yet of what Apple's thin device might actually look like. The concept design is inspired by recent leaks indicating that the device...