MacRumors

Amazon has solid discounts across a collection of Apple accessories today, including the MagSafe Battery Pack, MagSafe Charger, and AirTags.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

First is the AirTag 4-Pack, which is available for $89.00, down from $99.00. We've seen these down to around $85 in the past, but Amazon's price today is among the best discounts we've seen in the past few months and the lowest price you'll find online this week for the AirTag 4-Pack.

Moving to MagSafe accessories, you can get the MagSafe Battery Pack for $79.99, down from $99.00. This is the best price so far in 2022 and overall a second-best price on this accessory.

Next, Amazon has the MagSafe Charger for $34.00, down from $39.00. This is a second-best price, but still one of the best deals we've seen so far in 2022.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

A bug that caused the Apple Music app to install itself directly into the dock when downloaded from the App Store has been fixed in the latest iOS developer beta.

Appearing early last month and later acknowledge by Apple, the unintended bug would make the Apple Music app drop straight into the Dock without user permission, sometimes even replacing other first and third-party apps located there.

iOS devices running iOS 15.4.1 are affected, and we were also able to get ‌Apple Music‌ to install itself over another app in the iOS 15.5 beta.

However, as spotted by Aaron Zollo, Apple appears to have fixed the bug in iOS 15.6 Beta 2, suggesting the issue will be resolved for all users when iOS 15.6 is officially released.

Blizzard's newest Diablo game, Diablo Immortal, is now available on iPhone and iPad. Fans of the Diablo universe enjoyed an early rollout in some regions, but Blizzard has confirmed that the game should be freely available to play for everyone from today.

First announced in 2018, Diablo Immortal is a full-fledged action RPG that's been developed from the ground up for mobile devices.

Diablo Immortal players can choose from six Diablo classes including Barbarian, Crusader, Demon Hunter, Monk, Necromancer, and Wizard, and then journey through various zones and the city of Westmarch.

Familiar Diablo characters, such as Deckard Cain, are present in the storyline, and players can complete an expansive quest to collect the shattered pieces of the Worldstone before the forces of the Burning Hells can gather. The questline takes place between the events of Diablo II and Diablo III.

Players share a world with others and can team up with up to eight people to take on group challenges and fight raid bosses. Up to 150 people can form a clan to earn clan achievements, and the game supports cross-play and cross-progression on PC and mobile.

There's also a faction-based PvP system where players can work together to fight in an ongoing war. The top player on the server earns the Eternal Crown and becomes the leader of the Immortals, forced to defend their reign across a series of modes.

Diablo Immortal is a free-to-play title with Blizzard monetizing the game through in-app purchases, though the company says the "core game experience" will always be free. The game can be downloaded from the App Store. More information about the game can be found on Blizzard's website.

Global smartphone shipments are expected to decline 3.5 percent to 1.31 billion units in 2022, according to IDC's latest Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker forecast. Because of increasing challenges with supply and demand, IDC is significantly reducing its forecast for 2022, which previously predicted 1.6 percent growth.

IDC believes Apple will be the "least impacted vendor" because of its control over its supply chain and because iPhone customers are in the higher-priced segment and are not as impacted by macroeconomic issues like inflation.

Weakening demand, inflation, supply chain constraints, and geo-political tensions are impacting all smartphone vendors, resulting in cutbacks. Even major smartphone manufacturers like Samsung and Apple have cut orders. IDC says that it expects the challenges to ease by the end of the year, barring any new setbacks. The 2023 market is expected to recover with 5 percent growth.

Semiconductor supply issues are also expected to ease in the second half of 2022.

"The ongoing semiconductor supply issues will ease up in the second half of 2022. On the SoC side, 4G SoC supply has been tight, but the market continues to shift towards 5G SoCs," said Phil Solis, research director in IDC's Enabling Technologies and Semiconductors team. "The bigger problem has been the tight supply of components such as PMICs, display drivers, and discrete Wi-Fi chips. Capacity is being increased for these semiconductors that are made in higher process nodes and newer versions of Wi-Fi chips are being made with newer process nodes. At the same time, demand is dropping. Combined, these supply and demand changes will put the market more in equilibrium."

Apple in the second fiscal quarter of 2022 had difficulty meeting demand for the current ‌iPhone‌, iPad, and Mac models because of supply constraints, and the company said in April that it expects those issues to continue into the third fiscal quarter. At the current time, the Mac and ‌iPad‌ appear much more affected by supply chain issues than the ‌iPhone‌.

Recent rumors have suggested that the iPhone 14 Max is several weeks behind schedule compared to the other ‌iPhone 14‌ models due to supply chain issues, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said that Apple has the situation under control and suppliers are going to be able to work overtime to watch up. Whether or not these supply issues result in delays or fewer iPhones available for purchase in September remains to be seen.

The App Store prevented 1.6 million risky and untrustworthy apps from defrauding users in 2021, according to new fraud analysis data shared today by Apple. Apple says that the ‌App Store‌ stopped "nearly $1.5 billion in fraudulent transactions" during the year.

Apple rejected more than 34,000 apps for hidden features, and more than 157,000 that were spam or copycat apps. 343,000 apps were rejected for various privacy violations. Over 800,000 fraudulent developer accounts were terminated.

More than 170 million fraudulent customer accounts were deactivated, and 118 million attempted fraudulent account creations were rejected. 155,000 nefarious apps that attempted to skirt the App Review process by altering functionality or concept after approval were rejected or removed from the ‌App Store‌. 63,500 illegitimate apps on pirate storefronts were blocked by Apple, and more than 3.3 million apps distributed illicitly through the Enterprise Developer Program were blocked.

Apple says that the App Review team helped more than 107,000 developers get their apps on the ‌App Store‌ in 2021, and 835,000 problematic new apps and 805,000 app updates were rejected or removed from the ‌App Store‌ for issues like bugs.

As for ratings and review fraud, Apple detected and blocked more than 94 million reviews and over 170 million ratings for failing to meet moderation standards. 610,000 additional reviews were removed after publication due to customer concern submissions and human evaluation.

Apple stopped over 3.3 million stolen credit and debit cards from being used to make potentially fraudulent purchases, and 600,000 accounts were banned from further ‌App Store‌ transactions.

Apple says that it plans to continue to work to detect fraudulent activity and accounts and prevent financial crimes in order to keep the ‌App Store‌ a "safe and trusted place for users to find and download apps."

Apple today seeded the second public betas of iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6, with the software updates coming two weeks after Apple seeded the first public betas of iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6.

The iOS and iPadOS 15.6 betas can be downloaded over the air after the proper profile from Apple's public beta testing website has been installed on an iPhone or iPad.

There were no new features found in the developer betas of iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6, suggesting that this is a minor update primarily focusing on bug fixes. Apple has also provided no release info at this time.

iOS 15.6 and iPadOS 15.6 are likely to be some of the last updates to iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 as Apple starts transitioning to the next-generation updates, iOS 16 and iPadOS 16, both of which will be unveiled in June at WWDC.

Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming macOS Monterey 12.5 update to its public beta testing group, with the update coming one day after Apple provided the beta to developers.

Public beta testers can download the macOS Monterey 12.5 update from the Software Update section of the System Preferences app after installing the proper profile from Apple's beta software website.

There's no word yet on what new features or changes might be included in macOS Monterey 12.5, and nothing new was found in the first developer beta. Apple has provided no details on this time, so we may need to wait for release to find out what bug fixes or minor changes might be included.

macOS Monterey 12.5 is likely to be one of the final updates to the macOS Monterey operating system as Apple begins its transition to the next-generation version of macOS.

It's been a month since we last tracked a notable deal on the AirPods Max, but today Amazon has discounted the high-end headphones to $449.99, down from $549.00. This is one of the best deals we've seen in 2022 on the AirPods Max, and overall it's a second-best price.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Only Silver and Space Gray are available at $449.99, and you won't see this deal price until you reach the checkout screen and an automatic coupon worth $29.01 is applied to your order.

If you're shopping for other AirPods models, you can also get the AirPods 2 for $99.99, the AirPods 3 for $149.99, and the AirPods Pro for $179.99. All of these sales are available on Amazon today.

We track sales for every model of the AirPods in our Best AirPods Deals guide, so be sure to bookmark that page while you shop around for the wireless headphones.

YouTube today announced the launch of a new syncing feature that allows an iOS or Android device to connect to a TV that has the YouTube app, allowing the connected device to be used for commenting, liking videos, and more.

According to YouTube, people were already using the mobile app to engage with YouTube videos watched on TV sets, and the company decided to take advantage of that to improve the YouTube experience on the TV.

When watching YouTube on TV, users can open up the mobile YouTube app and then tap on "Connect" to sync the device to the TV. Using the feature requires being logged in to the same YouTube account on both the TV and the device that it is connecting to.

After connecting, the YouTube video being watched on the TV can be interacted with on the device, offering access to comments, likes, video descriptions, sharing tools, and channel membership options like donations. This adds to already available functionality that previously let the mobile YouTube app be used for playing, pausing, rewinding, and fast forwarding on the TV.

Brynn Evans, YouTube on TV head of design, told The Verge that remotes offer a poor experience for interaction with content on the TV. "The remote's clunky, every remote's different, there's a million different buttons. They're all bad," she said.

The feature is rolling out starting today, and TVs or set-top boxes must be updated to the latest version of the YouTube app.

Google today announced the launch of a Google TV app that's designed for iOS devices, with the aim of helping iPhone and iPad owners to create watchlists, get content recommendations, rate movies, and more. iOS users previously had access to the Play Movies and TV app, and those who had that installed will see it update automatically to the revamped Google TV app.

‌iPhone‌ and ‌iPad‌ users who have a Google TV or another Android TV OS device can use their iOS device as a remote control. Just click on the remote button in the app and then connect to the TV to control the TV with the phone and access Google Assistant. The feature allows users to take advantage of the phone's keyboard for typing in passwords and search terms.

With Google TV, users can input information on the streaming services they subscribe to and get recommendations for shows and movies to watch based on interests and past viewing habits. Shows can be saved to a Watchlist that is able to sync across devices signed into a Google account.

TV shows and movies can be liked or disliked, and using these features affects the recommendation algorithm. A Highlights tab provides a daily news feed of reviews, news, and more about TV shows and movies that will interest each user.

The app supports all movies and shows purchased or rented with a Google account, so the content can be watched on an ‌iPhone‌ or ‌iPad‌ while on the go.

The Google TV app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

WWDC will be an online affair again this year, with the exception of some lucky developers invited to Apple Park, but there will still be opportunities for developers to connect with each other during Apple's weeklong developers conference.

Apple today shared a new "Beyond WWDC" page listing community-led events that will be hosted during or after WWDC, which runs from June 6 through June 10.

For example, the page highlights WWDC Community Week, a community-run event that helps developers to connect with fellow developers at watch parties, mentorship labs, community talks, a hackathon, and more. Other events include Office Hours, the Underdog Devs WWDC22 Watch Party, #iOSDevHappyHour IRL, try! Swift DUB DUB, DubDub Series, WWDC.playground, Extended Tokyo 2022, Devpass WWDC22 Special, and more.

In addition, the WWDC 2022 hashflag has also gone live on Twitter for the #WWDC22 hashtag. A hashflag is a small icon that appears next to hashtags in tweets, with the WWDC 2022 hashflag consisting of Apple's Swift icon in a circle outlined with rainbow colors.

The AirPods Pro 2 may feature largely the same design as the current model, contrary to rumors of a "stemless" design, according to new findings based on purported leaked images shared by MacRumors last year.

Last year, MacRumors shared images that allegedly reveal the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ – seemingly showing a design with very few changes. Now, new to-scale 3D comparisons based on MacRumors' images by Apple concept graphic designer Ian Zelbo provide further evidence that the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ will not have a so-called "stemless" design.

It is apparent from last year's images that the alleged second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ earbuds do not feature downward-facing IR sensors to detect when they are in a user's ears, but the latest 3D comparisons seen by MacRumors actively suggest that the new ‌AirPods Pro‌ will feature skin-detect sensors.

Apple's skin-detect sensors debuted in the third-generation AirPods, providing a more accurate way to discern if the earbuds are actually in a user's ears as opposed to in a pocket or on a table. The sensors work by detecting water content in the wearer's skin, which ensures that it does not mistake other surfaces for flesh.

Instead of skin-detect sensors in each earbud, the current ‌AirPods Pro‌ use dual optical sensors to detect if they are in a user's ear. While they effectively perform the same function, the optical sensors can simply tell when they are against a surface or covered up, rather than specifically against skin. This means that if you put an ‌AirPods Pro‌ earbud in a pocket or on a surface, it may erroneously resume playback. This is why Apple switched to skin-detect sensors for greater accuracy, with the added benefit of only needing a single, slightly larger central sensor per earbud.

Zelbo's scaled comparisons confirm that the alleged second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ images show skin-detect sensors that are the exact same size and orientation as on the third-generation AirPods. On the current-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌, the main IR sensor is part of a long, thin black oblong that also contains a grille of the same shape. The new skin-detect sensor cutout believed to be present on the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌, like the third-generation AirPods, features a shorter, noticeably thicker oblong with a circular grille.

This small but crucial detail may suggest that the images are more credible than previously thought – making it more likely that the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ will feature no major redesign. In fact, Zelbo's findings suggest that the new earbud's design is identical to the current-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ beyond the skin-detect sensor cutout, with no changes to the length of the stem or the shape of the earbud's in-ear portion.

Rumors have rallied around the idea of the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ switching to a "stemless" design, but upon closer inspection, reputable sources have not explicitly stated that this is set to occur. For example, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ will feature a "new form factor design," presumably due to knowledge of some kind of retooling, but has not specifically said that they will feature a stemless design.

In October 2020, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was aiming to make the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ earbuds more compact by eliminating the short stem that currently extends from the bottom, and was reportedly testing a design with "a more rounded shape that fills more of a user's a ear," making them closer in style to Samsung's Galaxy Buds and designs from the likes of Amazon and Google. Yet Gurman said that Apple was facing problems integrating the ‌AirPods Pro‌'s hardware, including antennas and microphones, into a much smaller casing, which "could result in a less ambitious design when the product is finalized."

Kuo has also seemingly supported other aspects depicted in MacRumors' second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ images, potentially increasing their credibility. Earlier this year, Kuo explained that the second-generation ‌‌AirPods Pro‌‌ will feature a charging case that users can trigger a sound from to highlight its location, allowing the earbuds and the case to be located separately. This directly lines up with the speaker holes visible on the charging case seen in MacRumors' images. It seems likely that this sound-emitting charging case will integrate into the Find My app, similar to how users can currently emit a sound from their individual AirPods inside the case to help locate them.

It is therefore by no means certain based on information from Kuo, Gurman, and MacRumors that the second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ will feature a stemless design. Indeed, there is now seemingly mounting evidence to the contrary.

Apple's Beats Studio Buds, which share a large amount of technology with the ‌AirPods Pro‌, have a wholly in-ear design and do not feature "stems" at all. The fact that the Beats Studio Buds offer a "stemless" design does not necessarily indicate that the ‌AirPods Pro‌ will follow; Apple often seeks to find ways to differentiate its Beats and AirPods product lines. Apple has also established a distinctive and easily identifiable visual brand for AirPods with the "stem" design and use of white plastic, and it is questionable if the company is ready to deviate from that yet, not to mention the impact of removing the stem on the implementation of force sensor controls and beam-forming microphones.

The second-generation ‌AirPods Pro‌ are rumored to feature support for Apple Lossless audio (ALAC) via a new connection solution, with a launch date in the fall of this year now looking likely.

ZAGG's Memorial Day sale is still going on today, giving shoppers one more day to save 40 percent sitewide. This sale covers all of Mophie's popular charging accessories, including wireless chargers, power banks, and battery cases.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with ZAGG. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

This discount does not require any coupon code and will be applied automatically in the cart. Additionally, it will exclude items that are already marked down, and you can only get 40 percent off up to ten items.

There are a variety of power banks on sale at Mophie, including the Snap+ Juice Pack Mini, which is compatible with iPhone 12 and 13 MagSafe and is down to $29.97, from $49.95. There are regular portable batteries as well, including the Powerstation XXL ($35.97), Powerstation Ultra ($47.97), and more.

For higher-priced items, you can save big on Mophie's 4-in-1 Wireless Charging Mat, discounted to $89.97 during the sale, down from $149.95. Mophie also sells a 3-in-1 Travel Charger with MagSafe, priced at $89.97, down from $149.95.

There are plenty of other accessories on sale during this event, including car mounts, Apple Watch chargers, iPhone battery cases, screen protectors, and audio equipment. You can head to ZAGG's website to browse the full sale across all of its brands before the sale ends later tonight. Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

As Apple prepares for a rumored launch of its completely redesigned MacBook Air, Microsoft is preparing for competition by beefing up its own entry-level Surface Laptop Go with a new processor, updated thermals, and an improved webcam.

The Surface Laptop Go, launched in 2020, has served as the entry-level Surface laptop in Microsoft's lineup. The laptop, which previously started at $549 (now $599), features a 12.4-inch touchscreen display, a full-sized keyboard, and trackpad, and runs Windows 11.

Microsoft today announced the Surface Laptop Go 2 with Intel's new 11th generation Core i5 processor and a new base storage of 128GB, up from the prior 64GB. In its press release, Microsoft directly draws a comparison between the Surface Laptop Go 2 and Apple's ‌MacBook Air‌ by saying the Surface offers "30% more key travel than a ‌MacBook Air‌.”

Powered by Intel's 11th generation i5 processor, Microsoft has improved the thermals inside the Surface Laptop Go 2 to be “quieter” and make it easier for users to focus. Microsoft also says that it's updated the webcam, however, as The Verge notes, the webcam is still stuck at 720p, so the improvements are likely in image processing. Apple's current ‌MacBook Air‌ similarly features a 720p webcam, while the MacBook Pro has been updated to 1080p.

Now starting at $599, the Surface Laptop Go 2 is considerably cheaper than Apple's ‌MacBook Air‌ which starts at $999. For the added $399, however, users benefit from the performance and energy efficiency of Apple silicon and a base storage of 256GB.

The latest ‌MacBook Air‌ was released in November 2020 with the M1 chip, but a new, completely redesigned model could be announced as soon as next week. The new model will benefit from a new or existing Apple silicon chip, alongside an entirely redesigned body that comes in several colors.

Apple's next-generation A16 chip will be exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, according to Taiwanese research firm TrendForce.

In a report focused on global smartphone production, TrendForce briefly mentioned that Apple plans to launch four new iPhone 14 models in the second half of 2022, but said that only the Pro models will be equipped with Apple's latest processor.

The report lines up with information shared by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who in March claimed that only the iPhone 14 Pro models will feature an A16 chip, with the standard iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max models to remain equipped with an A15 chip. In an April edition of his newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman agreed that standard iPhone 14 models are "likely to stick to the A15 from last year or a variant of it."

Gurman said that "beyond trying to make the Pro stand out," ongoing chip shortages may have contributed to Apple's decision to limit its upcoming chip to the iPhone 14 Pro models. This would differ from Apple's current strategy of equipping all flagship iPhones with the same chip. For example, the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max are all equipped with the same A15 chip.

Apple is expected to announce its iPhone 14 lineup at its usual September event, barring any significant supply chain disruptions.

Twitter today announced that it will be shutting down TweetDeck for Mac next month to focus on the web-based version of TweetDeck.

"Beginning July 1, the TweetDeck for Mac application will be removed," reads a banner at the top of TweetDeck for Mac. Twitter said users can continue to access TweetDeck on the web at TweetDeck.com. The banner may not appear until restarting the app, and there does not seem to be a way to dismiss the banner at this time.

In a tweet, Twitter said it is "saying goodbye to TweetDeck for the Mac app to focus on making TweetDeck even better and testing our new Preview," which refers to the redesigned version of TweetDeck being tested on an invite-only basis.

TweetDeck, acquired by Twitter in 2011, is a popular Twitter client that lets users view several side-by-side columns of tweets at once. The app has been distributed through the Mac App Store, but it will no longer be available starting in July.

As noted by 9to5Mac, one solution is to download the Unite app, which allows you to turn websites into native apps on the Mac.

We're partnering up with Flexibits this month to offer our readers 75 percent off their first year of Flexibits Premium, which includes access to Fantastical and Cardhop. This offer is for new customers only and will run through June 22 on the Flexibits website. The subscription supports apps across macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Flexibits. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

You can get the deal by following this link to Flexibits' website, and clicking on the header to redeem 75 percent off your next purchase. You'll need to create a Flexibits account and begin a 14 day free trial of Flexibits Premium, either for an Individual or Family Plan, and the 75 percent off sale will be applied to either option.

Individual Plans billed yearly are priced at $9.96 (originally $39.96), or you can opt for the monthly option at $1.25 per month (originally $4.99). Family plans billed yearly are priced at $16.20 (originally $65.04), and $2.00 when billed monthly (originally $7.99).

This sale is for 75 percent off your next purchase on Flexibits, so whatever option you choose will be the only time you can get this deal. Given these parameters, buying for a full year will save you more money. After the year is over, Flexibits Premium will return to its regular price, or you can cancel.

Fantastical is a calendar app that can sync across apps for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Similarly, Cardhop can sync across Apple devices and provides a more in-depth contact management platform.

Be sure to visit our full Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.

With the chances of Apple revealing its mixed reality headset at WWDC 2022 looking decidedly less likely as its developer conference creeps nearer, rumors of Apple's new-look MacBook Air have once again come to the fore. Here's everything we expect to see if Apple chooses to announce a new version of its slimmest notebook next week.

Redesigned Chassis

The design of the current MacBook Air has been synonymous with the company's thinnest notebook since October 2010. ‌The existing tapered design goes from thicker at the back to thinner at the front.

By contrast, the new ‌MacBook Air‌ is expected to look much more like a slimmed-down version of the MacBook Pro, with rounded edges on the bottom and squared-off edges on the top. Rumors have also suggested the new MacBook Air is thinner and lighter, with slimmer borders around the display than the current model.

White Bezels and Keyboard

The ‌MacBook Air‌ is rumored to be modeled after the 24-inch iMac, with off-white bezels around the display and a matching off-white keyboard. Given that Apple adopted full-size function keys on its latest MacBook Pro models, Apple may well bring this look to the ‌MacBook Air‌ as well.

Apple also adopted an all-black well for the MacBook Pro's keyboard, so an all-white variation for the ‌MacBook Air‌ is expected.

Notch

Last year's MacBook Pro surprised us all with a notch for the camera, and all the rumors suggest the ‌MacBook Air‌ will have the same notch, but this time in white, in order to match the bezels and keyboard.

Most MacBook Pro owners will tell you the notch isn't an issue as its ingression into the menu bar allows for more screen real estate below, and it effectively disappears from view when in fullscreen mode, which turns the menu bar black. However, the new MacBook Air is likely to stoke another round of "notch controversy," with the divisive factor this time being its color rather than its mere existence.

Multiple Colors

Continuing with the ‌iMac‌ theme, the new ‌MacBook Air‌ is expected to be made available in several color options. The colors could be similar to the 24-inch ‌iMac‌, which comes in blue, green, pink, silver, yellow, orange, and purple. (There is also unfettered speculation online that Apple's WWDC artwork hints at several new MacBook Air colors.)

Apple has a history of using bright colors for its non Pro machines (the iBook G3, for example) and different color options would clearly distinguish the ‌MacBook Air‌ from its Pro sibling.

Slightly Larger LCD Display

The 2022 MacBook Air will feature a display size of 13.6-inches, according to Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) analyst Ross Young. This would make it 0.3-inches larger than the current ‌MacBook Air‌, but still 0.6-inches smaller than the current 14.2-inch MacBook Pro.

Young told MacRumors that the 2022 ‌MacBook Air‌ will not feature a mini-LED display or ProMotion technology. This runs counter to claims from DigiTimes that the this year's ‌MacBook Air‌ will get a mini-LED display, but Young maintains that it will use an LCD display to maintain a lower price point compared to the high-end MacBook Pros.

M1 or M2 Processor

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said earlier this year that the 2022 MacBook Air would retain the M1 chip rather than feature the ‌M2 processor. Meanwhile, ShrimpApplePro has claimed that Apple is working on the "final SoC of ‌M1‌ series," featuring updated cores, so it's possible that this relates to a new version of the entry-level ‌M1‌.

Releasing a MacBook Air with a mid-generation iteration of the standard ‌M1‌ chip could help Apple buy time before releasing Macs with the ‌M2‌ chip next year, when TSMC's more advanced N3 fabrication process becomes available.

Apple could well call the chip in the new MacBook Air the "M2" to boost sales, but it may opt to save the "M2" name for a much more substantial upgrade over the previous generation in 2023 to further enhance Apple silicon's brand image.

1080p Webcam

As part of their redesign, the latest MacBook Pro models got a 1080p webcam for the first time. With the 27-inch ‌iMac‌, 24-inch ‌iMac‌, and the high-end MacBook Pro now featuring a 1080p webcam, the likelihood is that the ‌MacBook Air‌ will also benefit from one.

MagSafe and 2x Thunderbolt/USB4

For the redesigned MacBook Pro models, Apple brought back its much-loved MagSafe charging connector. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has claimed ‌MagSafe‌ is also coming to the MacBook Air.

Other connectivity options will be more modest, however. Gurman clams ‌MagSafe‌ will feature in addition to a pair of Thunderbolt/USB4 ports for connecting external devices.

MacBook Air Debut at WWDC?

A new MacBook Air announcement at WWDC certainly isn't a certainty. Apple could well decide to hold back the notebook in favor of a release later in the year when the ongoing supply chain issues are less impactful on its business.

That said, Apple's existing MacBook Air models are the only M1 Macs on its online store that are currently experiencing shipping delays, which could always be a hint that Apple is preparing to launch a new model.