MacRumors

Apple plans to announce a new MacBook Air with a larger 15-inch display at WWDC next week, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The annual developers conference begins with Apple's keynote on Monday, June 5 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time.

While we wait for the new MacBook Air to be announced, we have recapped five new features that have been rumored or are likely for the laptop.

15-Inch Display

The new MacBook Air will be equipped with a larger 15.5-inch display, according to reliable display industry analyst Ross Young. The current MacBook Air has a 13.6-inch display, and the laptop was offered in an 11-inch size many years ago.

While a new 13-inch MacBook Air with an OLED display is rumored to launch in 2024, the 15-inch model is expected to have a traditional LCD.

M2 Chip

Like the 13-inch MacBook Air, the 15-inch model will be available with the M2 chip, according to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Apple says the M2 chip has up to an 18% faster CPU, up to a 35% faster GPU, and up to a 40% faster Neural Engine compared to the M1 chip, for those who are considering upgrading from a 2020 MacBook Air.

Longer Battery Life

With a 15-inch display, the new MacBook Air would have a larger chassis, allowing for a larger battery and longer battery life.

Apple says the 13-inch MacBook Air with the M2 chip lasts up to 18 hours per charge, so perhaps the 15-inch model could get closer to the 20-hour mark. Apple silicon chips continue to have industry-leading performance-per-watt.

Wi-Fi 6E

While the 13-inch MacBook Air is limited to Wi-Fi 6, there is a good chance that the 15-inch model will be upgraded to Wi-Fi 6E. Apple released new 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini models with Wi-Fi 6E in January.

Wi-Fi 6 operates on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, while Wi-Fi 6E also works over the 6GHz band, allowing for faster wireless speeds, lower latency, and less signal interference. To take advantage of these benefits, the device must be connected to a Wi-Fi 6E router, available from brands like TP-Link, Asus, and Netgear.

Bluetooth 5.3

Apple has added Bluetooth 5.3 to several of its latest devices, and the 15-inch MacBook Air could be next in line to gain support. Bluetooth 5.3 offers benefits such as improved reliability and power efficiency compared to Bluetooth 5.2.

Following a few deals on the nano-texture glass version of the Apple Studio Display last month, today Amazon has the standard glass option of the display for $1,349.99, down from $1,599.00. Amazon provides an estimated June 6 date for deliveries to most United States residences.

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.

This deal is offering a second-best price on the standard glass version of the Apple Studio Display, and it's only available with the basic tilt-adjustable stand option. As of writing, we aren't tracking any notable discounts on the nano-texture glass Apple Studio Display.

The main difference between the standard glass and the upgrade to nano-texture glass options has to do with minimizing glare, with Apple stating that the nano-texture option is ideal for workspaces with bright lighting. Both versions feature a 27-inch 5K retina display, a built-in A13 Bionic chip to power the camera and audio systems, a 12-megapixel f/2.4 Ultra Wide camera, and more.

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

Apple today added the Thunderbolt Display and the first-generation iPad Air to its obsolete products list, meaning the devices are no longer eligible for repairs or other hardware service at Apple Stores or Apple Authorized Service Providers.

Apple classifies a product as obsolete once more than seven years have passed since the company stopped distributing it for sale. Apple discontinues all hardware service for obsolete products, and service providers cannot order parts for obsolete products. Both the Thunderbolt Display and the original iPad Air were discontinued in 2016.

Introduced in 2011, the Thunderbolt Display featured a 27-inch screen with 1440p resolution, a 720p camera, three USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 800 port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a Thunderbolt port. Priced at $999, the Thunderbolt Display was the last Apple-branded monitor until the Pro Display XDR launched in 2019.

The original iPad Air launched in 2013 and featured a 9.7-inch display and the A7 chip. It was advertised as being 20% thinner and 28% lighter, and having 43% narrower display bezels, compared to the previous-generation iPad.

Apple also classified the fifth-generation entry-level iPad as vintage. Apple considers a product to be vintage once more than five years have passed since the company stopped distributing it for sale, but repairs and service may still be available until the product becomes obsolete in two more years, subject to parts availability.

Apple is overtly teasing the start of "a new era" and the ability to "code new worlds" at WWDC this year, building anticipation around the widely expected announcement of its mixed-reality headset.

A tweet shared by Apple earlier today made the "new era" remark, seemingly leaning into the high expectations surrounding next week's WWDC keynote. The launch of a major new device and operating system, something that has not occurred since the debut of the original Apple Watch in September 2014, would certainly seem to justify the start of a new era for the company.

In a similar move, Apple yesterday published a blog post on the Apple Developer website titled "Code new worlds." The language may hint at developers' ability to create immersive augmented-reality and virtual-reality experiences for Apple's headset.

Neither the "new era" nor "code new worlds" phrases had been used until now, in what seems to be a ramping up of rhetoric around the upcoming keynote event. Apple CEO Tim Cook referred to the "beginning of a new era for iPhone" upon announcing the iPhone 12 in October 2020, but the company seldom makes such bold statements ahead of events, especially for WWDC. Earlier today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that he expects the keynote "to be one of Apple's longest ever and easily exceed two hours."

Apple will focus on three main topics during its WWDC keynote next week, including "several new Macs," composing one of the company's longest-ever events, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said.

In a tweet shared earlier today, Gurman said that this year's WWDC keynote will focus on the announcement of "several" new Mac models, Apple's mixed-reality headset, and a range of significant OS updates. An all-new 15-inch MacBook Air model is the only Mac firmly pinned down by rumors for announcement at the event, so it is unclear what other Mac models could be on the table.

Last week, Gurman reported that the Mac Studio, 13-inch M2 ‌MacBook Air‌, and 13-inch ‌‌M2‌‌ MacBook Pro, will become eligible for trade-in on the day of the event, potentially hinting that a refresh for at least one of those machines could be on the way. 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ and ‌MacBook Pro‌ models with the M3 chip are rumored to be in development, but the first M3 Macs are not expected to launch until toward the end of the year.

Apple introduced the ‌Mac Studio‌ in May 2022, offering configurations with the M1 Max and M1 Ultra chips. Despite the launch of a range of Macs with the ‌M2‌, ‌M2‌ Pro, and ‌M2‌ Max chips, Apple has not yet refreshed the ‌Mac Studio‌. Gurman believes that two new Mac Studio models are in the works, but is unsure of when they will launch.

He has previously cast doubt over the possibility of update being announced at WWDC, suggesting that Apple is more likely to wait until the M3 generation to update the ‌Mac Studio‌ as to avoid cannibalizing the Apple silicon Mac Pro. Even so, updated ‌Mac Studio‌ models with ‌M2‌ Max and ‌M2‌ Ultra chip options are certainly not out of the question for WWDC this year.

The Apple silicon Mac Pro is also a possibility, but speaking on the The MacRumors Show podcast earlier this year, Gurman explained that while he still expects the new Mac Pro to launch this year, it is unlikely to emerge at WWDC.

Due to the sheer quantity of what Apple is expected to announce at WWDC, Gurman expects the keynote "to be one of Apple's longest ever and easily exceed two hours." Last year's WWDC keynote event was just under one hour and 50 minutes long. The event contained the announcement of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, macOS 13 Ventura, watchOS 9, the ‌M2‌ chip, a refreshed 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, and the redesigned ‌MacBook Air‌.

Apple is continuing to prepare for the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference, with the official hashflag for the event rolling out as of today. The #WWDC23 hashtag on Twitter now features a custom-designed Apple logo that matches the design that Apple is using this year.

For those unfamiliar with hashflags, they are custom, paid icons that appear next to specific hashtags on the Twitter social network. You can see the hashflag when you use the #WWDC23 hashtag.

This year's hashflag is an Apple logo in shades of blue, purple, pink, and black. Apple has used custom hashflags since 2020 to boost event visibility and build hype on Twitter.

WWDC 2023 is set to begin on Monday, June 5.

Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is kicking off next Monday, and starting later this week, developers who have been invited to attend in person will be catching flights to get to Cupertino, California.

Developer Ryan Jones today announced the launch of a useful flight tracking tool for those who are attending, which is available through the Flighty flight tracking app. WWDC attendees can add their flights to the Flighty WWDC 2023 website to see other developers who will be flying in from the same airports and who may be on the same flights.

Dates are not shared, nor are flight numbers and airlines, but developers can add their names to see who else is coming to and from their local airports. The site also provides a look at interesting aggregate data, such as the number of countries developers are flying from, which airports, the distance traveled, and more.

A map view shows all of the incoming flights at a glance, and clicking into a location displays the developers coming from that area. The tool is free to use, and available through the Flighty website.

Flighty is a robust flight tracking app that offers up all of the flight information that you need ahead of a trip. It provides quick notifications of any changes, alerts you to possible delays based on late inbound planes, and provides at-a-glance information on departure/arrival times, gate numbers, baggage claim locations, and more.

Flighty is free to download, but unlocking all features requires a Pro subscription. [Direct Link]

Web Roulette is a newly launched lightweight app from Impending, the app designers behind popular game Heads Up and list-making app Clear. Web Roulette is a redesigned browser app that lets you swipe through your favorite sites one after another, so you can better keep up with new content.

The Web Roulette interface is populated with a list of popular websites in categories like technology, pop culture, news, gaming, lifestyle, social, shopping, sports, fashion, and business, so you can download it, open it up, select your favorites, and start swiping, but it works best with customization.

You're meant to choose the sites that you regularly visit throughout the day, and if they're not in the provided list, you can add them. Once you've loaded the app up, it shifts over to a focused, single-site browser experience. It loads the first webpage in the list, and you can swipe left or right to access additional webpages.

The idea is to swipe through during the day to see new content on the pages that you like to refresh. For sites like MacRumors, for example, you'll see an up-to-date version of the front page each time you get to it through your swiping routine. You can swipe left or right through each webpage that you've added without needing to go to Safari and type in the website or change tabs each time you want to get new content.

The app works just like any other web browser, so you can tap into stories and use another swipe to get back to where you were.

As a little bonus, as you swipe through the app, you'll earn shakes. Shaking the iPhone will bring up a random, interesting website that may catch your attention and give you something fresh to read. Swipes and shakes are precached, cutting down on load times.

Swiping on the iPhone is a natural gesture, and browsing websites this way is quick and convenient, plus there is a satisfying haptic mechanic when you shake. Web Roulette is free to use, and can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]

The AR/VR headset that Apple plans to introduce at the Worldwide Developers Conference next week has long been rumored to feature 4K micro OLED displays with an 8K total resolution, but notable display analyst Ross Young today shared some additional specifications that give some insight into how the headset will work.

Each of the two displays will measure in at 1.41 inches diagonally, with Apple aiming for over 5000 nits of brightness and 4,000 pixels per inch. Unfortunately, AR/VR display specs used in headsets from competitors like Sony and Meta aren't generally advertised beyond resolution and pixels per inch, so it's difficult to make a direct comparison, but the information from Young does provide some context.

With ~5000 nits brightness or more, the AR/VR headset from Apple would support HDR or high dynamic range content, which is not typical for current VR headsets on the market. The Meta Quest 2, for example, maxes out around 100 nits of brightness and it does not offer HDR, and the HoloLens 2 offers 500 nits brightness. Sony's PSVR 2 headset has around 265 nits of brightness, and it does have an advertised HDR feature when connected to an HDR display.

According to Young, the 5000 nits likely refers to peak brightness, which means that it won't blind users, but will instead provide superior contrast, brighter colors, and better highlights than other headsets that are available today. For SDR displays, peak brightness is often a reference to how well a display will perform in rooms with bright lighting as it is akin to maximum brightness, but for HDR displays, it's a metric of how well a display depicts color and contrast.

High-end TVs offer somewhere around 2,000 to 5,000 nits, for comparison. Samsung, for example, has a 98-inch TV that is able to reach 5,000 nits, along with Neo QLED TVs that offer 4,000 nits peak brightness. Samsung advertises these TVs as having "stunning, accurate color detail and an extraordinary range of contrast, creating a beyond-life-like experience."

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2022 showed off a "Starbursts" VR headset prototype able to hit 20,000 nits of brightness, but it was enormous, not wearable on the head, and not technology that Meta is able to implement as of yet.

If Apple hits that 5000+ nits brightness target, its headset will offer a display experience that competitors are unable to match, and it will also set the stage for future AR glasses. Augmented reality glasses need high brightness to mitigate the light from the sun and other light sources. At lower brightness levels, the AR content that overlays the real world view can be washed out.

Magic Leap 2, one of the more well-known augmented reality headsets, features brightness ranging from 20 nits to 2000 nits.

The 8K resolution offered by Apple's AR/VR headset will be superior to headsets from Meta and other companies, including Meta's highest-end Quest Pro 2. The Quest Pro 2 has a resolution of 1800 x 1920 pixels per eye and around 1200 pixels per inch as Meta is using LCD display technology.

The high-end displays that Apple has created for the AR/VR headset are rumored to be the most expensive component and a major contributor to the expected ~$3,000 price. At $3,000, Apple's AR/VR headset will be one of the more expensive virtual reality headsets on the market, though it will be competitive in price with AR-based products like the Magic Leap 2 and the HoloLens 2.

More information on what to expect from Apple's AR/VR headset can be found in our dedicated roundup.

Apple today released watchOS 9.5.1, a minor bug fix update designed for the Apple Watch. watchOS 9.5.1 is a free download that comes two weeks after the launch of watchOS 9.5.

watchOS 9.5.1 can be downloaded for free through the Apple Watch app on the iPhone by opening it up and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software, the Apple Watch needs to have at least 50 percent battery, it needs to be placed on a charger, and it needs to be in range of the ‌‌‌‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌‌‌‌.

According to Apple's release notes for the update, it includes "improvements and bug fixes" for the Apple Watch, with no details on which bugs have been addressed.

Ahead of WWDC, Apple is getting developers and fans hyped for the event, today highlighting some of the ways that the WWDC keynote can be watched. WWDC can be viewed through Apple.com on the Events page or through the Apple Developer app.

Apple also plans to offer the live stream through the Apple TV app and on YouTube, with the YouTube stream live as of this morning.

Apple says that those who use the Apple Developer app to watch the keynote can use the SharePlay feature to view it alongside friends, making it easy to chat about the various announcements.

Apple is now allowing eligible developers to sign up for WWDC activities, including chats with Apple engineers, designers, and other Apple experts. There are numerous Q&A sessions, icebreakers, and Meet the Presenter activities, which are hosted through Slack.

Some of the available Activity topics include Augmented Reality, Design, App Store, Health and Fitness, Developer Tools, Maps and Location, Privacy and Security, System Services, and more.

Apple is also offering Sessions and Labs, which will be available after the keynote event.

This year's WWDC keynote is expected to focus on Apple's AR/VR headset, which is rumored to be making its debut at the event. Apple's WWDC tagline is "Code new worlds," which appears to be an obvious hint about the new xrOS platform that will run on the headset.

Apple planned to offer the MagSafe Charger in eight different color options around 2020, the prototype collector known as "Kosutami" claims.

MacRumors is told that Apple prototyped the ‌MagSafe‌ Charger in Space Gray, Starlight, Green, Pink, Purple, Yellow, Blue, and (PRODUCT)RED color options. The Yellow, Blue, and (PRODUCT)RED variants, in particular, were apparently highly saturated, deep shades.

The rubberized disc on the surface that makes contact with the iPhone and the cable was paired in a contrasting color to the shade of the aluminum exterior. For example, the Space Gray ‌MagSafe‌ Charger was matched with a black disc and cable. The prototypes seem to originate from the period in which the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups were being developed, explaining why many of the planned shades correlate with the color options offered on those devices.

To date, the ‌MagSafe‌ Charger for iPhone has only been available in Silver. Upon releasing the M2 MacBook Air, Apple has offered the ‌MagSafe‌ 3 charger for Mac in Silver, Space Gray, Midnight, and Starlight, so additional color options for ‌MagSafe‌ for iPhone may not be out of the question in the future.

Kosutami first shared news of the plans for a range of ‌MagSafe‌ Charger color options last week, adding that Apple similarly prototyped multiple color options for the unreleased "Magic Charger" accessory.

Apple today launched Apple Music Classical for Android on the Google Play Store, expanding the app beyond the iPhone for the first time (via 9to5Mac).

Much like ‌Apple Music‌ for Android, the ‌Apple Music‌ Classical app for Android largely mirrors the design of its iOS counterpart. Notably, the ‌Apple Music‌ Classical app for Android comes before Apple has made the app available for the iPad or Mac.

In 2021, Apple announced that it had purchased the classical music streaming service Primephonic and would be folding it into ‌Apple Music‌ via a new app dedicated to the genre. Apple launched ‌Apple Music‌ Classical in March, offering a standalone experience for discovering and listening to classical music.

The ‌Apple Music‌ Classical app offers ‌Apple Music‌ subscribers access to over five million classical music tracks, including new high-quality releases, in addition to hundreds of curated playlists, thousands of exclusive albums, and other features like composer bios and deep dives on key works.

The app offers a simpler interface for interacting with classical music specifically. Unlike the existing ‌Apple Music‌ app, ‌Apple Music‌ Classical allows users to search by composer, work, conductor, catalog number, and more. Users can get more detailed information from editorial notes and descriptions.

Apple commissioned high-resolution digital portraits of famous composers like Ludwig van Beethoven, Frédéric Chopin, and Johann Sebastian Bach for the app, using color palettes and artistic references from the relevant classical period, with more unique artwork to be added over time. Apple works with classical music artists and institutions to offer exclusive content and recordings.

The ‌Apple Music‌ Classical app for Android is available now on the Google Play Store. Users must have an ‌Apple Music‌ or Apple One subscription to use the app.

Just days ahead of WWDC, where Apple is expected to unveil its long-rumored AR/VR headset, developer Steve Troughton-Smith has managed to trick App Store Connect into showing the headset's rumored "xrOS" operating system name.

After analyzing some of Apple's open source code, Troughton-Smith attempted to submit an app crafted for the headset. App Store Connect rejected the app, but recognized it as an xrOS binary in an error message, despite Troughton-Smith never mentioning xrOS. This provides yet another indication that xrOS will be the public-facing name of the headset's operating system, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported.

The error message, which does not capitalize xrOS or iOS:

Incorrect Platform. You included the xros arm64 executable in your ios bundle. Only ios executables can be included.

Apple is likely behind a few shell companies that have applied for trademarks for various other names, including xrProOS, realityproOS, and realOS, but it appears increasingly likely that xrOS will prevail as the name of the headset's operating system.

Earlier this week, we published a guide that provides an overview of what to expect from xrOS based on rumors. Apple is expected to preview xrOS alongside iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS 14, watchOS 10, and tvOS 17 during its WWDC keynote on June 5. The headset itself is also expected to be unveiled, providing a first look at the hardware.

The iPhone 16 Pro models will feature a taller aspect ratio of 19.6:9, a change that will trickle down to the standard iPhone 17 models the following year, new forecasts from display analyst Ross Young claim.

The iPhone 14 lineup has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9, a specification that is expected to remain the same across this year's iPhone 15 lineup. The change with the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro models means that the devices should get slightly taller, rather than wider. While the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro models have been widely rumored to feature larger screens for some time, the aspect ratio of the devices was unclear until now.

Young also provided exact display sizes for the ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 16‌ Pro Max. The devices are expected to increase from 6.12- and 6.69-inches to 6.27- and 6.86-inches, respectively. This represents a display size increase of 2.5% on both devices.

With the ‌iPhone 17‌ and ‌iPhone 17‌ Plus in 2025, Apple will apparently bring the larger 6.27- and 6.86-inch display sizes to its two standard iPhone models. As Young has previously reported, these devices are also expected to gain LTPO panels to support ProMotion for variable refresh rates up to 120Hz. This means that the standard ‌iPhone 17‌ models look set to receive a substantial display upgrade, with larger sizes and LPTO for ProMotion.

In addition, Young reaffirmed his previous statement that the iPhone 17 Pro models will be the first to feature under-display Face ID technology, sitting alongside a hole-shaped cutout for the front-facing camera.

Amazon today has a few exclusive discounts on the 2022 12.9-inch iPad Pro, with up to $99 off select tablets and a few all-time low prices. Most of the iPad Pros can be delivered between June 1 and 5 for United States residents.

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.

Every deal shared below requires you to add the tablets to your Amazon cart in order to get the discounted price. Once in your cart, an automatic coupon worth around $50 will be applied to your order and you'll see the sale price.

Starting with the 128GB Wi-Fi 12.9-inch iPad Pro, this model is on sale for $999.99, down from $1,099.00. It's available in both Silver and Space Gray, and this is an all-time low price.

Secondly, the 256GB Wi-Fi 12.9-inch iPad Pro has hit $1,099.99 on Amazon, down from $1,199.00. It's also available in Silver and Space Gray and this one is a second-best price.

Amazon also has the 512GB Wi-Fi 12.9-inch iPad Pro on sale, available for $1,299.99, down from $1,399.00. Colors on sale include both Silver and Space Gray.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we've been tracking over the past week.

Ahead of Apple's keynote event at WWDC on Monday, June 5, the company's annual "AR experience" easter egg is now available.

Apple's imagery for WWDC 2023 has a bubble-like theme that emphasizes the colors of iridescent thin film interference. The AR experience shows an Apple logo-shaped bubble that animates clockwise with the date of June 5, 2023 in the center.

To view the AR experience, open up the Apple Events website on an iPhone or iPad and tap on "View the AR experience." From there, you can scan the area around you to see the logo in real time, or view it in "Object" mode to get a clearer picture of what it looks like without having to navigate your physical environment.

Apple's event will begin at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday, June 5. In addition to being streamed on YouTube, the event can be watched through the events webpage and in the Apple TV app. If you're unable to watch, you can tune in to the MacRumors live blog on the site or follow along with our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.

Apple prototyped versions of the AirPods' charging case in five different color options to match the iPhone 7, according to the prototype collector known as "Kosutami."

Images shared with MacRumors and posted on Twitter earlier today show a first-generation AirPods casing in a pink colorway. It continues to have a polished, glossy finish like the final release version in white. The inside of the casing, as well as the AirPods earbuds themselves, continue to be white.

The prototypes date back to the period in which Apple was developing the iPhone 7. The company apparently developed AirPods prototypes in Black, Blonde, Pink, and Red to match the iPhone 7's color options, MacRumors was told. The iPhone 7 was available in Jet Black, Black, Gold, Rose Gold, and (PRODUCT)RED. Since the AirPods' casing is made of polycarbonate rather than anodized aluminum like the iPhone, Apple seems to have switched to names like "Blonde" and "Pink," instead of "Gold" and "Rose Gold," to denote the different materials and finishes.

Apple also apparently developed a purple AirPods prototype to match an unreleased version of the iPhone 7 in purple. Purple was one of the color options rumored for the iPhone 7 around 2016, with a range of leaked images showing a purple casing for the device first appearing in May of that year.

Apple is said to have only canceled the AirPods color options at the design validation testing (DVT) or production validation testing (PVT) stage, suggesting that the decision was made at a fairly late stage. Kosutami has previously provided insights about Apple prototypes such as the "Magic Charger" in the past.

Some users have sought after AirPods in different color options for several years. While Apple was seemingly only ever considering offering the charging case in different color ways, it is interesting to know that the company got as far as prototyping five distinct color options for the device to match the iPhone. Today, the AirPods Max are the only AirPods to have been offered in different color options.