The Apple Watch is getting its first major revamp to its operating system this fall. And can FaceTime spur Apple TV hardware sales? This, plus the fundamental change coming to all of Apple’s operating systems, all in this episode of the Macworld Podcast!

This is episode 847 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola.

Listen to episode 847 on Apple Podcasts

Listen to episode 847 on Spotify

Get Info 

Click on the links below to learn more about what was discussed on the show. 

• Apple rethinks the Apple Watch with watchOS 10 update 
• You can now take FaceTime calls on your Apple TV 4K 
• How Apple’s upcoming widget revolution will change our screens forever 

Subscribe to the Macworld Podcast

You can subscribe to the Macworld Podcast—or leave us a review!—right here in the Podcasts app. The Macworld Podcast is also available on Spotify. Or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader at: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/macworld

To find previous episodes, visit Macworld’s podcast page or our home on MegaPhone.

Apple TV, Apple Watch

Apple revealed iOS 17 at WWDC, and it looks like it’s more than a maintenance release. We talk about the features of iOS 17 that caught our eye, in this episode of the Macworld Podcast.

This is episode 846 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola.

Listen to episode 846 on Apple Podcasts

Listen to episode 846 on Spotify

Get info 

Click on the links below to learn more about what was discussed on the show. 

• iOS 17: These five new features make us eager to upgrade 
• A bunch of great iOS 17 features didn’t make the WWDC keynote 
• The best new iOS 17 feature is a toggle
• iOS 17 Developer Beta made available to all

How to subscribe to the Macworld Podcast

You can subscribe to the Macworld Podcast—or leave us a review!—right here in the Podcasts app. The Macworld Podcast is also available on Spotify. Or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader at: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/macworld

To find previous episodes, visit Macworld’s podcast page or our home on MegaPhone.

iOS

The Mac takes center stage on this week’s episode of the Macworld Podcast! We have a new 15-inch MacBook Air, a new Mac Studio, the unveiling of macOS Sonoma, and more!

This is episode 845 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola.

Listen to episode 845 on Apple Podcasts

Listen to episode 845 on Spotify

Get Info 

Click on the links below to learn more about what was discussed on the show. 

• 15-inch MacBook Air review: Apple’s best laptop, but bigger 
• Mac Studio (M2 Max) review: Re-filling the need for speed 
• macOS 14 Sonoma brings desktop widgets, more private Private browsing to the Mac

Subscribe to the Macworld Podcast

You can subscribe to the Macworld Podcast—or leave us a review!—right here in the Podcasts app. The Macworld Podcast is also available on Spotify. Or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader at: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/macworld

To find previous episodes, visit Macworld’s podcast page or our home on MegaPhone.

Mac, MacOS

Apple has announced the long-rumored headset, which will be called Vision Pro. That suggests that one day in the not-so-distant future we will see a cheaper Vision headset, rumored to arrive in 2025.

Apple isn’t calling Vision Pro a VR headset. Rather it’s referring to the headset as its “first spatial computer” with a big emphasis on how a user will be able to stay present in the physical world while wearing it. Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke about how the Vision Pro ushers in “the beginning of a new era for computing.” Here’s everything we know about the Vision Pro headset so far.

Want to know what it’s like to wear a Vision Pro? Macworld’s Roman Loyola has and he describes the experience here: I entered Apple’s thrilling Vision Pro world and didn’t want to leave! We also discuss his experiences with the Vision Pro below.

Updated on June 12 with details of what it is like to use the Vision Pro.

Apple Vision Pro: Release date

Apple has said that the Vision Pro headset will be available “early next year” so a spring 2024 release date looks likely. The headset will initially only be available in the U.S., with other countries having to wait until “later next year”. There will likely be a dedicated event to launch the headset, much like the Apple Watch event in 2015.

Apple Vision Pro: Price

Apple has confirmed that the Vision Pro will start at $3,499, Apple hasn’t confirmed the price outside the U.S. yet. There will be an additional cost associated with any prescription lenses that are required, but we don’t yet know what that will be. We also don’t know whether there will be additional options.

Apple Vision Pro: Design

Apple has picked the materials that the Apple Vision Pro is made from to make it as “wearable” as possible. A custom aluminum alloy frame curves around the user’s face and a modular design means it can be “perfectly” tailored to fit the each user.

The Light Seal is made of a soft textile that comes in a variety of sizes and shapes to suit the user’s face for a precise fit. There are flexible straps that can be adjusted to fit the head and ensure that the Audio Pods are positioned near the ears. The cushioned Head Band is available in multiple sizes and can be changed for another size or style.

Apple Vision Pro: Prescription eyewear

Those who need glasses will be able to purchase custom optical inserts to correct their vision. These ZEISS Optical Inserts are sold separately and magnetically attach to the headset’s lenses. The additional lenses are not included in the price of the headset, so there is an additional cost associated with them.

When Macworld’s Roman Loyola tried out the Vision Pro at Apple’s hands on an optometrist measured his prescription and Apple fitted the headset with the appropriate lenses. He then removed his glasses when he put the headset on. He said he was able to see, but thought that maybe the prescription wasn’t exact, because he noticed fuzziness with text.

Apple confirmed to Loyola that when you order Vision Pro you will have to submit a prescription from your optometrist. It’s unclear as to how that will work when buying at an Apple Store. Possibly a customer will have to submit a prescription at the retail store.

Apple Vision Pro: Specs and features

The Vision Pro will, according to Apple, “deliver phenomenal compute performance.” It is powered by both an M2 processor and a new R1 chip used to process input from 12 cameras, five sensors, and six microphones, it also eliminates lag to avoid latency. Apple says it can update images at eight times faster than the blink of an eye. The headset “runs virtually silent”, according to Apple.

There are two ultra-high-resolution displays that combine to produce 23 million pixels and create a 4K display for each that could generate a display that appears to be 100 feet wide. Video can be rendered at 4K resolution and text appears sharp from any angle.

There are two individually amplified drivers inside each audio pod that can deliver Personalized Spatial Audio based on the user’s own head and ear geometry. As a result, the sound feels like it is coming from the space around you. Vision Pro also matches the sound to the room using audio raytracing. There’s also an advanced sensor array.

Inside the lenses, a high-performance eye-tracking system uses cameras and a ring of LEDs to project invisible light patterns on the user’s eyes. As a result, the Apple headset is able to tell what way the user is looking and use high-performance eye tracking to control the interface. There are no external accessories other than controllers for playing games.

The Vision Pro also recognizes the user’s iris via a new method to unlock the device and authenticate passwords and purchases called Optic ID. Like the iPhone and Mac, all data is stored on a dedicated Secure Enclave processor.

There’s also a nifty feature called EyeSight that projects the correct perspective of your eyes to the people looking at you. EyeSight also includes a visual indicator that makes it clear to others when a user is capturing a spatial photo or video.

Apple Vision Pro: Battery life

Apple says the Vision Pro’s external battery pack provides up to two hours of use. It can also used while plugged in.

Apple Vision Pro: Software and apps

With a Vision Pro headset users will be able to watch a movie, listen to music, browse photos, look at 3D objects, and even collaborate on a presentation.

The Vision Pro headset will run visionOS, an operating system that Apple has designed from the ground up for visual computing. Developers will be able to use familiar tools to create apps for this platform, according to Apple.

There will be an App Store via which users will be able to download familiar iPhone and iPad apps as well as new apps designed for Vision Pro. Apple says that there will be lots of apps available at launch, including Microsoft Office Apps, third-party video conferencing apps, and Adobe Lightroom. Apple also previewed a SkyGuide app that can “transfer” you to space.

Apple says that Vision Pro “makes new types of games possible”. Apparently, users will be able to play over 100 Apple Arcade games on a screen as large as they want with support for popular game controllers.

There will also be a number of well-known Apple apps available at launch, such as Safari, Messages, and FaceTime. Here are some of the apps you can expect to see:

Video Conferencing

FaceTime will be available for the Vision Pro and will be able to take advantage of the room around you so that you can see everyone you are talking to in life-size tiles. The participant’s voice will also come from the direction of their tile thanks to Spatial Audio.

Apple has created a novel solution to the fact that you have a mask on and don’t have a camera in front of you. It can show call participants a ‘Persona’–a digital representation of the user created using Apple’s most advanced machine-learning techniques. The Persona is based on your appearance and can even reflect face and hand movements in real-time.

TV and movies

Entertainment was a major part of the WWDC presentation, with Apple showing off an immersive experience when watching movies and TV shows. With the new Cinema Environment, you’ll be able to watch shows and movies “at the frame rate and aspect ratio the filmmaker intended with immersive Spatial Audio” and watch movies on what feels like a 100-feet screen. Vision Pro will also support 3D movies including Avatar: Way of the Water.

Photos and videos

You’ll be able to take spatial photos and spatial videos in 3D with Vision Pro, and then “relive those cherished moments like never before with immersive Spatial Audio.” And of course, you’ll be able to view your plain 2D photos and videos as well, for example, Panoramas shot on iPhone will expand and wraps around the user.

Disney+

Disney CEO Bob Iger joined Apple on stage to demonstrate his excitement about the new technology. In a video demo, he showed movies, TV shows, and sports on Vision Pro that brings entertainment to new levels, including special movie presentations, court-side views, and interactive experiences. Iger said Disney content will be available on day one.

Apple Vision Pro experience: What is is like to use Vision Pro

Macworld’s Roman Loyola was able to spend an hour wearing a Vision Pro, an experience he described as “emotional, immersive, and completely captivating.”

The device he tried on was an early beta, so it’s possible—likely even—that the hardware or software could change before next year

During the keynote presentation that introduced Vision Pro Apple said that the Vision Pro input system is controlled by a person’s eyes, hands, and voice. But the real control happens with your eyes: Vision Pro is able to detect exactly where you are looking. As a result, users can browse through apps by simply looking at them, tapping their fingers to select, flicking their wrist to scroll, or using voice to dictate. You can just look at a text input and begin dictating, for example.

Loyola confirmed that you don’t have to hold out your arms to gesture to control the interface, you navigate by looking at what you want to see, and then use hand gestures to perform actions. Loyola said he didn’t have too hard a time adjusting from a using fingers to tap icons to using his eyes and that “Eye tracking was accurate and didn’t feel like it put a strain on my eyes,” he reported. It took about 20 minutes for controlling the interface this way to feel natural, Loyola said.

When you first put on Vision Pro you see your surroundings. You can freely move apps to fill the space around you and they can expand into your space. Apple says you can control how immersed you are in Vision Pro with a twist of the Digital Crown.

Loyola described being put right in the middle of the recorded memory that “triggered memories and emotions of my own from similar moments.” He said that the immersive video gave him “thrills,” explaining: “My body reacted to situations and my mind responded to the sights and sounds.” In one demo, Loyola “got to pet a freakin’ dinosaur. Not a beast that looks like a 3D model set against an illustrated background, but a realistic-looking dinosaur that sniffed my hand and let me pet it.” It all sounds pretty impressive.

According to Loyola, you do see the headset while wearing it, though it doesn’t interfere with the sense of immersion.

While there are other headsets that can offer an immersive experience, Loyola notes that “the difference with the Apple Vision Pro is the two displays set in front of each eye. The resolution and color they display are fantastic and make things look realistic.” While Loyola did experience some pixelation and playback stutter (of the people in the room with him not of the videos) he was impressed.

If you are concerned that the Vision Pro might not fit you, fear not. Loyola, who feels that his head is large, said that “when I first put the Apple Vision Pro on, I had to tighten–not loosen–the straps to get a proper fit”. He added: “The headset had a Velcro strap that goes across the top of your head–this strap is not shown in Apple’s product photos or videos. I think that after the measurements were taken of my head, Apple determined that I would benefit from this top strap”. There is also a Light Seal that fits across the forehead where the eyebrows are, Apple said that this seal is available in multitudes of shapes and sizes to ensure the perfect fit.

After wearing the Vision Pro for an hour Loyola said that he didn’t have any fatigue in his neck or any tenderness where the headset and straps hugged his head. There were some reports of testers suffering from soreness around the top of their head, but it’s very possible they were also dealing with sunburn since Apple’s keynote had been delivered outside in bright sunlight.

Apple described one design goal of Vision Pro as being to be “Never isolated from the people around you”. It achieves this in various ways, one is by displaying your eyes when there is someone near you. This is called EyeSight and it is designed to send a clear signal to people that you can’t see them when that is the case. Similarly, if someone is near by they will appear in your view. This way it should still be easy to interact with the world around you while wearing the headset.

A user can bring Mac wirelessly into Apple Vision Pro just by looking at it. The contents of the Mac screen are then brought on to the 4K display you see through the Vision Pro. Loyola wasn’t able to test this feature.

An advanced Spatial Audio system is core to the Apple Vision Pro experience, creating the feeling that sounds are coming from the environment around the user and matching the sound to the space, according to Apple. The Vision Pro will also work seamlessly with familiar Bluetooth accessories, according to Apple.

Apple Vision Pro: Terminology

• VR = Virtual Reality (completely replaces your view)
• AR = Augmented Reality (overlays real world with graphics and information)
• MR = Mixed Reality (combining AR and VR)
• XR = Extended Reality (combining AR, VR and MR)

Apple Vision Pro: Problems and prohibitions

If you have any of the following conditions you may not be able to use an Apple headset.

If you’re prone to inner ear infections, have ADHD/ADD, anxiety disorders, a pacemaker, epilepsy, blackouts/seizures or are pregnant, you may be warned against using the headset. In addition to Meniere’s disease, past traumatic brain injuries, post-concussion syndrome, migraines. https://t.co/fuasZ1Cy8F

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) June 2, 2023

Those are all standard limitations for VR headsets, but nonetheless it illustrates the fact that this headset won’t be for everyone.

Computer Accessories

Apple’s mixed reality headset is now official, and it is definitely something to behold. We talk about the Apple Vision Pro in this episode of the Macworld Podcast–what it is, the tech behind it, what it will cost, and why would you want one in the first place!

This is episode 844 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola.

Listen to episode 844 on Apple Podcasts

Listen to episode 844 on Spotify

Get info

Click on the following links to learn more about what was discussed on the show.

• Apple’s Vision Pro experience is so thrilling, I didn’t want to leave
• Apple Vision Pro: Apple’s big bet on a brand-new platform starts at $3,499
• Apple Vision Pro product guide
• Vision Pro and everything else Apple announced during the WWDC keynote

Subscribe to the Macworld Podcast

You can subscribe to the Macworld Podcast—or leave us a review!—right here in the Podcasts app. The Macworld Podcast is also available on Spotify. Or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader at: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/macworld

To find previous episodes, visit Macworld’s podcast page or our home on MegaPhone.

Apple, Virtual Reality

It seems like we’ve been waiting forever, but the first Apple keynote of 2023 is finally here—and it’s a big one. We’re expecting a ton of announcements at WWDC 2023, from the unveiling of iOS 17 and macOS 14 to the launch of Apple’s first mixed-reality headset. Follow along with us live right here!

WWDC 2023: The annoucements

Apple launched numerous updates and new products during the WWDC keynote, including:

iOS 17: The best new features

iPadOS 17: The best new features

macOS 14 Sonoma: The best new features

watchOS 10: The best new features

15-inch MacBook Air

M2 Ultra, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro

Vision Pro: Apple’s first spatial computing headset

WWDC 2023: Watch the keynote

The WWDC 2023 keynote will start at 10 am PT and will be streaming on Apple.com and YouTube. Here’s how to watch WWDC live. You can also watch the keynote below.

WWDC 2023: Live updates from the keynote

9:30 am PT: We’re onsite at Apple Park and have photos on our Twitter account!

9:40 am PT: HI everyone, this is Roman Loyola. I’m at Apple Park attending the keynote. There’s a buzz here that’s different from past keynotes. A ton of excitement in the air–there’s always excitement at WWDC, but with the subtext of what might happen this year, it’s more palpable.

9:52 am PT: The keynote is starting soon and people are getting settled in.

9:57 am PT: Tim Cook and Craig Federighi are on stage welcoming everyone

10 am PT: The keynote is starting with an opening video

10:01 am PT: A video is playing with Tim Cook introducing WWDC. It looks like there won’t be live presentations.

10:02 am PT: The Mac is first up. John Ternus is hyping up Apple silicon.

10:04 am PT: 15-inch MacBook Air intro. 11.5 mm thin, 3 pounds. MagSafe, 2 Thunderbolt port, headphone jack, 4 colors. Liquid Retina display, 500 nits brightness. 1080p camera. 6 speakers. M2 chip. 12x faster than fastest Intel MBA. 18-hour battery life. $1,299. Available next week. 13-inch MacBook Air down to $1,099.

10:08 am PT: New Mac Studio with M2 Max and Ultra. 192GB of memory max! 800GBps! M2 Ultra is 50% faster video processing than M1 Ultra. Supports up to 6 Pro Display XDR.

10:13 am PT: Mac Pro with M2 Ultra! 192GB unified memory. Built-in afterburner performance (7x)! 8 Thunderbolt ports. 6 open PCI ports. Same tower and rack mount as before.

10:16 am PT: iOS 17. Live transcriptions of calls. FaceTime messages. Messages gets search filters, catch-up arrow, swipe to reply, audio message transcription, inline location, Check In, updated design, new Stickers UI and Live Stickers. These Messages upgrades are going to increase green bubble envy

10:25 am PT: AirDrop updates: NameDrop, SharePlay API for device to device media sharing.

10:26 am PT: Autocorrect more accurate and quick reverting, inline predictions, more personalized. Lots of indirect AI references here.

10:29 am PT: New Journal app. Personalized suggestions from machine learning to inspire writing. New Suggestions API.

10:31 am PT: The rumors Standby mode for iPhone is being announced. Makes your iPhone in landscape mode an interactive display while charging.

10:33 am PT: No more “Hey” in Hey Siri. Pets recognition in Photos. Find My Item Sharing.

10:34 am PT: iPadOS 17: Widgets, new Lock Screens. Live Activities on Lock Screen–track scores, deliveries, multiple timers.

10:38 am PT: Health app coming to iPad.

10:39 am PT: PDF with autofill support. Signature support. Notes app gets expanded PDF support, live collaboration.

10:42 am PT: Stage Manager improvements, external display camera support, Follow Along, many iOS 17 features are in iPad OS 17.

10:43: am PT: macOS Sonoma. Sonoma imagery for desktops, screensavers. Widgets can be placed on desktop.

10:46 am PT: Mac Gaming and Game Mode–game get priority on CPU and GPU, lower audio and input latency. Game Porting Toolkit for porting games from other platforms. Death Stranding Director’s Cut coming to the Mac.:

10:51 am PT: Video conferencing and presenter overlay, reactions video effect, works with third-party apps.

10:52 am PT: Safari locks browser window when not in use; ability to share passwords and passkeys; profiles; Web apps can be made from any website.

10:56 am PT: AirPods Adaptive Audio matches noise cancelation to environment. Conversation awareness lowers music. Improvements to auto switching.

10:59 am PT: AirPlay updates. AirPlay in hotels. Apple Music and CarPlay get SharePlay in the car.

11:01 am PT: tvOS 17 redesigned Control Center. Siri Remote. FaceTime on Apple TV, it works with iPhone as the camera/mic. Continuity Camera API for tvOS.

11:04 am PT: watchOS 10 has “comprehensive redesigns.” Use Digital Crown to reveal widgets, World Clock redesign with dynamic background colors, Activity app with corner icons, redesigned trophy case, new Palette and Snoopy and Woodstock watch faces.

11:10 am PT: New Cycling features, can connect to Bluetooth sensors, FTP estimation and Power Zones, activity automatically appear on iPhone. Hiking compass calculates waypoints, emergency calls, 3D waypoint view, new topographic map. Trail search, length, difficulty, etc. Features to adjust golf and tennis swings.

11:15 am PT: Health gets mental health features, standard assessments. Vision Health feature to help with myopia, checks daylight exposure and screen distance.

11:20 am PT: Developers betas available today. Fall official release.

ONE MORE THING

11:21 am PT: Apple announces Apple Vision Pro

11:22 am PT: Headset looks more like ski goggles than a VR headset. It looks futuristic. 3D interface with apps appear in your environment. It looks like your room is the UI. EyeSight allows your eyes to be seen through the headset. Can use input device and act as a Mac display. FaceTime support and share apps. 3D camera.

11:33 am PT: Using Photos with Vision Pro, surrounding lights dim, view panoramas fully. Watch videos with spatial audio. Cinema environment for movies. Apple TV content available. Play video games.

11:39 am PT: Bob Iger of Disney talks about Apple Vision Pro partnership. Disney+ available on day one.

11:43 am PT: Front is laminated glass. Frames has button and Digital Crown. Aluminum alloy frame. Thermal design draws air to keep it cool. Modular system to conform to the face. Band with adjustment dial. Optical inserts for vision correction for people who wear glasses. Separate battery connects view cable.

11:47 am PT: Displays: curved micro OLED with 23 million pixels across two displays. Three-element lens to allow sharpness and image clarity. Spatial audio. Eye-tracking system. M2 chip. New R1 chip that processes input data from cameras.

11:53 am PT: You created a digital persona that is used for FaceTime. visionOS is the operating system, designed from the ground up for spatial computing.

11:56 am PT: Developers can use already-available tools to create visionOS apps. Unity apps run natively.

11:58 am PT: OpticID uses your eye’s iris for user identification.

noon PT: Apple Vision Pro is $3,499

12:05 pm PT: That’s it! Be sure to check Macworld.com for the lowdown on all the announcements.

WWDC 2023: Latest news and rumors

Apple Store down: As usual, Apple has taken its online store down hours before the keynote, which is a sign that new products will be available for purchase or preorder

Headset shipping next year: Ming-Chi Kuo reports that the headset might not begin mass shipments until 2024. That’s not uncommon—the Mac Pro, iMac Pro, and HomePod were all announced at WWDC and didn’t ship in large quantities until the first quarter of the following year.

Headset name and price: A rumor from Yeux1122 on Naver claims Apple’s headset will be called Apple XR and cost $1,999 rather than $2,999 as rumored.

On-site demo structures: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple has built “two demonstration areas” ahead of today’s event. According to the report, one is inside the Steve Jobs Theater as usual, but Apple has also prepared a second temporary structure exclusively for demoing the headset.

No more ‘Hey Siri’: Gurman reports that Apple may drop the “Hey” from its hands-free “Hey Siri” prompt in iOS 17.

Apple headset colors: According to leaker billbil_kun writing for French tech site Dealabs, the AR/VR headset will be available in several colors, including black, blue, grey, green, and pink. The same report claims it will be available with either 128GB or 256GB.

watchOS 10 Weather app redesign: Among the many changes expected in watchOS 10 is a new Weather app that looks more like the iOS 16 version.

Mac Pro stock dwindling: Most configurations of the Mac Pro on Apple.com are back-ordered by 4 weeks and won’t ship until July.

Apple

Apple has announced the Mac Studio with M2 Max and M2 Ultra, delivering the performance boost of the M2 Max and the newly introduced M2 Ultra in the compact design of the Mac Studio and it is available to order today, shipping on Tuesday June 13.

Apple says the Mac Studio with M2 Max, with 12-core CPU, up to a 38-core GPU, is up to 50 percent faster than the previous-generation Mac Studio and four times faster than the most powerful Intel-based 27-inch iMac. It features 96GB of unified memory and 400GB/s of memory bandwidth.

Apple also says the M2 Ultra delivers twice the performance and capabilities of M2 Max. The M2 Ultra is up to three times faster than the previous-generation Mac Studio with M1 Ultra, says Apple. It is also up to six times faster than the most powerful Intel-based 27-inch iMac.

The Mac Studio with M2 Ultra and it’s 24-core CPU, up to a 76-core GPU, can support up to 192GB of unified memory, which is “more memory than the most advanced workstation graphics cards”, according to Apple, meaning it is able to take on demanding workloads other systems can’t even process. It supports 192GB of memory with 800GB/s of unified memory bandwidth.

We will update this story as the news breaks, please reload this page for the latest news.

— Here are the rumors —

Apple introduced the Mac Studio with M1 Max and M1 Ultra chips in March 2022. Positioned as a brand-new pro-tier Mac, it’s best described as a Mac mini on steroids. However, now that the M2 Pro Mac mini has arrived, the decision to buy a desktop Mac is a little trickier. There’s also the overdue Apple silicon Mac Pro that is set to soon join the mix.

With a trio of pro-tier Macs, all eyes are now on the second-generation Mac Studio: When it will arrive? How fast will it be? And how Apple will differentiate it from the Mac mini and the Mac Pro?

Mac Studio: Release date 

Now that the M2 Max chip has arrived in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, it’s seemingly only a matter of time before the chip makes its way into the Mac Studio, and with WWDC just around the corner it looks like the perfect time for an update.

Those hoping for an imminent update will be glad to hear that hidden references to three new desktop Macs have been spotted in Apple’s Find My app. Developer Nicolas Álvarez spotted the references to three unknown desktop Macs: Mac14,8; Mac14,13; and Mac14,14 in the Find My app. The reason he believes these are desktop Macs is that these Macs have the “left behind” notification disabled and desktops tend to stay in one place. This could indicate that both the Mac Studio and the Mac Pro could be updated at WWDC in June 2023.

Another indication that a new Mac Studio could launch at WWDC is a report from Mark Gurman that suggests Apple is about to open Mac Studio trade-ins on June 5.

However, the fate of the new Mac Studio is complicated by the fact that the Mac Pro is widely expected to launch at WWDC on June 5. Based on the current model, the Mac Studio should ship with an M2 Ultra chip as well as the M2 Max. However the M2 Ultra is also expected to debut as the only option for the first Apple silicon Mac Pro, and herein lies the problem.

There is some uncertainty about how Apple will distinguish the Mac Studio from the Mac Pro if they share the same chip and launch at the same time. Hence there is an expectation that, in order to make the Mac Pro more attractive, Apple will hold off updating the Mac Studio for now.  

In a February 2023 installment of his weekly PowerOn newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote that he “wouldn’t anticipate the introduction of a Mac Studio in the near future. The upcoming Mac Pro is very similar in functionality to the Mac Studio—and adds the M2 Ultra chip rather than the M1 Ultra. So it wouldn’t make sense for Apple to offer an M2 Ultra Mac Studio and M2 Ultra Mac Pro at the same time.”

Gurman thinks it’s most likely that “Apple either never updates the Mac Studio or holds off until the M3 or M4 generation.” Could the Mac Studio be just like the iMac Pro—a stop-gap that Apple never updates and eventually discontinues? It’s starting to look like that might be the case. Instead of an expected 2023 update to an M2-based chip, we might not get an update until 2024 or 2025, if at all.

Based on the market for such devices, surely it would be an illogical move for Apple to neglect the Mac Studio in favour of the Mac Pro. As Macworld’s Jason Cross asked: Why does the Mac Pro even need to exist? The Mac Pro is a niche product, geared for a high-end user-base, with a very high price. While Apple focuses on the Mac Pro as a flagship product that few will buy, it is neglecting the iMac and Mac Studio. There is no logical reason why Apple can’t add the M2 Pro and Max, that are already available in the MacBook Pro, to these devices. Read: Mac Pro may be to blame for the Mac Studio hold up for more information.

Next Mac Studio: Price 

Assuming that Apple does launch a new Mac Studio, what will it cost? When Apple added the M2 Pro and M2 Max processors to the lineup with the introduction of the new MacBook Pro and Mac mini in January 2023, it updated pricing for some Macs in countries outside the U.S. For example, in the U.K. each iMac model now costs £150 more. 

However, the price of the Mac Studio stayed the same, indicating that Apple is either satisfied with the pricing, or that it is going to increase when the new models are introduced. 

One indication that the price of the Mac Studio could go up in the U.S. and elsewhere is the pricing of a similarly specced M2 Pro Mac mini, which we think makes no sense next to the Mac Studio. For example, if you were to configure a Mac mini with M2 Pro 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU, 32GB unified memory, and 512GB of storage, it would cost you $1,999/£2,099, the same as a standard Mac Studio with M1 Max 10-core CPU, 24-core GPU, 32GB unified memory and a 512GB SSD. All things being equal, you’re getting a better chip and more expansion with the Mac Studio for the same price. So something has to give. Unfortunately the most likely answer is that Apple will increase the price of the Mac Studio.

Next Mac Studio: Design 

The Mac Studio has a very similar design to the Mac mini. Both are silver and have an Apple logo on the top. The base of the Mac Studio is exactly the same size: 7.7 inches square (19.7cm) as the Mac mini, but the Mac Studio is taller: 3.7 inches (9.5cm) rather than 1.41 inches (3.58cm). This is unlikely to change, although it would be nice to see a Space Gray option. 

Next Mac Studio: Processor and specs 

We already know what to expect from the M2 Max. As for the M2 Ultra, we can infer some details about the chip from rumors and our experience with the M1 Ultra, which is two M1 Max processors fused together. Here’s how the chips break down:

M2 Max

• CPU: 12 cores
• GPU: 30 cores/38 cores
• RAM: 32GB/64GB/96GB (with 38-core GPU)

M2 Ultra

• CPU: Up to 24 cores
• GPU: Up to 76 cores
• RAM: Up to 192GB

If Apple waits to update the Mac Studio until the M3 Max/Ultra or M4 Max/Ultra arrives, it’s hard to say how much faster the chips will be, but with an expected move to 3nm with the M3, the speed boost could be significant.

Next Mac Studio: Ports 

The Mac Studio already has a good selection of ports, with four Thunderbolt 4 ports, 10Gb ethernet, two USB-A ports, HDMI 2.0, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. That was an impressive array of ports for 2022, but it came with some limitations.

For one, the HDMI 2.0 port means users can only connect a display with 4K resolution at 60Hz. The 2023 Mac mini has an HDMI 2.1 port with support for 4K at 240Hz and 8K at 60Hz. Additionally, the 2023 Mac mini brings Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E, both of which are likely to make an appearance in the next Mac Studio.

Mac

It seems like we’ve been waiting forever, but the first Apple keynote of 2023 is finally here—and it’s a big one. We’re expecting a ton of announcements at WWDC 2023, from the unveiling of iOS 17 and macOS 14 to the launch of Apple’s first mixed-reality headset. Follow along with us live right here!

WWDC 2023: Watch the keynote live

The WWDC 2023 keynote will start at 10 am PT and will be streaming on Apple.com and YouTube. Here’s how to watch WWDC live. You can also watch the keynote below.

WWDC 2023: Live updates

9:30 am PT: We’re onsite at Apple Park and have photos on our Twitter account!

9:40 am PT: HI everyone, this is Roman Loyola. I’m at Apple Park attending the keynote. There’s a buzz here that’s different from past keynotes. A ton of excitement in the air–there’s always excitement at WWDC, but with the subtext of what might happen this year, it’s more palpable.

9:52 am PT: The keynote is starting soon and people are getting settled in.

9:57 am PT: Tim Cook and Craig Federighi are on stage welcoming everyone

10 am PT: The keynote is starting with an opening video

10:01 am PT: A video is playing with Tim Cook introducing WWDC. It looks like there won’t be live presentations.

10:02 am PT: The Mac is first up. John Ternus is hyping up Apple silicon.

10:04 am PT: 15-inch MacBook Air intro. 11.5 mm thin, 3 pounds. MagSafe, 2 Thunderbolt port, headphone jack, 4 colors. Liquid Retina display, 500 nits brightness. 1080p camera. 6 speakers. M2 chip. 12x faster than fastest Intel MBA. 18-hour battery life. $1,299. Available next week. 13-inch MacBook Air down to $1,099.

10:08 am PT: New Mac Studio with M2 Max and Ultra. 192GB of memory max! 800GBps! M2 Ultra is 50% faster video processing than M1 Ultra. Supports up to 6 Pro Display XDR.

10:13 am PT: Mac Pro with M2 Ultra! 192GB unified memory. Built-in afterburner performance (7x)! 8 Thunderbolt ports. 6 open PCI ports. Same tower and rack mount as before.

10:16 am PT: iOS 17. Live transcriptions of calls. FaceTime messages. Messages gets search filters, catch-up arrow, swipe to reply, audio message transcription, inline location, Check In, updated design, new Stickers UI and Live Stickers. These Messages upgrades are going to increase green bubble envy

10:25 am PT: AirDrop updates: NameDrop, SharePlay API for device to device media sharing.

10:26 am PT: Autocorrect more accurate and quick reverting, inline predictions, more personalized. Lots of indirect AI references here.

10:29 am PT: New Journal app. Personalized suggestions from machine learning to inspire writing. New Suggestions API.

10:30 am PT: We haven’t gotten to macOS yet, but did anyone else see the macOS Mammoth reference?

10:31 am PT: The rumors Standby mode for iPhone is being announced. Makes your iPhone in landscape mode an interactive display while charging.

10:33 am PT: No more “Hey” in Hey Siri. Pets recognition in Photos. Find My Item Sharing.

10:34 am PT: iPadOS 17: Widgets, new Lock Screens. Live Activities on Lock Screen–track scores, deliveries, multiple timers.

10:38 am PT: Health app coming to iPad.

10:39 am PT: PDF with autofill support. Signature support. Notes app gets expanded PDF support, live collaboration.

WWDC 2023: Latest news and rumors

Apple Store down: As usual, Apple has taken its online store down hours before the keynote, which is a sign that new products will be available for purchase or preorder

Headset shipping next year: Ming-Chi Kuo reports that the headset might not begin mass shipments until 2024. That’s not uncommon—the Mac Pro, iMac Pro, and HomePod were all announced at WWDC and didn’t ship in large quantities until the first quarter of the following year.

Headset name and price: A rumor from Yeux1122 on Naver claims Apple’s headset will be called Apple XR and cost $1,999 rather than $2,999 as rumored.

On-site demo structures: Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple has built “two demonstration areas” ahead of today’s event. According to the report, one is inside the Steve Jobs Theater as usual, but Apple has also prepared a second temporary structure exclusively for demoing the headset.

No more ‘Hey Siri’: Gurman reports that Apple may drop the “Hey” from its hands-free “Hey Siri” prompt in iOS 17.

Apple headset colors: According to leaker billbil_kun writing for French tech site Dealabs, the AR/VR headset will be available in several colors, including black, blue, grey, green, and pink. The same report claims it will be available with either 128GB or 256GB.

watchOS 10 Weather app redesign: Among the many changes expected in watchOS 10 is a new Weather app that looks more like the iOS 16 version.

Mac Pro stock dwindling: Most configurations of the Mac Pro on Apple.com are back-ordered by 4 weeks and won’t ship until July.

Apple

The biggest Apple event of the year is a few days away! So in this episode of the Macworld Podcast, we preview what’s in store at WWDC! Operating system updates, Apple watch enhancements, new Macs, a new way to see reality, and more on the show! Stay tuned!

This is episode 843 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola. 

Listen to episode 843 on Apple Podcasts

Listen to episode 843 on Spotify

Get info

This episode is a summary of what we think could happen at WWDC. Before this episode, we dedicated shows that discuss in greater detail each platform. If you’re interested in listening to any of those shows, here are the links.

• Episode 838: Apple’s headset approaches reality
• Episode 839: What to expect with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 at WWDC 2023
• Episode 840: The changing face of watchOS
• What you need to know about WWDC
• How to watch Apple’s WWDC 2023 keynote live

Subscribe to the Macworld Podcast

You can subscribe to the Macworld Podcast—or leave us a review!—right here in the Podcasts app. The Macworld Podcast is also available on Spotify. Or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader at: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/macworld

To find previous episodes, visit Macworld’s podcast page or our home on MegaPhone.

Apple, Apple Watch, iOS, iPad, MacOS, Virtual Reality

The biggest Apple event of the year is a few days away! So in this episode of the Macworld Podcast, we preview what’s in store at WWDC! Operating system updates, Apple watch enhancements, new Macs, a new way to see reality, and more on the show! Stay tuned!

This is episode 843 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon, and Roman Loyola. 

Listen to episode 843 on Apple Podcasts

Listen to episode 843 on Spotify

Get info

This episode is a summary of what we think could happen at WWDC. Before this episode, we dedicated shows that discuss in greater detail each platform. If you’re interested in listening to any of those shows, here are the links.

• Episode 838: Apple’s headset approaches reality
• Episode 839: What to expect with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 at WWDC 2023
• Episode 840: The changing face of watchOS
• What you need to know about WWDC
• How to watch Apple’s WWDC 2023 keynote live

Subscribe to the Macworld Podcast

You can subscribe to the Macworld Podcast—or leave us a review!—right here in the Podcasts app. The Macworld Podcast is also available on Spotify. Or you can point your favorite podcast-savvy RSS reader at: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/macworld

To find previous episodes, visit Macworld’s podcast page or our home on MegaPhone.

Apple, Apple Watch, iOS, iPad, MacOS, Virtual Reality