from MacRumors Staff
iOS 18.2 is finally here, bringing several new long-awaited Apple Intelligence features and expanding availability to new countries.
This week has also seen a number of hardware rumors, including Apple itself leaking the existence of future M4 MacBook Air models, plus we've heard details about the next iPhone SE, the so-called “iPhone 17 Air,” next-generation Apple Watch features, and updated Apple TV and HomePod mini models, so read on to learn more!
iOS 18.2 Features: Everything New in iOS 18.2
As expected, Apple released iOS 18.2 this week and related updates such as macOS Sequoia 15.2 is available to the public. The updates bring a number of new Apple Intelligence features to compatible devices, and also officially open up Apple Intelligence to several countries outside the US for the first time.
There's a lot more to come than just the Apple Intelligence features, though, so check out our list of 20 new things your iPhone can do in iOS 18.2, as well as our full guide to the changes included in the update.
iPhone 17 'Air' expected to be around 2mm thinner than iPhone 16 Pro
Apple is rumored to be developing a thin new iPhone model for next year's lineup, with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman confirming previous claims that the device will be around 2mm thinner than the iPhone 16 Pro, which would likely mean it'll be just over 6mm thick.
Meanwhile, rumors continue to swirl about a redesign for next year's iPhone 17 Pro models, including claims about the new rectangular camera bump.
The iPhone SE 4 will reportedly feature a 48-megapixel rear lens and a 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera
Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE is rumored to be released early next year, and it looks like it's going to get some significant upgrades.
While the most obvious change will be the disappearance of the Home button as it moves to the full-screen front with a cutout for Face ID, the front and rear cameras will reportedly be upgraded to 12 and 48 megapixels, respectively. The current iPhone SE has a 7-megapixel front-facing camera and a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera.
macOS Sequoia 15.2 confirms new MacBook Air models with M4 chip
As part of this week’s rollout of major operating system updates, Apple accidentally released macOS Sequoia 15.2, which confirms future MacBook Air models with the M4 chip.
The operating system update included references to “MacBook Air (13-inch, M4, 2025)” and “MacBook Air (15-inch, M4, 2025),” which we expect to launch early in the year.
Apple Watch could get blood pressure monitoring feature in 2025
Apple is putting a lot of effort into developing new health-related features for the Apple Watch, and it looks like blood pressure measurement could be coming to the 2025 models. The feature will reportedly not provide accurate pressure readings, but could alert the wearer if it detects hypertension.
Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is expected to debut next year with support for sending text messages via satellite. Apple has been rolling out satellite communication features to the iPhone over the past few years, including the ability to text anyone in iOS 18, and it looks like that capability will be extended to Apple's wearable devices.
New Apple TV and HomePod Mini Coming in 2025
There have been scattered rumors about an Apple TV refresh over the past couple of years, and a new report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says we can expect it to debut in 2025, presumably sometime before the traditional September iPhone event.
A new HomePod mini is also in the works for 2025, and both devices will reportedly use a new Apple-designed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip instead of the component traditionally supplied by Broadcom. Later this year, Apple’s chip will appear in the iPhone 17 lineup, and in the iPad and Mac lines in 2026.
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