Top Stories: iOS 18.2 Coming Soon, iPhone 17 Rumors, and More

2024 is rapidly drawing to a close, but Apple isn't quite done with releases for the year as iOS 18.2 and related operating system updates are arriving very shortly. Apple Intelligence is a major focus for these updates, but there are some other tweaks and improvements arriving for all users.

Looking toward hardware rumors, discussion continues around Apple's work on a foldable iPhone, an expanded push into the smart home market, and M5 chips for future Macs, so read on below for all the details on these stories and more!

Apple Seeds Release Candidate Versions of iOS 18.2 and More With Genmoji, Image Playground and ChatGPT Integration

We're expecting Apple to release iOS 18.2, macOS Sequoia 15.2, and other updates on Monday, and that's looking like a pretty good bet at this point as Apple this week seeded release candidate versions of all of the updates to beta testers.

For compatible devices, the updates bring a number of new Apple Intelligence features including Image Playground, Image Wand, Genmoji, ChatGPT integration with Siri, and more. Users of other devices will also see plenty of improvements and bug fixes, so be sure to check out the full iOS 18.2 release notes for all of the details.

Apple's 2026 Foldable iPhone Could Reinvigorate Stalling Market

Apple has been rumored to be working on a foldable iPhone for a number of years, but while the company reportedly hasn't been happy enough with the results to yield a product worth releasing, that may be changing in a couple of years.

A new report claims Apple is aiming to debut a foldable iPhone in the second half of 2026, and it could help reinvigorate an overall foldable smartphone market that has been stagnating after an initial surge of interest in models from Samsung and other manufacturers.

The MacRumors Show: Apple's Foldable iPhone and Smart Home Plans

Speaking of that foldable iPhone, Dan and Hartley discussed the topic in this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, tackling the pros, cons, and use cases for such a device.

Apple's apparent plans to move more aggressively into the smart home market were also a topic of discussion, as it looks like Apple may be working on several smart home hubs, a first-party HomeKit camera, and more.

Apple Orders M5 Chips From TSMC Ahead of Late 2025 Production

Apple launched the M4 chip family earlier this year in the iPad Pro and just recently expanded it to the Mac while adding more powerful M4 Pro and M4 Max versions, but the company is already moving full-speed ahead on their successors.

Apple has reportedly placed orders with its chip supplier TSMC for next-generation M5 chips, which should bring significant performance and efficiency gains.

Apple CEO Tim Cook Opens Up About AI Plans, Vision Pro Future, and More in New Interview

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently sat down with WIRED's Steven Levy for an in-depth interview regarding Apple's AI ambitions and concerns, the future of the Apple Vision Pro headset, and more.

The interview also covered Apple's ongoing effort to bring medical technology tools to consumers, as well as Cook's tenure at Apple and how much longer he might remain in his position as CEO.

Apple Music's Full Replay 2024 Experience and Year-End Charts Now Out

Apple has launched Apple Music Replay for 2024, giving subscribers early access to their personalized music listening statistics and trends for the year.

iPhone users on iOS 18.1 or later can now access the Replay 2024 experience directly in the Apple Music app, from the Home, New, and Search tabs. Users with previous iOS versions can still access the experience at replay.music.apple.com.

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