Top Stories: iPhone Ultra Rumor, Reverse Wireless Charging Still Planned, and More

We’re into a bit of a quiet period for Apple following the flurry of product announcements and launches kicking off 2023, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t still seeing lots of news and rumors about what’s coming up in the future.

iPhone rumors continue to circulate about both this year’s iPhone 15 lineup and potentially the iPhone 16 lineup for 2024, while we also heard some rumors about Apple’s Mac plans and an upcoming return of the new Home app architecture that got pulled from iOS 16.2 due to widespread issue, so read on for all the details on these stories and more!

Apple Considering New High-End iPhone Alongside Pro and Pro Max

Apple has discussed selling a new top-of-the-line iPhone “Ultra” model alongside the Pro and Pro Max in 2024 at the earliest, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. Based on this timeframe, the device would be part of the iPhone 16 lineup or later.

Gurman speculated that the Ultra model could feature additional camera improvements, a faster chip, a larger display, and perhaps a portless design without Lightning or USB-C. He said the device would be pricier than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which starts at $1,099.

Apple Still Working to Allow iPhone to Wirelessly Charge AirPods and Other Devices

Apple is reportedly continuing development on a reverse wireless charging feature that would allow the iPhone to charge other devices like AirPods.

With the iPhone 12, an FCC filing hinted at reverse wireless charging capabilities that might be hidden inside the hardware, but Apple has never enabled this functionality in the years since and it’s unclear exactly when the feature would be available, if ever.

Apple May Not Launch New Mac Studio With M2 Ultra Chip Due to Similarity With Upcoming Mac Pro

Apple released the all-new Mac Studio desktop computer in March 2022 with M1 Max and M1 Ultra chip options, which offer impressive performance. In fact, the higher-end model with the M1 Ultra chip is the fastest Mac ever, until the Apple silicon Mac Pro arrives.

Unfortunately, the Mac Studio might not be updated with an M2 Ultra chip this year, as it would make the computer too similar to the upcoming Mac Pro with the same chip. We’re also hearing that a new 27-inch display with mini-LED backlighting and 120Hz ProMotion may not launch in the first quarter of this year as previously predicted.

iPhone 15 Pro ‘Buttonless Design’ Rumors: What We Know

The upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are rumored to feature a “buttonless” design with solid-state volume and power controls. Here is everything we know about this rumor so far.

Instead of moving, the solid-state buttons would provide haptic feedback when pressed, like the trackpad on modern MacBooks. The devices would have two additional Taptic Engines to power this functionality.

Apple to Re-Release New HomeKit Architecture in iOS 16.4

Apple in its upcoming iOS 16.4 update will re-introduce the revamped HomeKit architecture it originally pulled in December due to widespread issues.

Backend code for the Matter smart home standard indicates that Apple is ready to re-introduce the updated Home architecture in iOS 16.4. It was originally released with the iOS 16.2 update, only to be pulled a week after launch because of bugs and installation issues.

iPhone 14 Pro Over 20% Faster Than Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra in Benchmarks

Samsung’s newly announced Galaxy S23 Ultra hasn’t quite hit the market yet, but unearthed benchmarks for the device suggest Apple still has the world’s fastest mobile processor by a considerable margin.

Geekbench scores reveal that that the iPhone 14 Pro’s A16 Bionic chip offers up to just over 20% faster CPU performance than Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.

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