Smart rings on fingers, smart bracelets on ankles, and smart lanyards around necks — far beyond the [Apple Watch](https://appleinsider.com/inside/apple-watch "Apple Watch") and AirPods, Apple has wide-ranging plans for a new wearable.

Detail from the patent showing ring-shaped and ring-sized smart devices, but the technology can be used for much more

There have been so many Apple patents and patent applications regarding smart rings that there's no question the company is taking this wearable seriously. But for the first time, a [newly-granted patent](https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/11830182) has made it undeniably clear that there is much more to this device idea than putting a ring on a finger.  
  

Apple's smart ring technology may not be limited to fingers

The [14-inch MacBook Pro](https://appleinsider.com/inside/14-inch-macbook-pro "14-inch MacBook Pro") and 16-inch MacBook Pro have been given an update, becoming among the first Macs to be issued as part of the M3 Apple Silicon generation.

Introduced as part of Apple's "Scary Fast" event on Monday, the updated 14-inch MacBook Pro and [16-inch MacBook Pro](https://appleinsider.com/inside/16-inch-macbook-pro "16-inch MacBook Pro") are now sporting new chips. Previously running on the [M2](https://appleinsider.com/inside/m2 "M2") Pro and M2 Max, the new models are using the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max.  
  

New 14-Inch and 16-Inch MacBook Pros Feature 20% Brighter Displays

The MacBook Pro is Back in Black, Now Powered with M3

Apple lifts the sheet on a trio of 'scary fast' M3 SoCs built on a 3nm process

Apple’s Latest 14-Inch MacBook Pro Is Now $200 Cheaper For The Base Model, But That Is Because There Are Now Three M3 Chipset Options

New 14-inch & 16-inch MacBook Pro sport M3, and come in black

Despite previous predictions of an M3 refresh for the [13-inch MacBook Pro](https://appleinsider.com/inside/13-inch-macbook-pro "13-inch MacBook Pro") at Apple's October event, a new report says it's still in development and is unlikely to be unveiled soon.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro has seemed an oddity in Apple's lineup, despite being updated with an [M2](https://appleinsider.com/inside/m2 "M2") processor [in 2022](https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/06/25/13-inch-macbook-pro-with-m2-processor-review-incremental-upgrade-and-unexciting). It's the last remaining MacBook Pro to have a [Touch Bar](https://appleinsider.com/inside/touch-bar "Touch Bar"), for instance, and in terms of price and performance, the [MacBook Air](https://appleinsider.com/inside/macbook-air "MacBook Air") and the [14-inch MacBook Pro](https://appleinsider.com/inside/14-inch-macbook-pro "14-inch MacBook Pro") appear to be the better buy.  
  


M3 MacBook Pro With Touch Bar Not Expected To Be Announced At Apple’s October 30 ‘Crazy Fast’ Event

Apple unlikely to launch new 13-inch MacBook Pro refresh at the “Scary Fast” event.

Bloomberg: 13-Inch MacBook Pro With M3 Chip Unlikely to Be Announced at 'Scary Fast' Event

No M3 13-inch MacBook Pro at 'Scary Fast' event, says Gurman

The [iPhone 15 Pro](https://appleinsider.com/inside/iphone-15-pro "iPhone 15 Pro") Max is built similarly to the iPhone 14 Pro Max even with a new frame, a teardown from iFixit shows, while camera improvements beyond the tetraprism lens are attributed to the new A17 Pro chip and software changes.


The annual teardown of Apple's flagship model has arrived, with iFixit releasing a video and article on the Monday after release showing the internal components of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Also continuing its usual pattern, iFixit also criticizes the way the device is produced and its lack of repairability.  
  


iFixit has good news and bad news about the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s repairability

iPhone 15 Pro Max teardown reveals few internal changes, digs at repairability

Apple has introduced its second-generation [Apple Watch Ultra](https://appleinsider.com/inside/apple-watch-ultra "Apple Watch Ultra"), bringing a new gesture, a brighter screen, and more to the adventure-focused wearable.


Part of the annual Apple Watch refresh and appearing alongside the [Apple Watch Series 9](https://appleinsider.com/inside/apple-watch-series-9 "Apple Watch Series 9"), the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra doesn't stray far from the first generation's design, but there are still changes.  
  


Apple Watch Ultra 2 gains S9 chip, brighter screen, and new gesture

A new report claiming to have all details of Apple's forthcoming event, says that "Wonderlust" will include the first USB-C charging case for AirPods Pro.

Apple will unveil its iPhone 15 range on September 12, 2023, and according to _Bloomberg_, it [will also](https://archive.ph/DOMld#selection-4937.218-4940.0) launch the first USB-C version of AirPods.  


AirPods Pro charging case will get USB-C first, AirPods Max will wait

A new video purporting to show cases for the [iPhone 15 Pro](https://appleinsider.com/inside/iphone-15 "iPhone 15") also clearly shows how the old mute switch is replaced by an Action button.

This is not the first time that a leak concerning cases [has shown](https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/08/06/iphone-15-ultra-case-photos-leak-shows-rumored-action-button) an Action button, and rumors of the new control have [been increasing](https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/04/17/contentious-iphone-15-pro-rumor-season-continues-with-details-about-action-button) since the [Apple Watch Ultra](https://appleinsider.com/inside/apple-watch-ultra "Apple Watch Ultra") introduced such a feature.

Action button shown in new iPhone 15 Pro case leak

Suppliers of iPhone displays are reportedly hoping to persuade Apple to adopt micro lens array technology for the [iPhone 16](https://appleinsider.com/inside/iphone-16 "iPhone 16"), but while it has key benefits, there are significant downsides.

Apple is very familiar with micro lens array (MLA) technology, having included it in an iPhone patent as long ago [as 2013](https://appleinsider.com/articles/13/11/26/apple-patents-lytro-like-refocusable-camera-for-iphone), and as recently [as 2020](https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/07/02/apple-is-still-working-on-under-display-optical-touch-id-reader). But it hasn't used MLA for the main iPhone display and now _The Elec_ [says that](https://www.thelec.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=22829) screen manufacturers have proposed that Apple should do exactly that for the 2024 iPhone 16.  
 

Apple considers micro lens technology to make iPhone 16 screens brighter

On the heels of news that Apple could ship a USB 2.0 cable with [iPhone 15 Pro](https://appleinsider.com/inside/iphone-15 "iPhone 15"), a new rumor suggests Apple may offer a small Thunderbolt cable as a separate purchase option.

Apple is only weeks away from announcing the iPhone 15 lineup, and rumors are pouring in about what the USB-C port might mean for the products. It isn't clear exactly what standard Apple will use for the port, but it seems the company has at least [considered Thunderbolt](https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/08/16/three-iphone-15-models-rumored-to-get-thunderboltusb4-connector) for pro [iPhones](https://appleinsider.com/inside/iphone "iPhone").  
  

Apple could offer Thunderbolt cable for iPhone 15 Pro as separate purchase

Several rumors suggest Apple won't offer a gold [iPhone 15 Pro](https://appleinsider.com/inside/iphone-15 "iPhone 15") color option, instead going with blue, black, and gray for the color scheme.

Apple's pro [iPhone](https://appleinsider.com/inside/iphone "iPhone") models tend to have muted color schemes to represent the more "professional" and more expensive nature of the devices. The fun, loud, and playful colors tend to be reserved for the standard iPhone models.

There'll be no gold iPhone 15 Pro but two new colors are coming, leak claims

iPhone 15 Pro might ditch gold in favor of blues and grays

A newly-granted Apple patent proposes a Smart Ring that would give [Apple Watch](https://appleinsider.com/inside/apple-watch "Apple Watch")\-style haptic notifications, and let the wearer press on the surface to respond.

Either Apple is going to release a Smart Ring or someone in there is really, really keen on their hobby. For the [newly-revealed](https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/11733790) "Ring Input Device With Pressure-Sensitive Input," is just the latest of very many Smart Ring patents from the company.  
  

Apple researching a Smart Ring for notifications and controlling other devices

A pair of leakers claim photographs of braided USB-C cables show what to expect from Apple's [iPhone 15](https://appleinsider.com/inside/iphone-15 "iPhone 15") launch, with multiple cable color options expected to be on the way.

On Saturday, serial leaker @MajinBuOfficial [posted](https://twitter.com/MajinBuOfficial/status/1692959662901989695?s=20) to X, formerly known as Twitter, photographs of bunches of USB-C cables. The cables all appeared to be constructed the same way, but with three different colors on show.  


iPhone 15 could get braided & color-matched USB-C cables

After a successful launch in the United States in July, Beats Studio Pro are now available in 24 additional countries.

Beats Studio Pro revived the over-ear headphones lineup for the brand, bringing cross-platform functionality missing from Apple's [AirPods](https://appleinsider.com/inside/airpods "AirPods"). A proprietary [Beats by Dre](https://appleinsider.com/inside/beats-by-dre "Beats by Dre") chipset lets it play friendly with Android devices while extending battery life to 40 hours.

After a successful launch in the United States in July, Beats Studio Pro are now available in 24 additional countries.

Beats Studio Pro now available in 24 additional countries worldwide

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has returned to his prediction of a second generation of [AirTag](https://appleinsider.com/inside/airtags "AirTag") in 2024, and is envisioning them working in tandem with Apple Vision Pro.

Back in [June 2022](https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/06/19/airtag-shipments-rise-could-result-in-second-gen-model-says-kuo), Ming-Chi Kuo made the hard-to-deny prediction that if AirTags were a success, Apple would develop a second generation model. Despite [their problems](https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/04/06/apple-airtag-anti-stalking-features-arent-working-in-a-lot-of-cases), AirTags have become an [enormous hit](https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/05/09/airtag-helps-recover-7000-in-camera-gear-stolen-at-a-hotel), so now Kuo is doubling down — but also getting more specific.

AirTag 2 will launch in 2024 and work hand-in-hand with Apple Vision Pro

Apple reportedly considered offering the original [Apple Watch Ultra](https://appleinsider.com/inside/apple-watch-ultra "Apple Watch Ultra") in a dark color, and may now introduce it as an option for the expected second generation device.

Apple's next version of the Apple Watch Ultra is expected to [be lighter](https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/07/24/new-apple-watch-ultra-will-be-lighter-claims-leaker) than the current model, and may feature components produced by [3D printing](https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/07/14/apple-will-use-3d-printing-to-make-apple-watch-ultra-mechanical-parts).  
  

AppleInsider