2 unreleased Mac models were found in Steam's database

A couple of unreleased Mac models were spotted in Steam's November 2022 survey. This survey gathers anonymous information from willing Steam users on details about their computers (including computer models, memory, CPU type, and more). Two unreleased Macs with the identifiers "Mac14,6" and "Mac15,4" were seen at the bottom of the list alongside identifiers for Apple devices like the Mac Studio, M2 MacBook Air, and 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro. The two devices were listed with 0% usage on Steam's platform, but their inclusion in the list suggests the company is testing the devices with upcoming Apple silicon chips on the gaming platform.

The "Mac14,6" was already spotted before in two separate Geekbench score entries with the M2 Max processor. That chip is rumoured to come out in the upcoming 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, which has been reportedly delayed to 2023.

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Apple reportedly wants you to say 'Siri' instead of 'Hey Siri' as a trigger phrase

Source: Apple

Apple is supposedly looking to swap Siri's trigger phrase. Instead of "Hey Siri," the company just wants you to use "Siri." Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that this feature has been in the works for the past several months, and it's expected to come out next year or in 2024. But Apple needs to put in a "significant amount of AI training and underlying engineering work" to get this feature to function properly. Its smart assistant will need to understand that single wake word in different accents and dialects. The "Hey Siri" two-word trigger phrase has a better chance of the smart assistant picking it up.

Changing to the single wake word will put Apple in line with Amazon's Alexa and give it an edge over Google Assistant. But the latter doesn't need the wake word when you're saying back-to-back commands. Aside from the shorter trigger phrase, Apple is exploring third-party integration for Siri and improvements in its ability to process user requests.

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Apple iPhone 15 Pro rumoured to get solid-state volume buttons

One of the latest rumours about the next iPhones has to do with its volume and power buttons. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims Apple will switch out physical buttons for solid-state power and volume buttons. These will function similarly to the Touch ID sensor on the iPhone 7 or the iPhone SE (2022). It uses two additional Taptic Engines on the left and right sides of the frame. Solid-state buttons mean these won't physically sink into the device when pressed. Instead, you get haptic feedback to confirm presses. 

These new buttons will be limited to the iPhone 15 Pro, Pro Max, and Ultra models (depending on what will be launched). The standard iPhones will retain the physical buttons. 

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Apple iPhone 15 Ultra tipped to replace Pro Max moniker, major redesign expected

Apple might be changing around the branding for its most premium iPhones. In his Power On  newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be rebranded to the iPhone 15 Ultra in 2023. This change could also coincide with the most significant redesign for the iPhone since the iPhone 12 came out in 2019. Gurman claims one of the biggest changes would be the shift to USB-C.

While this is far off, one of the immediate news Gurman talked about is the lack of another Apple event this fall. He claims the company will have new Mac mini, MacBook Pro, and iPad Pro models to launch before the year ends. However, these will be iterative, so Apple is "more likely" to share the products through press releases instead.

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