Rumor Replay: Cellular Macs, Vision Pro gaming, Apple home launches, more

This is Rumor Replay, a weekly column at 9to5Mac that provides a quick rundown of the most recent Apple product rumors, with my analysis and commentary. Today: new home devices, cellular Macs, gaming controllers for Vision Pro, and more. Here are this week’s Apple rumors.

New Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini coming in 2025

Mark Gurman reported that Apple will launch revisions to its Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini in 2025.

There were no details in the report other than the release window, but for Apple’s home devices that seldom receive updates, it’s great to know new models are on the way.

I’m especially intrigued to find out how these launches fit alongside the new ‘HomePad’ device to form a coherent home ecosystem. I had worried the HomePod might be phased out over time, but now it seems Apple has more plans for it yet.

Cellular Macs (and Vision Pro) are materializing

Apple is reportedly ‘investigating’ putting its new home-grown 5G chip inside future Macs and the Vision Pro.

I’ve long hoped that the launch of Apple’s in-house 5G modem would coincide with the Mac finally getting cellular. And it seems that may indeed happen.

Cellular is a crucial feature for me on the iPad Pro, so its arrival on the Mac has felt like an inevitability. It’s long overdue, and while there are no guarantees yet, the time seems right.

Assuming Apple does indeed launch cellular Macs, I’ll have to re-evaluate whether the Mac might become a better primary computer option for me.

True VR game controllers for Vision Pro

Gaming on the Vision Pro has largely been neglected by Apple, but now it sounds like PlayStation VR2’s hand controllers could soon be supported in visionOS.

I’m heartened that Apple realizes it needs to invest more into gaming on Vision Pro. I’m a little worried, though, that the company thinks this Sony partnership will be enough to satisfy gamers. It won’t be.

Apple needs a more robust gaming story on Vision Pro, and while the PlayStation VR2’s controllers can be a key part of that, I hope there’s more in the pipeline.

Losing the MacBook notch

An Omdia report revealed that Apple’s 2026 MacBook Pro is expected to debut an OLED screen without a notch cutout.

The notch was never a great look, so I’m glad Apple is moving to eliminate it from the Mac soon. Expect to see the company do the same on the MacBook Air—but likely not until a year or two later, since Apple isn’t expected to bring OLED to the Air anytime soon.

All about the chips

Many of the Apple rumors this week centered around new chips Apple has in development:

• Mark Gurman had an extensive report on Apple’s new 5G modem
• Similarly, Gurman detailed the company’s forthcoming Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip
• Finally, Wayne Ma reported that Apple’s working on a new AI server chip

These stories are interesting, but not for the chips themselves; rather, for the product enhancements they might bring.

I’m especially interested in seeing how Apple’s Wi-Fi chip might lead to a new Wi-Fi router in the future, too.

Which Apple rumors are you most interested in? Let us know in the comments.

Best iPhone accessories

• Anker 100W charging brick for fast charging
• 6.6ft USB-C cable for longer reach
• AirPods Pro 2 (currently only $189, down from $249)
• MagSafe Car Mount for iPhone
• HomeKit smart plug 4-pack