Apple Will Release At Least One More iOS 18 Update Before iOS 26

Apple will likely release iOS 18.6 this month but don't expect many new features.

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• OWC Express 4M2 enclosure offers an alternative route to large, fast external storage
• Thunderbolt 3 on Windows cripples performance to well below the advertised maximum speed
• OWC Express 4M2 SSD slots are PCIe 4.0 x1 only, so individual drive speeds are limited

In a market saturated with expensive high-capacity storage, the OWC Express 4M2 enclosure offers an alternative route to large, fast external storage without immediately breaching the $3000 mark.

At $239.99 for the base configuration, this device cheaper than the TerraMaster D4 SSD and offers a flexible foundation for building what could amount to a 32TB setup when paired with four 8TB NVMe drives.

The company promotes this device as capable of up to 3200MB/s throughput, but real-world performance is highly variable.

Maximum speed requires RAID and careful system configuration

The four M.2 NVMe slots support only PCIe 4.0 x1, which limits individual drive performance to about 1600MB/s.

Reaching peak speeds, therefore, requires RAID configurations and optimal conditions, factors that introduce complexity.

It provides support for RAID 0, 1, 4, 5, and 10, but again, achieving these benefits depends on software licensing, drive quality, and user knowledge.

Users might be drawn by the enclosure’s speed, but should be aware that performance gains require effort and understanding.

Compatibility with USB4 and Thunderbolt standards across macOS and Windows gives the enclosure broad appeal, although actual speed will be gated by the host device.

For example, systems running on older Thunderbolt 3 ports under Windows are capped well below full bandwidth.

While macOS users gain extra features such as booting from RAID arrays, this is limited to systems running at least macOS 11.3.

The Express 4M2 does deliver in terms of construction and thermal management.

Its aircraft-grade aluminum chassis is paired with a dual-fan system that activates only under high thermal load, which ensures quiet operation in most scenarios.

OWC's inclusion of SoftRAID on some models introduces functionality typically reserved for more expensive storage systems.

For those trying to assemble a portable SSD setup or replace their external HDD with something faster, this enclosure makes economic sense, but only just.

However, the cost of filling all four bays with quality 8TB SSDs still pushes the total towards $3000, making this option practical only for those who can supply their own drives or already have SSDs on hand.

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Rumors that Apple might make an affordable, multi-colored MacBook based on the A18 Pro chip sparked considerable excitement and ignited a hope in me and others that it could mark the return of the 12-inch MacBook.

Unveiled a decade ago, the gold-finished 2-lb, full-sized keyboard-sporting MacBook was, for its time, an engineering marvel. Apple arguably rewrote its laptop playbook to create the system.

Shortly after launch, I spoke to the marketing head Phil Schiller and Apple's Mac and iPad lead (and now Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering) John Ternus about all Apple did to make the portable wonder.

The pair spread out before me things like a multi-tiered battery and something called the "speaktenna", which was basically a combination of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth antennas and a speaker system.

"We ended up with a group of antenna engineers who know more about speakers than any other antenna engineers and a group of speaker engineers who knew more about antenna design than just about anyone else in the world," Ternus told me.

There was a passion around the product that rivaled that of the Apple Watch, which launched alongside it.

The 12-inch MacBook was also a bit of an odd duck. It was lighter than a MacBook Air, but it was not an Air. It didn't have the same number of ports. In fact, there was just one USB-C port running at USB 3.1 speeds (pokey compared to the Thunderbolt 4 ones you find on today's MacBook airs). Oh, and did I mention that the port handled charging duties, too?

Encrusted with components on both sides, the 12-inch MacBook's motherboard was small enough to fit in the palm of my hand. Everything about the MacBook's components was built in support of its enviable proportions.

At its thickest part, it was, at 0.35cm, thinner than the current MacBook Air. I love the current 13-inch MacBook Air (M4), but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't enjoy carrying around an even lighter, thinner, and smaller cousin.

It's fair, though, to ask why the market needs such a system now.

First, let's imagine what the MacBook 12-inch 2026 might be. It would have:

• An A18 Pro CPU
• 13-inch LED-backlit Retina display
• 16 GB of memory to support Apple Intelligence
• 128 GB of on-board storage
• 30GB of free iCloud storage
• A fanless design
• A MagSafe Charge port
• A USB-C style Thunderbolt 3 port
• Recycled aluminum enclosure
• A full-sized magic keyboard including Touch ID
• A 4-inch Force Touch Trackpad

Design-wise, the 12-inch MacBook A18 Pro would align closely with the MacBook Air line. No more wedge, instead two flat panels squeezed together into a 0.35cm-thick slab.

Granted that everything above is guesswork, but I believe that configuration would fit neatly into a $599 package (maybe even a $499 one).

Nothing here is new, and the A18 Pro is plenty powerful and efficient to run such a system.

The benefit, obviously, is an affordable, yet nearly full-sized portable that is a complete system. I am well aware you can buy an M4 Mac Mini for $599, but you still need to buy a mouse, keyboard, and screen. This, by contrast, would be the full Apple MacBook package at, finally, an affordable price.

You might have also noticed the rather paltry base storage. That's to help keep costs down. It's buttressed, though, by something Apple desperately needs to do: offer more versatile and forgiving iCloud storage options.

The usual 5GB of free storage is not enough, and I think the extra 30GB will offset the limited local storage, moving those who are on the fence about the 12-inch MacBook into the must-buy territory.

Give them what they want

If Apple balks at reintroducing the confusing "MacBook" name, especially when it's smaller and lighter than the MacBook Air, they could call it the MacBook Air LT (for light) or MacBook Air A (for its A-series chip).

One need only look at Walmart for evidence that consumers want such a system. It's been selling the old-school design MacBook Air M1 for $699 and now $649 for years. People are desperate for a truly affordable Mac, but they are probably tired of the growing performance compromises tied to the aging M1 chip.

The A18 Pro will sing in a tiny 12-inch laptop, and the system's incredibly small proportions will make it a hit with those who thought they might go for a lightweight iPad with a Magic Keyboard Folio, mainly because they thought it wouldn't weigh down their backpack.

Apple has learned, thanks to Apple Silicon, so much about building lightweight and performant systems that it makes sense to extend the MacBook idea in new and maybe unexpected directions.

A revived 12-inch MacBook would sell like hotcakes and pave the way for more fresh ideas, like a 12-inch MacBook Air running an M3 chip. That one could sell for $699.

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