If it feels like it was just last month when Apple last dominated the tech headlines with a feast of new product launches, well, you would be correct.
But the main focus of today’s event in New York wasn’t the iPhone — it was its bigger-screened brethren, the iPad and the Mac. Not to mention a few other tidbits.
While the usual assortment of leaks and rumors once again reared their heads in the build up, with the event now over, here’s a quick recap of all the key announcements to emerge from Brooklyn today.
Mac
Apple has often been accused of ignoring the very product on which its business was built all those decades ago. But today, the company made a few Mac-related announcements. Tim Cook revealed that the company now has 100 million active Mac users, and that 51 percent of Mac buyers are “new to Mac.”
But people probably cared more about the product upgrades.
First up, Apple announced it was refreshing the MacBook Air by giving it a Retina display and Touch ID, and then followed up by unveiling a new Mac Mini — its first refresh in four years — sporting 4- or 6-Core CPUs and a 2TB SSD. Oh, and it also sports a new “space gray” finish, though a lot of people seemed to think it was black.
iPad
Above: The new iPad Pro
Image Credit: Apple
Whetting the audience’s appetite for all things iPad, Cook informed the gathering that Apple has now sold more than 400 million iPads, adding that it sold more of the devices in the past year than any other single manufacturer sold laptops.
Later, Apple finally unveiled new smaller and speedier iPad Pros, powered by the new A12X chip, which features a 7-core GPU and promises 90 percent better multicore performance.
Elsewhere, the new iPad Pros promise up to 1TB of on-board storage and feature Face ID and USB-C connections. If you want to know why Apple ditched Lightning for USB-C, you can read all about it here. It’s also worth pointing out that this port can be used to charge other devices, such as your iPhone, while it can also take charge from other devices too.
Finally, you may be disappointed to learn that Apple has also ditched the trusty ol’ 3.5mm headphone jack in its latest iPad lineup — but that should come as little surprise.
iPad accessories
Above: New iPad Pro folio
Related to the iPad Pro launch, Apple also unveiled a bunch of add-on products. These include a new second-generation Apple Pencil made completely from white plastic, which also now attaches magnetically to the iPad Pro and recharges using the Pro’s inductive charging connector.
Additionally, Apple launched a new Smart Keyboard Folio featuring a design overhaul — but the premise is the same: It’s all about transforming your iPad Pro into something akin to a laptop.
Elsewhere, Apple announced a new USB-C charger and 1-meter charging cable, a USB-C to SD card reader, and — somewhat inevitably — a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter.
Apple Watch
Above: Apple Watch Series 4 in 44mm (left) next to Series 1 in 42mm (right).
No, Apple didn’t launch a new Apple Watch at today’s event (it did that last month). But it did roll out watchOS 5.1, the first notable update following watchOS 5 launch last month.
In terms of what new features this will bring to your Apple Watch, well, this includes audio support for Group FaceTime, a fresh suite of emojis, and a new full-screen watch face called Color.
Source: VentureBeat
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