Apple had their 2021 Spring Loaded event which debuted a number of new products like the iPad, iMac, Apple TV and so much more. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, kicked off their Spring Loaded Event informing customers of their achievements and goals in regards to becoming a bio-friendly and carbon neutral company. The event then dove deep into the upcoming products Apple has lined up to release over the next couple months. Here’s a quick, but detailed, rundown of what was announced.
All New iMac
Apple unveiled their new completely redesigned iMac sporting the M1 chip. Along with the new design comes a slew of fresh color options.
Here are some more notable details:
- Colors – The New iMac comes in 7 different color options.
- Design – The iMac has a new sleek and slim minimalistic design that’s 11.5 millimeters thin!
- M1 Chip – The New iMac has been updated and completely redesigned to utilize Apple’s M1 chip.
- Display – Because of thinner bezels, the display is 24 inches when measured diagonally in a body not much bigger than the old 21.5 inch iMac. The display is also a 4.5k Retina Display with 11.3 million pixels.
- Camera – 1080p Facetime HD camera that works with M1 for optimal quality.
- Audio – redesigned three-mic design and six-speaker system for ultimate clarity “The best mic and sound system we’ve ever put in a mac”.
- Apps – You can now run mobile apps and games right on your iMac now that iPhone, iPad, and iMac all share the same hardware architecture.
- Power adapter – New magnetic power adapter with ethernet located in the power brick to reduce desk clutter.
- Keyboard – 3 new keyboard options are now available. One of the keyboards is outfitted with wireless Touch ID to unlock more features on your iMac; including Apple Pay, unlocking, and user switching.
- Magic Mouse/Trackpad – have been updated to color match the new iMacs.
The new iMac’s price starts at $1,299(USD). Pre-orders open April 30 with product availability beginning the second half of May.
New iPad Pro with M1
The new iPad Pro has also been outfitted with Apple’s M1 chip; boosting it’s performance far ahead of any of the previous iPad models.
Notable features:
- Controllers – Support for the latest console controllers with haptics
- Storage – up to 2TB of storage capacity and 16GB of RAM
- Connectivity – USB-C port now supports Thunderbolt and USB 4. The increased bandwidth also allows for better external connectivity like faster external store and better external display resolution.
- Wireless – 5G is now integrated into the cellular models of iPad Pro with up to 4 gigabits per second download speeds
- LiDAR – “Create a depth map of any space you’re in and unlock immersive AR experiences”. Also enables quicker and more accurate low-light camera focus.
- Camera – 12MP Ultra wide FaceTime camera with Center Stage: machine learning motion tracking.
- Display – Liquid Retina XDR Display (12.9-inch model): Mini-LED, 10,000 LEDs (72 in previous gen), 1000 nits brightness (1600 nits peak), 1M:1 contrast ratio, 5.59M pixels.
- Keyboard – Now available in a new white color.
The new iPad Pro starts at $799(USD) for the 11-inch model and $1,099(USD) for the 12.9-inch version. Orders open on April 30 with the devices becoming available the second half of May.
AirTag
As someone who loses their keys almost daily, I’m personally excited about one of the new products apple announced: AirTag. AirTag is a small electronic device that you can affix to items to help track them later should they get misplaced. Using the Find My app, AirTag works using Apple’s encrypted Find My network to help accurately locate the misplaced item. If you have an iPhone 12 or newer, the app will use an over lay to give you precise step by step directions to your lost item. Apple states that AirTag has a number of features built in to ensure customer privacy.
Pre-orders for AirTag will begin on April 23 with the product launching on April 30. AirTag will start at a price of $29(USD).
Next gen Apple TV 4K
Apple TV retains all of the features from the previous generation; whilst refining a few more details for a better entertainment experience.
Notable enhancements include:
- Processor – Updated with Apple’s A12 Bionic chip for better performance.
- Video – HDR in high frame rate allows for smoother and more life-like video playback with media and AirPlay content.
- Color Accuracy – Utilize the sensors and camera in your iPhone to automatically calibrate your apple tv for optimal color accuracy with any tv.
- Remote – Redesigned Siri Remote.
The New Apple TV 4K starts at $179(USD). Pre-orders begin April 30 with the device becoming available later this May.
Purple iPhone 12 & 12 mini
Yup. Apple introduced a new purple color to the iPhone 12 and 12 mini lineup.
Pre-orders for the purple iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini start April 23. The phone will be available to purchase on April 30.
Apple Card Family
In what Apple calls “reinventing the credit card”, apple continues to partner with Goldman Sachs to add new features to the apple card.
Major features include:
- Credit lines – The ability for spouses and partners to merge their credit lines. This allows both parties to have equal rights on the account whilst both building credit equally.
- Family – Apple card can also now be used by anyone within the family over the age of 13 with the ability to set spending limits.
Apple Podcast Subscriptions
Over the past 15 years, Apple has been a major player in shaping the way people consume media. One of those major ways has been Apple Podcasts. Apple has taken to redesigning and adding new features to their platform:
Some feature updates include:
- Design – Newly redesigned look and layout.
- Channels – Granting the ability to make it easier to find new shows from creators you follow.
- Subscriptions – Apple also introduced Apple Podcast Subscriptions. This can add bonus content, early access to podcasts, add-free listening, and many more features soon to be announced.
Apple Podcasts Subscriptions launches later this May.
Stay tuned as we review some of the products once they become available.
