Apple Has Unveiled Another Round of Products — Here’s What You Need to Know
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A month after unveiling the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, a duo of new iPads, and a new Apple Watch, Apple showcased even more new products during a virtual keynote event.
The Highlights
The tech giant unveiled:
New AirPods
Thoroughly refreshed MacBook Pro notebooks
New MacBooks, powered by Apple’s latest M1 Pro and M1 Max chips
New HomePod mini color options
Entry-level Apple Music plan that starts at only $4.99 per month
The event brought us updates to the AirPods and the MacBook Pro for the first time since 2019, which is exciting for fans of these insanely popular products. The new true wireless earphones and the notebook for power users pack countless improvements over their predecessors, so they were worth the long wait.
AirPods (3rd Generation)
Why you should care: The AirPods have a fresh and more durable design, better sound, and much longer battery life.
The long-anticipated follow up to the iconic AirPods is here! The third-generation AirPods have a different shape, upgraded sound, and support for spatial audio. The buds are also sweat- and water-resistant.
The new AirPods will last up to 6 hours between trips to their charging case. The latter is fully compatible with MagSafe and wireless chargers.
You can order the latest AirPods today for $179, with retail sales set to begin next week. Apple will continue offering the older AirPods for $129.
Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max Chips
Why you should care: The latest Apple chips are significantly more capable and more energy-efficient than their rivals.
The Apple M1 Pro chip is a significant upgrade over the groundbreaking M1 that debuted last year. The new hardware bit has even more transistors and a scaled-up architecture that can process heavier workloads.
Of course, the M1 Pro chip also features a more powerful processor and graphics. Compared to non-Apple chips, the difference in performance is even more significant.
The Apple M1 Max chip, on the other hand, is even more capable than the M1 Pro, thanks to even more onboard transistors. It is up to four times faster than the M1 chip.
Best of all, the M1 Pro and the M1 Max chips are also insanely power-efficient. They will drain the battery of your laptop at a much slower pace than their competitors without skimping on power and speed.
MacBook Pro
Why you should care: The first thorough MacBook Pro redesign since 2019 brings a lot more power, next-level Retina display, and a best-in-class set of connectivity features.
Available with a 14.2- and a 16.2-inch Retina XDR display, the new MacBook Pro has a redesigned recycled aluminum enclosure with nods to older generations, a mini LED-powered Retina XDR display, an upgraded keyboard with no onboard Touch Bar, and a whole new set of wired connectivity features. They include an onboard HDMI port, an SD card reader, a trio of USB-C connectors, and a MagSafe connector for charging.
The Retina XDR display of the new MacBook Pro has thinner bezels, so it will look more more immersive. The screen is also incredibly bright and perfect for displaying HDR-enhanced content.
The panels are not only sharper than those of their predecessors, but also ProMotion-capable. Available on iPad Pro and iPhone 13 Pro models, the last-mentioned bit brings higher refresh rate for smoother onscreen interactions.
Finally, the camera of the MacBook Pro has Full HD-capable sensor. Both versions of the notebook have a display notch to accommodate the camera. The microphones and the speakers of the new Pros have also been upgraded.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro can deliver up to 17 hours of screen-on time between charges. The 16-inch model can last up to 21 hours — the most from an Apple notebook to date.
Both MacBook Pro iterations can be equipped with the new M1 Max chip. Pricing starts at $1,999 and $2,499 for a 14- and a 16-inch model, respectively, and you can preorder them today.
New HomePod mini Colors
Why you should care: Different color options make the gadget easier to integrate into any decor.
The HomePod mini — Apple’s compact speaker that doubles as a HomeKit hub — is now available in even more colors. In addition to white and space gray, you will be able to order the product in blue, orange, and yellow.
Apple also announced a new $4.99 Apple Music Voice plan. The new subscription will allow you to access the entire catalogue of content with Siri voice commands.
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