Apple Unveils New iPads Pro, Colourful iMacs, AirTag, Apple TV and more
Apple has unveiled a number of new products including an iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini in purple, an Air Tag, new iMacs, the next generation Apple TV 4K and a new iPad Pro.
The new products were announced at the company’s Spring Loaded event in Cupertino in the US.
Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off the keynote by celebrating Earth Day and the company’s sustainable efforts.
Cook announced that Apple is carbon neutral for its global corporate operations, with offices, stores, and data centers running on 100% renewable energy.
Cook says by 2030, Apple will be 100% carbon neutral across its supply chain.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will now be available in purple
The new finish complements the beautiful flat-edge design of iPhone 12, which features an advanced dual-camera system, Super Retina XDR display with the Ceramic Shield front cover, A14 Bionic, and 5G.
Both models feature dual-camera system with expansive edge-to-edge Super Retina XDR displays with OLED for a brighter, more immersive viewing experience, and the Ceramic Shield front cover.
The Apple-designed A14 Bionic powers the iPhone 12 while efficiently managing battery life.
The iPhone 12 features a 6.1-inch screen while the iPhone 12 mini sports a 5.4-inch screen. This new OLED provides pixel precision brightness, 2 million-to-1 contrast ratio for true blacks, and an immersive HDR viewing experience for high-definition video, photos with more detail, and nearly twice the peak brightness of iPhone 11.
iPhone 12 models also bring the 5G experience and introduce wireless charging with MagSafe and a new ecosystem of accessories.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini have an IP68 rating for water resistance up to 6 meters for up to 30 minutes, and are protected against everyday spills, including coffee and soda.
Both devices feature the Ultra-Wide camera and a new Wide camera with an ƒ/1.6 aperture, providing 27 percent more light for more low-light photos and videos. Computational photography is taken to the next level on iPhone 12 models with Night mode and faster-performing Deep Fusion now on all cameras — TrueDepth, Wide, and Ultra Wide.
The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini in purple will be available for pre-order beginning Friday, April 23, with availability beginning Friday, April 30.
AirTag
Apple also introduced AirTag, a small accessory that helps keep track of and find the items that matter most with Apple’s Find My app.
Whether attached to a handbag, keys, backpack, or other items, AirTag taps into the vast, global Find My network and can help locate a lost item, all while keeping location data private and anonymous with end-to-end encryption.
The AirTag is IP67 water- and dust-resistant. A built-in speaker plays sounds to help locate AirTag, while a removable cover makes it easy for users to replace the battery. AirTag features the same setup experience as AirPods — just bring AirTag close to iPhone and it will connect.
AirTag can be purchased in one and four packs for just £29 (R579) and £99 (R1980), respectively, and will be available beginning Friday 30 April.
Apple TV 4K
Apple announced that its Apple TV 4K box has been updated with a new processor, and it will be able to handle high frame rate HDR video which will result in display smoother, more colorful sports events.
With A12 Bionic, Apple TV 4K now supports high frame rate HDR (High Dynamic Range) and Dolby Vision video, enabling fast-moving action at 60 frames per second (fps).
Apple says it is working with leading video providers around the world, including FOX Sports, NBCUniversal, Paramount+, Red Bull TV, and Canal+, as they begin to stream in high frame rate HDR. And with high frame rate support in AirPlay, videos shot on iPhone 12 Pro can be displayed in full 60-fps Dolby Vision on the new Apple TV 4K.
Apple TV now works with iPhone and its advanced sensors to improve a television’s picture quality. It uses the light sensor in iPhone to compare the colour balance to the industry-standard specifications used by cinematographers worldwide.
Using this data, Apple TV automatically tailors its video output to deliver much more accurate colours and improved contrast — without customers ever having to adjust their television settings.
The all-new Siri Remote features an innovative clickpad control that offers five-way navigation for better accuracy, and is also touch-enabled for the fast directional swipes. The outer ring of the clickpad supports an intuitive circular gesture that turns it into a jog control.
The new Siri Remote also has a power button that controls a TV’s power, and another for mute, making it the only remote needed while enjoying TV. Using Siri, customers can easily search for specific shows or movies, control smart home accessories, check sports scores or the weather, and much more.
Apple TV starts at $179 (R2565) for 32GB of storage and go up for order on 30 April 30 and will start shipping in the second half of May.
iMac
The new iMacs are powered by Apple’s custom M1 silicon, not Intel processors and have a new, thinner aluminum design, and they come in red, blue, purple, orange, yellow, silver, and green.
Apple says the volume of the computer has been reduced by 50%, resulting in a smaller computer that can fit on a desk more easily.
The new iMac features a 24-inch built-in display and an improved camera that can record 1080p video in low light. Apple says the display runs at “4.5K” resolution.
The new iMac features a studio-quality three-microphone array for clearer calls and voice recordings. The mics are positioned to reduce feedback from the rest of the system, while directional beam forming allows them to better ignore background noise and focus on a user’s voice. As a result, conversations are more natural and recordings are crystal clear.
The powerful 8-core CPU in M1 features the fastest CPU core in low-power silicon. And the 8-core GPU features the fastest integrated graphics in a personal computer. When combined with its high efficiency, unified memory architecture, and the 16-core Apple Neural Engine, the new iMac delivers powerful performance when compared to standard models of the 21.5-inch iMac.
It ships with a new magnetic power connector reminiscent of Apple’s previous MagSafe laptop chargers, and a slightly updated keyboard with an emoji key and a fingerprint sensor.
Apple’s mouses and keyboard come in the same colors as the new iMacs.
The entry-level model costs $1299 (R18600), and an upgraded version costs $1499 (R21462). The new iMacs will go up for pre-order on April 30 and will ship in the second half of May.
iPad Pro
Apple says it will release new high-end iPads Pro that use the company’s M1 chip, which is also used in its Mac computers. Previously, iPads used A-series chips, which are what powers the company’s iPhones. Apple says it is the most powerful tablet on the market.
The 8-core CPU design features the world’s fastest CPU cores in low-power silicon — delivering up to 50 percent faster CPU performance than A12Z Bionic. The 8-core GPU is in a class of its own, delivering up to 40 percent faster GPU performance.
It also includes an improved USB-C connector that will allow the iPad to connect to higher-resolution monitors and download images from a camera more quickly.
The 12.9-inch iPad Pro features an improved screen using an array of LEDs that is brighter and has better color resolution than previous displays using a technology called Mini-LED.
The iPad Pro features a 12-megapixel front-facing camera with an ultrawide lens that can automatically pan to keep human subjects in the shot.
Apple says some models will include 5G support.
Support for Thunderbolt and USB 4 makes the USB-C port on iPad Pro the fastest, most versatile port ever on an iPad, with 4x more bandwidth for wired connections than the previous iPad Pro — up to 40Gbps.
The 11-inch model starts at $799 (R11440) and the 12.9-inch model costs $1099 (R15735) and will be available for pre-order on April 30 and will ship in late May.
Apple Podcasts Subscriptions
Apple also unveiled Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, a global marketplace for listeners to discover premium subscriptions offered by their favourite creators alongside millions of free shows on Apple Podcasts.
Starting in May, listeners in more than 170 countries and regions can sign up for premium subscriptions that include a variety of benefits curated by creators, such as ad-free listening, access to additional content, and early or exclusive access to new series.
Listeners will be able to enjoy premium subscriptions from independent voices and premier studios, including Tenderfoot TV, Pushkin Industries, Radiotopia from PRX, and QCODE, to leading media and entertainment brands, including NPR, the Los Angeles Times, The Athletic, Sony Music Entertainment, and many more.
Also next month, listeners will be able to discover channels, which are groups of shows curated by creators with unique titles, descriptions, and artwork. Just as they can with shows, listeners will be able to browse free channels, which make it easy to find more shows from their favourite creators, as well as paid channels and channels that provide additional benefits for subscribers.
Apple is also redesigning its Apple Podcast app.
