Apple held its “Spring Loaded” event on Tuesday and, as expected, unveiled a new slate of iPads, iMacs, and more. Here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s latest and greatest.
New iPads
Apple unveiled new iterations of the 11” and 12.9” iPad Pro, both of which feature the same M1 chip found in Apple’s latest MacBooks and iMacs (more on that below). Both new iPads have a new 12 MP ultrawide camera that can track you on any of your hundred Zoom (well, at least FaceTime) calls each day.
Storage capacity now goes up to a whopping 2TB, and you can also buy an iPad Pro with 5G.
The 12.9” iPad Pro now has a “Liquid Retina XDR” display that uses 10,000 Mini LEDs and has roughly 2500 local dimming zones and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.
Available for pre-order Friday, April 30, and on store shelves in the back half of May. The 11” starts at $799 (same as the last generation) and the 12.9” starts at $1,099 ($100 more than the last generation).
New iPhone
The iPhone 12… now in purple! (Available for pre-order Friday and on store shelves April 30.)
New iMacs
Like the new iPad Pro and Apple’s newest MacBooks, the new line of iMacs features Apple’s M1 chip. The (very thin!) 24” screen features a 1080p FaceTime camera, which is double the resolution of the previous entry-level iMac.
There’s a new Magic Keyboard, too, and it features Touch ID. You can use it to unlock your iMac, authenticate purchases, and more. It’s also color-matched to your iMac, just like the new Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad.
Available for pre-order Friday, April 30, and on store shelves in the back half of May. The “entry level” iMac is available in four colors starting at $1,299, while the more powerful iteration is available in seven colors and starts at $1,499.
AirTags
Apple’s item tracker has been rumored for the past half-dozen (or so) events, but they’re finally real. AirTags affix to your easy-to-lose items (keys, wallet, etc.) and work with Apple’s “Find My” app to help you find them, no matter where they wind up.
Each AirTag has a U1 chip, giving iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 users precise location tracking via a blend of sound, haptics, and visual feedback from your iPhone’s camera, ARKit, accelerometer, and gyroscope. They’re water- and dust-resistant (IP67) and have a replaceable battery (a standard CR2032 battery that offers more than a year of use).
Apple is also keeping its focus on privacy and security by frequently rotating the AirTags’ Bluetooth signal identifiers to make sure you’re not being tracked. If a James Bond type sticks an AirTag on your person, Apple will let you know you’ve been traveling with an unknown AirTag, which you can tap with your iPhone to get instructions on how to disable it. (No iPhone? No problem. AirTags separated from their owner will chime after a while, and any NFC-capable device can disable AirTags in the same way iPhones can.)
Apple’s AirTags are $29 each, or you can buy four for $99. You can personalize them with engravings or emojis, and (of course) Apple has a slew of accessories you can pair with the AirTags. Available for pre-order Friday and on store shelves April 30.
New Apple TV
There’s a new Apple TV 4K in town, and it packs the same A12 chip in the iPhone XS and XR. It supports higher refresh rates now, too, but doesn’t offer full support for 120Hz. There’s a newly-redesigned Siri Remote with a click wheel and (for the first time) a power button.
Available for pre-order Friday, April 30, and on store shelves in the back half of May, which is well before the Season 2 premiere of Ted Lasso, which Apple announced will hit Apple TV+ on Friday, July 23. Pricing starts at $179 for the 32GB model.
Other Stuff
You can now share the Apple Card with your family members with a new “Apple Card Family” feature.
Apple is also taking aim at platforms like Patreon with its new feature Podcasts Subscriptions, which allows listeners to directly support their favorite shows’ creators through Apple’s Podcasts app, which Apple is redesigning. The new feature will be available in May.
iOS 14.5 is launching “sometime next week.”
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it.