In what was Apple’s first big launch event for this year, known as the Spring Loaded, the company announced a couple of new products, some of which have us excited for the future and what’s to come.
During the Apple April Event, we got a new iPad Pro, an iMac with a fresh redesign, an improved Apple TV 4K, as well as the highly anticipated AirTags.
So, what’s new with all of them?
iPad Pro gets the M1 treatment
Even though many people expected to see a more powerful variant of the M1 chip, Apple took a different approach.
With a lot of people opting to use the iPad Pro for professional purposes, the new M1-powered model takes things a step further.
The new chip brings you performance improvements of up to 50% and improved graphical performance of up to 40%.
Remember the original iPad Pro that Apple announced? This is 1500 times faster.
If there was any doubt that the iPad Pro was the king in the tablet world, that’s no longer the case.
To add to this, the USB-C port at the bottom of the iPad now supports both Thunderbolt and USB 4, which will result in much-improved bandwidth.
The front camera system comes with a 12MP ultrawide camera, which should improve video call quality.
Last but not least, the 12.9†model gets a new display that’s basically the Pro Display XDR in a smaller body. You’re looking at over 10,000 mini-LEDs (compared to 72 on the previous generation), which get you 1000 nits’ brightness, with a maximum peak of 1600 nits.
Apple calls this the Liquid Retina XDR, and it’s honestly impressive. Unfortunately, the 11†model doesn’t get that treatment, and this display will get you “only†a full day of battery life.
There will be some models that also support 5G connectivity, which is neat when it comes to futureproofing. Prices will start at $799 for the 11â€, as well as 1,099†for the 12.9†model, with pre-orders available on April 30.
A redesigned M1 iMac
The iMac’s design hasn’t changed too many times since Apple first introduced it, but the new model looks in line with the rest of their hardware and brings a few notable improvements.
The first one is the overall volume, which Apple claims to have reduced by 50%. It’s a notably smaller computer, which still has a 24†display but is a staggering 11.5mm thick.
It looks like a large iPad Pro, and the design is beautiful. At the front, a single piece of glass covers the entire surface, and at the back, you get colors.
Yes, you heard that right – colors. The iMac was available in a single color for all these years, but now you can get it in red, yellow, orange, blue, green, purple, and silver.
And all of them look exceptional, thanks to the all-aluminum design. The mouse and keyboard come in the same colors as the iMacs, and TouchID makes an appearance in the keyboard’s corner.
Inside, Intel CPUs are replaced with Apple’s M1 silicon, cooled by two small fans. The system’s overall noise shouldn’t exceed 10dB under load, which is excellent.
The camera gets an upgrade to 1080p and gets improved processing thanks to the M1 chip.
You have four USB-C ports at the back, two of which have Thunderbolt support and a magnetic power cable that reminds us of the MagSafe we all know and love.
The Ethernet cable connects straight into the power adapter, so there’s one less cable going to your device.
Last but not least, the audio gets an upgrade, too, with two pairs of woofers and a high-performance tweeter resulting in a total of six speakers for a pretty incredible experience.
Pricing is $1,299 for the entry-level model and $1,499 for the upgraded, colored version, and the iMac will be available for preorder on April 30.
If you are after a similar but more affordable option, take a look at our NEW 2021 M1 iMac video.
We finally have AirTags!
Apple users have long wanted a Tile-like device that will help you find small things like your keys or your wallet, and Apple has finally delivered with the AirTag.
The Tile rival comes with some pretty advanced connectivity features, such as Precision Finding, which lets you use the camera, accelerometer, and gyroscope on U1 chip-enabled iPhones to pinpoint the AirTag location.
Security and privacy are a big deal, too, and Apple will give you audible alerts if an AirTag has been slipped inside your bag or wallet, so you know someone is keeping an eye on your things.
Pricing is excellent, too, with an announced price of $29 for a single AirTag, or $99 for a four-pack.
AppleTV 4K gets a few upgrades, too.
Last but not least, we get a new Apple TV 4K, which now comes with the A12 Bionic chip. This gets you significant improvements when it comes to HDR playback, even over AirPlay, and is something you’ll notice instantly if you watch high bitrate content.
There is a new remote as well, and we can’t help but think the design reminds us of Apple’s OG iPods, with dedicated buttons for navigation and a Siri button on the side.
It’s going to ship with the new Apple TV, which is also available for preorder on April 30.
Pricing is $179 for the 32GB model and $199 for the 64GB model, and shipping will begin in May.
Here we are, a list of all Apple products announced at the Apple April Event 2021. Which one are you looking forward to the most?
If you are excited about the upcoming iPhone, check out our article on iPhone 13 rumors.