Apple unveils M1-powered iPad Pro and iMac
Apple has unveiled a number of new products at its April 2021 Spring Loaded event, including a new purple iPhone 12 and an upgraded Apple TV. However, the biggest announcements of the event came in the form of an all-new M1-powered iPad Pro and iMac, as Apple shifts more of its products to its custom Arm-based silicon.
M1-powered iMac with 4.5K Retina display
Apple’s all-new iMac is the first to pack an M1 chip, which not only makes it faster but also allows the consolidation of the logic board and thermals, reducing it to just 11.5mm (0.45″) thick. With its smaller footprint, the new iMac takes up 50% less volume than the last generation.
The all-new iMac also gains a 24″, 4.5K Retina display that boasts 11.3 million pixels, 500 nits of brightness, over 1 billion colours, and an anti-reflective coating. The screen also automatically changes the colour temperature with the environment to ensure viewer comfort.
Apple has also equipped the 2021 iMac with a 1080p webcam and an upgraded audio system. The input now comes from studio quality microphones – the “best ever in a Mac,” according to Apple – and it also includes a six-speaker sound system that helps bring videos and music to life.
The iMac will be available in a range of colours: green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. It includes a two-metre magnetic cable in the same colour as the machine.
In addition to its M1 chip, the new iMac will feature an eight-core GPU (a seven-core GPU comes as standard), which Apple claims is the fastest integrated graphics on a PC with up to 200% faster graphics performance.
Under the hood you’ll also find 8GB of unified memory architecture and a 16-core Apple Neural Engine that promises 300% faster machine learning performance.
The new iMac also gets Touch ID for the first time. Integrated on its wireless keyboard, Touch ID communicates directly with the Secure Enclave in M1 to create an encrypted channel to send the fingerprint through. With Touch ID, users can log in and even pay using just their fingers.
As for connectivity, the new iMac features two Thunderbolt ports that support up to 6K and a pair of USB-C ports. On the power adaptor, you’ll find an optional 1Gb/s Ethernet port to allow a hardwired internet connection without running a cable up to your desk.
The all-new iMac lineup will be available on 30 April at Apple.com, and will ship to customers and Apple Stores in the second half of May.
The seven-core iMac will start from €1,499. It will come with an eight-core CPU, 8GB of unified memory, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt ports, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Mouse. Available colors will include green, pink, blue, and silver.
The eight-core GPU iMac will start from €1,719. It will feature an eight-core CPU, 8GB of unified memory, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt ports, two additional USB 3 ports, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, Magic Mouse, and Ethernet. This model will be available in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver.
iPad Pro with M1 and Liquid Retina XDR display
Apple also revealed the “most powerful and advanced iPad Pro ever”, which is again thanks to the M1 chip inside.
This custom eight-core processor delivers enhanced performance and helps the iPad Pro deliver all-day battery life while keeping it thin and lightweight. Apple claims the CPU boasts the “world’s fastest” cores in low-power silicon, which deliver 50% faster CPU performance than the A12Z Bionic. Handling graphics is an eight-core GPU that’s 40% faster than its predecessor.
Rounding out the internals is a 16-core Apple Neural Engine, up to 16GB of memory, and up to 2TB of storage.
The new iPad Pro also features an 11″ or 12.9″ Liquid Retina XDR display that features a mini-LED design with 10,000 LEDs across the back of the display. The screen has 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness, 1,600 nits of peak brightness, and 1,000,000-to-1 contrast. This screen will also share other technology with the 11″ iPad Pro, including ProMotion, True Tone, and P3 wide colour support.
The new 12.9″ iPad Pro will also be the first iPad to gain 5G support that delivers speeds of up to 4Gb/s. Another first is the arrival of Thunderbolt and USB 4 ports for up to 40Gb/s of wired bandwidth. Thanks to the Thunderbolt connection’s 10Gb/s Ethernet, it can connect to a wide range of peripherals, including Pro Display XDR and 6K external displays.
The new iPad Pro will be available from Apple.com on 30 April, and shipments will start in the second half of May. The 11″ will start from €909 for the Wi-Fi model and €1,029 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, and the 12.9″ iPad Pro starts at €1,229 for the Wi-Fi model and €1,399 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.
New purple iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini
Apple also unveiled the latest colour option in the iPhone 12 lineup: purple. This new hue will be available on the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini starting April 23, 2021. Other than the new colour, the purple iPhone 12 is the same as the current model.
New chip and remote for Apple TV 4K
Apple ‘s 4K TV also received an upgrade at the April 2021 Event. It gains a new A12 Bionic chip that delivers improved graphics, including high-frame-rate HDR and Dolby Vision video, enabling smooth playback of 60-frame-per-second video.
Rounding out the Apple TV 4K changes is a new remote that adds a clickpad with five-way navigation for improved accuracy. It’s also touch-enabled for fast directional swipes and a circular touch-enabled ring that controls a slick jog feature. Prices will start at €199 for 32GB and €219 for the 64GB model.
Apple Air Tag
Apple also launched the long-rumoured Air Tag, which you can attach to your keys, purse, backpack, and other items. If you lose the item it’s attached to, you can use your iPhone to find it via the Find My Network. If the Air Tag is out of the Bluetooth range, you can still use it thanks to Apple’s network of nearly a billion devices that can detect your Air Tag and anonymously send you its location. Prices start at €35 each or a pack of four for €119.
© Dennis Publishing
Subscribers 0
Fans 0
Followers 0
Followers