Everything Apple announced since its last event

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Apple used to deal with each public-facing announcement like an occasion. (Effectively, a minimum of the good news.) Even its keynotes — ostensibly for traders and press — have been well-orchestrated circuses. If there’s any conclusion to be drawn from the sheer variety of new merchandise the corporate’s launched with none sort of occasion because the iPhone 16 series was launched six months in the past, the time for hanging on Apple’s each phrase has handed.

A few of it may be chalked as much as the corporate’s new choice for recorded, highly-edited video shows moderately than reside exhibits. A few of it may additionally need to do with the truth that since Apple started making the chips that energy its smartphones, tablets and computer systems, a lot of the “new” issues it introduces quantity to spec bumps. Apple’s managed to announce eight new merchandise because the iPhone 16, 9 for those who rely a brand new chip that debuted in one of many firm’s up to date desktop computer systems. That checklist includes Apple’s latest iPad Air, which now we have simply reviewed. This is a take a look at all of that new {hardware}, from Apple’s most up-to-date releases to the brand new computer systems it used to shut out 2024.

M4 MacBook Air

The MacBook Air is considered one of Apple’s hottest laptops, so it is solely pure it ought to get the newest M4 chip. Fortunately, that additional energy did not come at the price of a costlier pc. A 13-inch MacBook Air now begins at $999, with the 15-inch mannequin coming in at $1,199, down from the $1,099 you used to need to pay to get an M3 MacBook Air. The brand new laptops additionally include an improved 12MP Middle Stage webcam, and a brand new metallic colour possibility Apple’s dubbed “Sky Blue.” It is not essentially the most thrilling announcement, however a brand new laptop computer that is twice as highly effective as Apple’s M1 computer systems for a cheaper price is welcome all the identical.

Mac Studio

Apple’s replace to the Mac Studio, introduced alongside the MacBook Air, is much more of a pure spec bump. No beauty modifications have been made to the Studio: The quick and stout pc nonetheless has USB ports and an SD card reader on the entrance, with much more I/O choices obtainable on the again. What’s completely different are the chips powering the Mac Studio on the within. Apple gives both an M4 Max with a 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU or new M3 Extremely chip, which provides the Studio sufficient wiggle room to deal with {most professional} inventive workloads. With the M4 Max you may stand up to 128GB of unified reminiscence however for those who go for the M3 Extremely, that may go all the way in which as much as 512GB. All of that energy will price you, although. The Mac Studio with the M4 Max begins at $1,999, whereas the M3 Extremely model begins at $3,999.

M3 Extremely

The M3 Extremely is the really novel a part of the Mac Studio replace. The late-arriving chip fills the highest spot in Apple’s M3 lineup, with a 32-core CPU (24 of that are efficiency cores), as much as a 80-core GPU and a 32-core Neural Engine. Apple claims the M3 Extremely is over two occasions as highly effective because the M1 Extremely, probably as a result of it is technically two M3 Max chips related along with the corporate’s “Ultrafusion” structure. The brand new chip additionally helps Thunderbolt 5 for sooner connectivity and specced with as much as 512GB of unified reminiscence. Presently, the M3 Extremely is simply obtainable on the Mac Studio, which oddly leaves the Mac Professional out of the loop. It is attainable Apple’s costliest Mac can be up to date quickly, or perhaps there’s an much more highly effective chip ready within the wings.

M3 iPad Air

The identical week Apple up to date the MacBook Air and Mac Studio, it additionally tweaked the iPad Air, giving the 11- or 13-inch pill a brand new M3 chip, and an up to date model of the Magic Keyboard with a perform row and a barely bigger trackpad. The iPad Air was already able to Apple Intelligence and many quick with the M2 chip it received in 2024, so Apple’s announcement primarily retains it aggressive, except you are interested by ray-tracing, which admittedly is obtainable in some console video games which have been ported to the iPad. The brand new iPad Air begins at $599, whereas the brand new Magic Keyboard begins at $260, and unusually, solely is available in white.

We simply completed reviewing the iPad Air and, unsurprisingly, discovered it to be almost equivalent to its predecessor. Having a sooner and extra future-proof chip by no means hurts, and the up to date keyboard is a particular enchancment over the older mannequin. When you have an M2 mannequin, do not exit of your option to replace, however you probably have a iPad with an A-series chip, the brand new iPad Air ought to present a a lot smoother and sooner expertise. We simply want it had a excessive refresh price display screen.

iPad

Apple’s modifications to the entry-level iPad are even smaller. It has been upgraded from an A14 Bionic chip to an A16, which implies the pill is quicker, however nonetheless not able to Apple Intelligence. The brand new pill additionally begins with a bigger quantity of storage. Somewhat than the frankly dismal 64GB Apple used to supply on the low-end, you now cannot get an iPad with out a minimum of 128GB of storage. That is not dangerous, even for Apple’s barely costly $349 beginning worth. Nonetheless, moreover appearing because the go-to possibility for households trying to purchase a pill for his or her youngsters or grandparents, Apple’s fundamental iPad primarily looks as if a option to drive folks to a costlier possibility.

iPhone 16e

The await a substitute to the 2022 iPhone SE was lengthy, and because it seems, the route Apple desires to take the thought is slightly surprising. The corporate began the 12 months by turning the SE into the iPhone 16e, a brand new low-end for the corporate’s smartphone lineup. The iPhone 16e is an odd combination of iPhones previous and new. It options the A18 chip, which implies it will probably deal with the little Apple Intelligence presently has to supply, it appears like an iPhone 14, however with a singular digicam. And for some cause it doesn’t have MagSafe. For $549, the iPhone 16e doesn’t exactly feel like a deal, however is cheaper, and extra importantly, attention-grabbing, as the primary of Apple’s telephones to characteristic its customized C1 modem.

M4 Mac mini

Small computer systems are at all times crowd-pleasers and the much more compact M4 Mac mini Apple launched on the finish of 2024 isn’t any completely different. The up to date Mac mini appears far more like a tall Apple TV than the flat DVD participant form of Apple’s older fashions and it has front-facing ports, too. For as little as $599, the Mac mini will get you entry to the newest M4 chip and as much as 64GB of unified reminiscence, a pretty powerful little machine. With the choice to fit in an M4 Professional, it will probably even be your workhorse, too. The Mac mini represents the opposite facet of Apple’s latest deal with specs. A brand new chip is not essentially the most thrilling factor on the earth, but when it will probably result in a radically smaller pc, it is value it.

M4 iMac

The iMac’s move to M4 was far much less of an overhaul than the Mac mini. Apple modified among the colour choices, added a 12MP webcam and launched an optionally available nano-texture end to the show, however it’s in any other case the identical previous 24-inch all-in-one pc. Funnily, the larger information out of the iMac refresh might need been its equipment. After switching to USB-C ports on mainly all of its gadgets, Apple lastly removed the Lightning port on the Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard. The mouse nonetheless prices the wrong way up, however a minimum of you should utilize the identical cable for every thing. That is perhaps representative of the new iMac as a whole: It has the identical quirks, however it’s undoubtedly higher than earlier than.

M4 MacBook Professional

An M4 MAcBook Pro open and sitting on a wooden balcony.

The M4 MacBook Pros have been launched not lengthy after Apple launched the iPhone 16 and the brand new laptops have been primarily a automobile for the introduction of the M4 household of chips as an entire. Apple didn’t really change the design of the MacBook Pro, simply gave it extra RAM, extra Thunderbolt ports and a barely brighter display screen. The MacBook Professional is available in each 14-inch and 16-inch varieties, with both an M4, M4 Professional or M4 Max chip. The cheaper facet of issues, the M4 chip has a 10-core CPU and 8-core GPU, whereas the high-end M4 Max has a 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU. The M4 MacBook Execs began the cascading wave of spec bumps Apple’s launched over the previous couple of months, and in addition the corporate’s AI focus: The M4 chip has a bigger NPU, or Neural Engine, for finishing AI duties, no matter which model you get.

This text initially appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/everything-apple-announced-since-its-last-event-224536253.html?src=rss

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