The 6 Most Important Announcements Since Apple’s October 2018 Event
Today at Apple’s big event in October, the Mac maker announced updated versions of three products, two of which have been untouched in a long time. Apple has made only the smallest updates to the Macbook Air since it was last upgraded in 2013, and there hasn’t been a new Mac Mini since 2014. There is also a new and interesting update for the iPad Pro if you’re looking for a device that sits between a laptop and a tablet.
Everyone knows that the iPhone is a gem in Apple’s product line, but the second wave of its announcements was also no reason to sneeze. Here’s a quick rundown.
Finally, the new Macbook Air
The Macbook Air, Apple’s less powerful but ultralight laptop, is one of the few computer geeks out there, and critics continue to talk about it years after Apple stopped keeping it up to date. It’s amazing that it took them so long to get it back.
In many ways, the new Air is simply updating the latest model, adding hardware features that have become standard on Macbooks and Macbook Pros. It has a 13.3-inch Retina display and dual Thunderbolt 3 ports, as well as Touch ID and Siri, a larger trackpad, and Apple’s newest keyboard (although based on Apple’s last few laptops, we’re not sure if that’s an improvement). Under the hood, so to speak, is now an 8th Gen Intel i5 dual-core processor clocked at 1.6GHz, as well as more options for memory and storage upgrades.
The biggest improvement on the new Air is its distinctive feature – it is thinner and lighter than the old model. The new Air is 11.97 “wide and 0.61” high (closed) compared to 12.8 “wide and 0.68” high and weighs 2.75 pounds versus 2.96 pounds in the old model. It might not sound like a lot, but if you carry your laptop on your back every day, every tenth of a pound counts.
The Macbook Air is remembered so fondly, not because it was a powerful engine, but because it was enough for the average user, packed in a computer that you can carry with you all the time. The newer models seem to be ready to meet this standard.
The Macbook Air comes in two models, priced between $ 1199 and $ 1399, respectively. It will be available in stores on November 7th. You can pre-order now on Apple’s website , where you can also check out the full spec sheet for Apple’s Macbook Air.
The new iPad Pro is essentially a laptop
Perhaps the boldest announcement of the day was that Apple has unveiled the next version of the iPad Pro, which has been optimized to compete with less powerful laptops and Devices 2 and 1, rather than other tablets.
As expected, the new iPad Pro replaces the Home button with Face ID, which lets you unlock the device just by looking at its 7MP front-facing camera. To compensate for the button’s navigational properties, it now has a variety of contextual shortcuts for switching apps and setting up a dual-app split screen, among other things.
It is also significantly more powerful than the previous model thanks to the new A12X Bionic chip, 7-core GPU and 8-core processor. Apple claims it can complete certain tasks 90 percent faster, and that it is faster than 92 percent of laptops.
This power allows its 12MP rear camera to shoot 4K video at 60fps. These videos will display beautifully and clearly on a 264 “Liquid Retina” display at 264 ppi. Apple backed this up with an upcoming iOS version of NBA 2K19 that looked comparable to what you’d see on PS4 or Xbox One. I still don’t think anyone should be playing NBA 2K19 on an iPad without a controller – sorry, but your arms will break – but it looked impressive.
Apple has also improved the iPad Pro’s tablet-like functionality, adding new features that pair well with the new and improved Apple Pencil. The inside of the iPad Pro has 102 magnets, which means that peripherals like the Pencil attach to any part of the iPad. The iPad syncs with the pencil when they touch, charges it wirelessly. (Bad news: The new iPad Pro doesn’t work with the first-generation Apple Pencil.)
Perhaps the most important change – or at least the most emblematic – is that the iPad Pro now features a USB-C port instead of Lightning. This makes it much easier to connect to a wide variety of peripherals that professionals need, such as a larger monitor. Plus, it can “reverse charge,” which means it will charge your phone if you plug it in.
The new iPad Pro is available in two sizes, both available with four storage sizes and optional LTE support. The 10.5-inch model ranges from $ 799 to $ 1,699, while the larger 12.9-inch version ranges from $ 999 to $ 1,899. The new iPad Pro will be available in stores on November 7th. You can pre-order it now from Apple’s website . You can also check Apple’s iPad Pro Full Tech Specs .
Adobe Introduces True Photoshop in iOS for iPad Pro Users
To take advantage of the new, more powerful iPad Pro, Adobe showcased what it describes as “real Photoshop,” an upcoming version of the main image editing software for iOS that removes some of the key limiting factors in previous Photoshop apps for iOS. While it’s not entirely sensational news , the combination of the new iPad Pro with this improved version of Photoshop lives up to the Pro’s promise of an uncompromising high-performance tablet for designers.
Adobe has identified several key differences in this version of Photoshop. First, you can quickly navigate between image layers using the scroll bar on the right side of the screen. Second, you can seamlessly transition from a pixel-level view of an image to a full image – literally a double tap with the Apple Pencil – without any lag on the beefed-up iPad Pro. Finally, files created in the newer version of Photoshop will be saved as PSD files, not as CC files.
Adobe also showed off a demo of Project Aero, a new tool announced earlier this year that helps turn Photoshop creations into working AR installations. The demo shows how a 2D image is turned into an AR projection in Photoshop, and then the AR image is edited to add and enhance its jagged elements.
Adobe announced that both the new version of Photoshop and Project Aero will launch in 2019.
The new Mac Mini is pretty serious too
Finally, Apple also announced a new version of its desktop computer in miniature form – the Mac Mini. Like the Macbook Air, Apple hasn’t considered the Mini for a very long time, so the updates are significant.
The new Mac Mini is powered by an 8th Gen 4- or 6-core Intel processor – depending on the model, you can get from i3 to i7 – 8-64GB RAM and 128GB to 2TB. storage. That’s a lot of power in a small package.
It also has more ports than before – 4 Thunderbolt 3 ports (which are duplicated as USB-C), two USB-A ports, an HDMI 2.0 port, and an upgradeable Ethernet port. It’s a ton of options compared to any other modern Mac, highlighting the fact that Mini sees the Mini as a more professional tool for people looking for something that plugs into personalized hardware or something scalable for corporate purposes. However, there is nothing stopping you from pairing it with a monitor, mouse and keyboard and using it as your everyday machine.
The Mac Mini comes in two models, priced between $ 799 and $ 1,099, respectively. It will be available in stores on November 7th. You can pre-order now onApple’s website . You can also check out Apple’s full specs for both models.
All three devices are more environmentally friendly
In addition to the new devices, Apple has shared one very interesting manufacturing change that affects all of the hardware it announced at the event. All “enclosures” – enclosures – will be made from recycled aluminum. Apple said the change, made possible by the company’s metallurgy specialists (hello Apple Metallurgy team), will reportedly reduce the carbon footprint of these devices by as much as 50 percent.
This is not a new device, but any changes that make computers a little greener are welcome, especially if they don’t have an obvious adverse effect on the products.
iOS 12.1 Released Today
Apple CEO Tim Cook wrapped up the presentation with “one quick thing” – the next version of iOS, 12.1, is out today. The new version activates support for two SIM cards in the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max, and also adds support for group video chat for FaceTime.
For a closer look at everything that’s changed in iOS 12.1, we already have an overview of the main features.