Apple Spring event 2021

On Tuesday 20th April 2021 Apple held their "Spring Loaded" keynote event. This was Apple's first big launch of event 2021. Similarly to last year, it was a virtual event and boy, can we tell you it was a big, colourful reveal and packed with new tech and innovation. The tech giant based in Cupertino had definitely got us sitting on the edge of our seats by treated us to everything we've been expecting for ages, including AirTags, a revamp up of iMacs with the latest M1 chip in a rainbow of colours; new iPad Pros also with Apples M1; a new Apple TV 4K; and last but by my no means least the purple iPhone 12.

AirTags

This has been rumoured and discussed on the internet for a long time and it has been obvious for months, years even, that Apple has been working behind the scenes on a new product range, their own wireless tracking tile, which they call, AirTag. From a designers point of view, it is something simple and very elegant. As a user, you will be able to attach this to nearly all your personal possessions including, your wallet, keys, dog/ cat collars and other important items. The AirTag is supporting by the tracking system of Apple’s very own mobile or web application called “Find My”. The current app has been used to track the location of your iPhone, Apple Watch and MacBook.

What makes this interesting about the new version of the Find My app is that when you start the application the "What's New in Find My" information has the opportunity to Support other accessories and be able to add non-Apple products to the Find My. Locating your backpack, luggage, headphones or other items has not been any easier till now. In fact, Apple announced in the keynote that it support from third-party manufacturers including:

• Belkin, Soundform Freedom True Wireless Earbuds
• Chipolo, ONE Spot item finder
• VanMoof, S3 and X3 e-bikes

One AirTag will cost you $29 (￡29) and they are also available in a pack of four for $99 (￡99). AirTag was announced on 20 April and will begin taking pre-orders on 23 April, before the trackers officially go on sale a week later on 30 April.

iMac

We finally got what we have been waiting for what feels like forever a remodelled super skinny and brightly coloured iMac with M1 chip. At first instance, it reminisces of the old model (iMac G3 from 1998). 

What makes this iMac stand out to the previous generation is that Apple has built around their latest M1 chip. Which was first introduced their MacBook Pros in the 2020 Autumn Keynote. Notably, the key difference is that the whole iMac got just a bit bigger, now the 2021 version of the iMac will display at 24-inch which is up from 21.5. Further, Apple has managed to bash out a staggering “4.5K” display. That has not been the significant update in hardware, there is a new inbuild webcam! These new iMacs will now be shipped with a 1080p front-facing FaceTime camera.

Apple mentioned in the keynote that the pre-orders will begin April 20, and then will be shipping in late May. Price-wise, The new iMac comes in two models one being, with the 8-core CPU, 7-core GPU, 256GB SSD model. Which is available in green, pink, blue and silver. That will cost $1,299 (￡1,249). The second iMac model offers an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, 256GB SSD and will be available in green, pink, blue and silver as well as the additional colours of yellow, orange and purple. That model will cost $1,499 (￡1,449). Apple will ship a new version of its Bluetooth Magic Keyboard, which comes in the matching colour of the iMac. Additionally one can complete with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor.

iPad Pro

Apple wanted to cement there share in the tablet market by announcing the latest update to its iPad Pro. With the new iPad, Pro Apple says this shift brings a 50% performance improvement over the previous iPad Pro, this is powered by an 8-core GPU/8-core CPU. Like its predecessor, the iPad Pro will come in an 11-inch model ($799/￡749) and a 12.9-inch model ($1,099/￡999). Apple demonstrated in the keynote that their, cellular model will support 5G. The iPad has up to 2 TB of built-in storage, and 16 GB of RAM, which is just incredible for a mobile device, these are figures you would see on a desktop and not on a tablet. In terms of technicalities, the 2021 version of iPad Pro has a new thunderbolt and USB 4 port which is supported through the USB-C port. The 12.9-inch model will have a “Liquid Retina XDR” display that Apple says packs a whopping 1,000 nits of full-screen brightness or 1,600 nits of peak brightness. Apple mentioned a new feature called “Center Stage” which essentially means that the camera will automatically keep your face in the centre of the frame during your FaceTime calls, even as you move about the room. 

Other Releases

Apple TV

Its been 4 years since there has been a big refresh to the Apple TV 4K, but now we are in 2021 finally there have been some changes, hardware-wise it has been powered by Apple’s A12 Bionic chip. One is able to use an iPhone to calibrate the picture. Which will automatically further optimise its own colour/contrast output accordingly. The remote has gotten a facelift with more features and a lot more ergonomic! In the sense that there is no more touchpad remote, instead of a new designed five-way clickpad complete with iPod Classic-esque scroll wheel. What has stayed is that there is a Siri button on the side, this is meant for ease of use in case you feel like talking to your TV instead of pushing buttons and the Apple TV will find it. The costs for the Apple TV 6th generation are $179/￡179 for the 32GB model and $199/ ￡199 for the 64GB model.

iPhone 12 

There may not be a new iPhone this time as these tend to come later in the year, but there was a brief mention of the existing iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini. Both of them are getting a new colour option: purple. 

Podcast

Apple briefly mentioned it will launch a redesigned Podcast app, one of these features that are new are having paid subscriptions (monthly or annual) for the individual podcasts.

ApplePay Card

Finally, in the “Spring Loaded” Keynote there was a quick but key mention of Apple’s Payment Method, where they have this new functionality called the “Apple Card Family” that will allow you to share your card with anyone in your family over the age of 13, with customisable spending limits for each added user. This is a great touch and think will be beneficial when giving the card to your kids to manage their spending habits.

#Apple #SpringLoaded #Keynote2021 #AirTag #iMacM1 #iPadPro #iPhone12 #AppleTV #tvOS #iOS #macOS