iPad Pro, AirTag, Apple TV 4K And iMac: Everything Apple Has Announced In April 2021
Seriously, it's the iMac you've been waiting for.
It's been four months since our last Apple Keynote and boy did they pack in a lot of surprises this Spring. We are looking at four new launches, including the iPad Pro, AirTag, Apple TV 4K and a brand new refresh of the iMac.
AirTag
News about the AirTag has been circulating since two years ago and we're happy that it's finally here. A brand new product from Apple, AirTag is made to complement the 'Find My' app and with the U1 chip in the iPhone 11 and 12, you're able to precisely find what you're looking for with accurate distance and direction when the AirTag is in range.
No more lost bags, keys or luggage. If the AirTag is separated from its owner and completely out of Bluetooth range, AirTag taps on the 'Find My' network to track it down. With over a billion Apple devices all around the globe, it's easy to detect and pinpoint its location so that it can be relayed back to its owner, all while doing it anonymously and privately.
Each AirTag is rated IP67 water- and dust- resistant. It comes with a built-in speaker that plays sounds to help you detect the AirTag. There's also a removable cover to make it easy for battery replacement. Plus, it comes with a wide range of accessories, including handcrafted leather accessories with Hermès.
AirTag is available for order starting 23 April (Friday), and costs $45 each or $149 for a pack of four. AirTag will ship starting 30 April (Friday).
Apple TV 4K
Apple TV finally gets a refresh. It's now powered by the A12 Bionic chip which boosts graphics performance. Working together with iPhone, it helps to balance the television's colours so that its output is more accurate without needing any adjustments to your television's settings.
The remote has also been completely reimagined. With its unibody aluminum, the Apple TV 4K Remote now has a clickpad and five-way navigation so it's easy to scrub forward or backward on your favourite shows. Speaking of which, Ted Lasso will be returning for its second season this July!
Apple TV 4K is available from $269 from 30 April (Friday)
iMac
Where do we even begin? The iMac has been given an overhaul and we are here for it. Following the success of the M1 Chips in 2020, the team at Apple built the new iMac around this new chip, allowing it breakthroughs in its form factor. For one, the sides are so thin, it practically disappears. It is also available in seven colours, a nod to the colourful iMac G3 unveiled by Steve Jobs in 1998, a product line that saved Apple as a company.
This new design features thin bezels, increasing your screen real estate to 24 inches instead of the regular 21.5-inch. It has a bright 4.5K Retina display. 1080p Facetime HD camera that ensures that you look good in video calls, whatever the ambient light. Thanks to the M1 Chip, Apple is able to improve the efficiency and thermals, while reducing the overall size of the iMac.
The coloured accessories get a full set of matching peripherals like the keyboard and mouse. Touch ID also comes to the keyboard for the first time, making it easy to wake your iMac, and make payments via Apple Pay. Touch ID also works with Fast User Switching, so you can switch to your user profile with a press of the button.
The new power connector now features a magnetic connector (perhaps a preview to the MagSafe connectors that will appear in the new MacBook Pros?) and a woven two-metre-long cable that matches the iMac's colour.
The new 24-inch iMac will be available for order on April 30 (Friday) and will ship in the second half of May. The iMac with 7-core GUP starts at $1,849 and is available in green, pink, blue and silver. The iMac with 8-core GPU starts at $2,149 and is available in all seven colours.
iPad Pro
Apple has put in the most powerful processor— the M1 chip in the iPad Pro — in the iPad, making it faster than before. The faster processing power on its 8-core GPU also means it's able to access your storage faster, making the new max capacity of 2TB a breeze. Like the iPhone 12 refresh last October, the iPad Pro is also 5G-enabled, so you can now work anywhere as long as you have access to a mobile network.
The 12.9-inch version has a major upgrade to its screen. Like the Mac Pro's XDR Display, the iPad Pro has a Liquid Retina XDR Display that features over 10,000 mini LEDs to offer better contrast, dynamic range—perfect for creative professionals. Thunderbolt and USB 4 support also comes to the iPad Pro, supporting up to 10Gbps Ethernet, as well as external displays.
A highlight to the iPad Pro 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera system is Centre Stage. The front-facing camera has a 120-degree field of view and automatically pans to keep users in the frame. When more than one person join in the call, the camera is able to detect them and zooms out to fit everyone in the frame.
The accessories for the iPad Pro also come in a new colourway. The Magic Keyboard comes in a new white colour.
The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at S$1,199 for the Wi-Fi model and S$1,419 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at S$1,649 for the Wi-Fi model and S$1,869 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. It's available for order starting 30 April (Friday) and will ship in the second half of May.