A children’s credit card, a candy-colored iPhone, a small gadget for finding lost items. And then: a podcast subscription, a revised and corrected Apple TV, a completely redesigned iMac. The spring event, the first of the year, lasted exactly one hour; as usual, perfect direction, times dosed with wisdom, effective shots: in its way, Apple’s presentation is already a format.
After a brief summary of Apple’s initiatives for the environment (tomorrow, remember, is Earth Day), the first announcements arrive: Apple Card, the credit card made in Cupertino, will have a dedicated version that will allow parents to check the expenses of the children. Nothing new for the iPhone, except for a brand new shade of purple (“perfect for spring”, comments an inspired Tim Cook).
iPhone 12 will also be available in purple
AirTag
Apple had announced the expansion of the Where’s platform to third-party products, but it was only the first step. Today the much discussed AirTags arrive: as big as a one euro coin, they are used to track down lost objects. You need an iPhone with U1 chip, which becomes a kind of compass indicating the distance and direction of the AirTag on the screen. One costs 35 euros, the 4-pack is on sale for 119 euros.
AirTags are about the size of a euro coin.
Apple Tv
There is also, after almost four years, an update for Apple TV: it now has an A12 bionic chip, and uses the computing power to calibrate the colors of the TV: a brilliant idea, but even here you need an iPhone. The exterior is identical, but there is also a new remote control. Coming in mid-May, starting from 199 euros.
iMac
So it’s the turn of the iMacs, which have also been on sale unchanged for years. “With each generation we have come closer to our ideal: to make the computer disappear.” They naturally adopt the Apple-designed M1 chip: it produces less heat, two very small fans are enough for cooling, so the screen is just 11.5mm thick. On the other hand, it increases the size, which goes from 21.5 to 24 inches, with anti-reflective treatment.
The front camera goes from 540P to 1080P, but there is also artificial intelligence to help improve images. Microphone and speakers are also completely redesigned, perfect for video and conference calls. And it’s compatible with Dolby Atmos, for movies on Apple TV +, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. The keyboard has the fingerprint sensor and dedicated keys for special functions, as well as a coordinated mouse and trackpad in the same seven colors as the new iMac. there are four USB-C ports, two of which support Thunderbolt, and a new power supply that includes the Ethernet connection. The new Apple computers start at 1499 euros; they can be ordered from April 30th and will be available in the second half of May.
iPad
The latest iPad Pro was announced just a year ago. The new model adopts the M1 chip, even with 16 cores, and offers 5G connectivity. Powerful as and more than a computer, even those from Apple. A lot of curiosity about display technology, never adopted so far on a computer or tablet: the difference with the usual LEDs is the more precise backlighting, with a much greater number of smaller LEDs (it is called, in fact, mini-LED). It has many of the benefits of OLED, but can often offer higher brightness, better energy efficiency, and a lower risk of burn-in. Comes first on the 12.9 model, on sale from mid-May.
Otherwise, the design is practically identical to the 2020 model. Again there is support for the Thunderbolt standard to connect external devices with much greater speed.