Apple launched in September its new line of devices in a public fanfare event. The smartphone company unveiled the iPhone XS, the XS Max and the low-end XR. It was an event to remember no doubt but now the company brought some of the magic to New York. Apple unveiled its latest series of devices at an event in Brooklyn. This was the second keynote for Apple CEO Tim Cook over the last two months.
The unveiling of the new iPad was held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The fanfare aside, the devices unveiled were also groundbreaking in nature. Apple did say that this is the first time it has made major changes to the iPad over the last 8 years. The changes are also part of a strategy adopted by the company to make the iPad more adaptable and appealing to a larger audience. The new device is 5.9 mm thinner. This translates to roughly 15% slimmer compared to its predecessor. The device has also ditched the headphone jack and the home button.
Customers will also get a near perfect edge-to-edge display with unique rounded corners just like most new Apple devices. Apple has now added Face ID support and USB-C. This means that the device can easily connect to a monitor to create a workstation. The Apple Pencil will also get a simple but effective upgrade. You can now attach it magnetically to the side of the device. Customers will have the option to choose between an 11-inch screen and a 12.9-inch screen. The smaller 11-inch device will retail at $799 while the 12.9-inch device will retail at $999.
The event in Brooklyn also unveiled an all-new MacBook Air. The device will start at $1,119. It’s relatively expensive compared to the previous model that retailed at $200 less but Apple is hoping that the new features and the new design will be worth it. The new Retina display is part of the reason why the price has gone up too. Apple has promised that it will continue to revamp its devices even more. According to the company’s CEO Tim Cook, the new MacBook Air is 25% lighter too.
The aluminum bezel that was traditionally designed for the previous models has now been removed. This has given the device a sleeker, more appealing look. Apple also said that the MacBook Air is one of the most environmentally sustainable devices. Its base is made using 100% recycled aluminum which reduces carbon footprint by nearly 50%. However, the company has removed the Touch Bar feature that was introduced two years ago. It’s not a surprise though since it wasn’t really that popular.
The new MacBook Air will also bring in Touch ID for extra security and a quad-core Intel processor. The event in Brooklyn was also used to showcase the first updated version of the Mac Mini. This is the first time the Mini is getting a significant update in four years. The devices are expected to go on sale very soon.
