Colourful iMacs, AirTags: All you need to know about Apple's unveiling event

With new products announced and several updated, we take a look at everything unveiled by Apple this week.

Apple recently held its Spring Loaded event, and it surely lived up to that name. The virtual event was filled with new product announcements. We’ll break down everything that was introduced; from new colourful iMacs to a brand new way of finding your lost keys – here’s everything the giant fruit company announced.

Colourful iMacs are back

After 20 years since the last colourful iMac, Apple finally brought colour back to its popular desktop lineup. The iMac is now available in seven fresh new colours. While the colours have been met with positive feedback, the thick bezels have received criticism for carrying an outdated design into 2021.

It’s not just the design that’s changed though, the new iMac features Apple’s new M1 chip. The chip integrates several key processing components into a single chip, bringing significant performance improvements to the computer. The iMac was also upgraded to include new microphone, speaker and camera systems making it a well-rounded update to the device.

Interestingly, only the 24” iMac was updated, with no updates to the more expensive 27” iMac. The even more powerful iMac Pro was discontinued last month too. This led to many industry experts believing that the 27” iMac will receive an even bigger update later this year. While the smaller iMac comes in bright vibrant colours, the larger one is expected to come in darker more professional colours.

So if you’re looking for the most powerful iMac, you may want to hold off for a few more months. Otherwise, if you’re not too concerned with the beefiest specs, then the new 24” iMac is certainly a good purchase.

The iMac starts at $1,299 and shipping will begin in late May.

A faster iPad Pro

Apple also upgraded the iPad Pro, bringing its Mac M1 chip to the tablet. This enables huge performance upgrades for the already powerful device. The selfie camera was also upgraded with a wide-angle camera. The larger iPad Pro also got its screen upgraded with the same technology that’s seen in the Apple Pro Display XDR.

As the iPad’s chip was already overpowered, some were left wondering if the new chip is overkill for the tablet. While that may be the case now, rumours have suggested that Apple is bringing its pro apps such as Xcode, Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro X to the iPad.

These pro apps will help take the iPad to the next level. Since the iPad can be connected to a mouse, keyboard and monitor, it may be seen as a desktop replacement and could help people depend more on the iPad as their only computer.

In 2010, Steve Jobs famously said: “PCs are going to be like trucks. They’re still going to be around, they’re still going to have a lot of value, but they’re going to be used by one out of X people.” He argued that tablets will replace computers for the majority of people.

Over recent years, we finally saw Apple deliver on Steve’s decade-old vision. This most recent upgrade is a large step in that direction, but we’ll have to wait and see what software changes Apple announces for the iPad in its developer event in June. Be sure to stay tuned here for the latest announcements in this space.

The 11 inch iPad Pro is available for sale at $799 with the larger 12.9 inch iPad Pro selling for $1099.

AirTags: A new way of tracking your lost items

The Apple event also introduce AirTags – a trackable device that taps into the company’s Find My network. AirTags are small circular devices that can be attached to a keyring or placed in a backpack to help you find your lost items.

Despite having no internet connection of their own, the AirTags use the Find My network to allow users to find their AirTags. They securely send their location to nearby Apple devices which then transmit this data to your Apple devices. Apple insists that your AirTags location is encrypted throughout the whole process, meaning that no one, not even Apple, can see the location of your devices.

It’s a great device, but it’s certainly not a novel idea. Trackable tags were popularised by Tile – which works similarly to AirTags. Apple’s AirTags tap into a much larger network of devices though, meaning it’s easier for you to locate your devices compared to any other device.

AirTags will launch on April 30. A single AirTag will cost $29 and a pack of four will sell for $99.

A new iPhone 12 colour, Podcast subscriptions, and more

There were a couple of small announcements made during the event too. We saw Apple introduce a purple colour for the iPhone 12. This is similar to the purple iPhone 11.

The tech giant also announced paid subscriptions inside Podcasts to unlock early releases and an ad-free listening experience. This is seen as one of the many ways for Apple to grow its services business.

Apple also upgraded its Apple TV 4K with a new chip and a redesigned remote. You can now use your iPhone’s camera to automatically tune your Apple TV’s settings to have the best video quality possible.

As you can see, it was certainly an action-packed event from Apple this week. Which products are you most excited for?

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