Apple just held its first event of 2021, where the tech giant unveiled a lot of exciting devices, including a colorful line of iMacs and an upgraded iPad Pro. There were also brand new devices, like AirTags to help you find your keys, a new Apple TV with an improved remote control, and more. Here’s everything you need to know about what Apple announced during its Spring Loaded event, including the price and release date of all the new devices.
Apple Announces 2021 iMac
The first thing you’ll probably notice about the new line of iMacs is how colorful they are. The front has muted colors that aren’t too distracting, while the back has more vibrant shades that stand out. However, Apple didn’t just make cosmetic changes to its all-in-one desktop computer.
Apple recently started making its own processors, and the company has been adding them to every new Mac it releases. By bringing its own processor to the iMac, Apple claims the new model is 85% faster, and it can now wake instantly, launch apps faster, and have “hundreds of tabs” open in Safari at once.
The M1 chip also allowed Apple to design a much thinner iMac. The 2021 model is less than half an inch thick, or about 50% smaller than the previous iMac. It also has a bigger 24-inch 4.5K Retina display with 11.3 million pixels and support for more than a billion colors.
Since the iMac now uses the same kind of processor as the iPhone and iPad, you can open an app on one device and use Handoff to transfer it to your computer instantly. This will also allow you to answer phone calls from your iMac, copy and paste text from your iPhone to your iMac, and sync all your other data across your devices.
Even Apple’s keyboard got an upgrade during the 2021 event. Not only do they come in colors that match the new iMac, they also have totally new keys. There are shortcut buttons for emojis, spotlight, and more, and even a Touch ID button that allows you to unlock your iMac or switch users with your fingerprint.
The new iMac will be available starting at $1,299 in four colors and $1,499 in seven colors. You can order the new iMac starting April 30, and it will ship in the second half of May.
Apple Announces 2021 iPad Pro
Apple also brought the M1 chip to its high-end iPad Pro, which has made it 50% faster than the previous model. By adding the processor, Apple was also able to make the iPad Pro thin and light, all while delivering an all-day battery life.
The 12.9-inch model features a Liquid Retina XDR display that uses over 10,000 mini-LEDs to deliver a much brighter image than the previous model, which only had 72 light sources. And with local dimming, the new iPad Pro can achieve a contrast ratio that you only find in high-end 4K or OLED TVs.
The new iPad will also come with a lightning-fast Thunderbolt port that will allow you to transfer files twice as fast. Plus, it supports 5G millimeter wave technology, so you can surf the web faster and get download speeds up to 4Gbps in ideal conditions.
However, 5G coverage is still limited, so you might not be able to take advantage of the technology. Check out our previous article to find out where 5G is available in your area.
Apple updated the camera system of the new iPad Pro by adding a 12MP Ultra-Wide front-facing camera. With this new camera, the iPad Pro will be able to track your movements during video calls, so you are always in the center of the screen.
You can get the iPad Pro with up to 16GB of RAM and 2TB of storage space. That means this tablet has better specs than many desktop computers, and it is just as powerful as the best new iMac.
The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799, and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at $1,099. You can order the new tablet starting on April 30, and it will be available in the second half of May.
AirTags
During the 2021 event, Apple only unveiled one totally new device called the AirTag. This tiny battery-powered device is designed to help you find your keys, bags, or anything else you attach it to. When your items go missing, you can use the Find My app to locate your AirTags on a map or make them play a sound, so you can find them by ear.
Unlike other Apple devices, AirTags come with a new “Precision Finding” technology that uses your iPhone’s sensors to determine your exact location and distance from an AirTag. Then your iPhone will point you to your AirTags with an arrow and tell you how far away it is.
You can order AirTags starting this Friday, and they will be available on April 30. A single pack costs $29, or you can get a four-pack for $99. Apple is also offering free engravings, and you can get a key ring, loop, or luggage tag, so you can attach it to anything you want.
New Apple TV 4K
Apple also unveiled its “next-generation” streaming device during the Spring Loaded event, with the upgraded Apple TV 4K. The new model comes with the company’s A12 chip built-in, which was first introduced in the iPhone X series in 2018.
With its ultra-fast processor, the Apple TV 4K can now play HDR (high-dynamic range) content at 60 frames per second. This will improve your picture quality, especially when you’re watching action scenes or sports. You can even mirror your iPhone to your Apple TV in high-frame rate HDR now.
One of the most exciting things about the new Apple TV 4K is the color balance feature. According to the demonstration at the Apple event, all you have to do is hold your iPhone up to your TV, and it will calibrate your TV for you.
The tech giant claims that your Apple TV can use the light sensors in your iPhone to analyze the color output of your TV. Then it will automatically adjust your picture settings to match “the industry-standard specifications set by cinematographers worldwide.”
If you want to know how to calibrate your TV manually, check out our guide on the best TV picture settings to choose.
Apple also made big changes to the Siri remote, which has been the cause of many complaints about Apple TV for years. The new titanium remote is larger and replaces the previous model’s tiny trackpad with physical buttons that should make it easier to navigate.
Plus, the new remote finally comes with a power button, so you can use it to turn your TV off and on.
The new Apple TV 4K will be available for pre-order starting at $179 for the 32GB model and $199 for the 64GB model. You can pre-order the new Apple TV starting on Friday, April 30. However, the streaming device won’t be available until sometime in late May.
Other Apple Event Announcements
During the 2021 event, Apple announced it would be releasing a new purple model of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini on April 30. Tim Cook also said that Apple was going to “reinvent the credit card” with the new Apple Card Family plan that lets couples build their credit together.
Finally, the tech giant also announced it made the “biggest change to Apple Podcasts since its debut.” The podcast streaming service will now offer subscriptions to podcasts that allow the content creators to earn money and listeners to get ad-free listening, early access, or other benefits.
If you’re looking to get a new Apple device, check out our article on the Apple Trade-In program to find out how much you could get for your old device.
