Apple's hardware teams have been busy, with new iMac all-in-one computers, iPad Pro tablets, and AirTag trackers among the products revealed at its Spring Loaded event today. The Apple TV 4K gets an upgrade too, and there's a new iPhone 12 color.
The revamped iMac computer is perhaps the biggest hardware news here: it now comes fitted with Apple's own M1 chip, and that has allowed a dramatic redesign that sees the thickness of the all-in-one shrink to just 11.5 millimeters (0.45 inches). Despite that ultra-thin profile, Apple is promising superior performance – up to an 85 percent gain in CPU performance and up to a 200 percent gain in GPU performance compared with the previous 21.5-inch iMac.
It's no longer the 21.5-inch iMac, because Apple has increased the screen size to 24.5 inches. The display boasts a 4,480 x 2,520-pixel resolution, with 500 nits of brightness, True Tone technology, and a P3 wide color gamut. Up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 2 TB of storage can be configured.
The new iMac is available from US$1,299, and comes in seven eye-catching colors too: green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. Pre-orders are open from April 30, with shipping in the second half of May.
The new and improved iPad Pro models get the M1 chip too, giving you a phenomenal amount of power inside a tablet. The cellular models get 5G this time around too, and in terms of the rest of the specs, you can get up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 2 TB of storage, up from 1 TB on the previous generation.
The 12.9-inch version gets one upgrade not available on the 11-inch model – a Liquid Retina XDR display that uses mini-LED technology for up to 1,600 nits of brightness and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. It's likely to appeal to serious creatives most of all, especially film-makers, because of its extra visual quality and accuracy.
If you're tempted into buying one, pricing starts at $799 for the 11-inch, Wi-Fi iPad Pro, though obviously prices start rising pretty steeply as you add more storage and upgrade to the larger screen size – a 12.9-inch iPad Pro with 5G and 2 TB of storage is going to set you back a hefty $2,399. Silver and space gray are the color options, as usual, with pre-orders open on April 30 and shipping in the second half of May.
The Apple TV 4K set-top box has been treated to a refresh too. There's a new chip inside – not the M1 but the A12 Bionic that first appeared in the iPhone XS in 2018 – and that enables support for HDR and Dolby Vision video at 60 frames per second. There's a redesigned Siri Remote as well, with a new directional clickpad. Pricing starts at $179, with pre-orders open on April 30 and shipping in the second half of May.
Brand new is the Apple AirTag, which will be very familiar to anyone who has used a Tile tracker. You attach one to your keys, your laptop, or anything else you like, and you can then use the Find My app on Apple devices to track it down – you can get the tag to make a noise, and get directed to its location. One AirTag will set you back $29 – pre-orders open on April 23, and shipping starts on April 30.
There's still more to talk about from Apple's event today. A new light purple color has been added to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini ranges, the Apple Card now has a family plan option, and Apple has also launched a new Apple Podcasts Subscriptions service: a way for podcast makers to offer premium content in return for a monthly fee.
Product pages: Apple
