Just weeks after parading its new iPhones, Apple has returned for a big reveal of new iPads and Macs.
While they don't grab the world's attention quite as much as their pocket-sized siblings, they're essential to Apple to help keep its fans firmly in the family and away from rival products.
Today's venue, the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, was purposely chosen so the tech giant could reinforce how important all of its products are to driving creativity.
"Not only the most popular tablet but the most popular computer in the world," said Apple CEO Tim Cook with a quick boast about the success of Apple’s iPads before handing to his colleague for all the juice on the new iPad Pro.
"Every part of the product has been redefined and reengineered," assured Laura LaRoe, Apple’s vice president of hardware engineering.
It's got Apple's new A12X Bionic chip turning it into an absolute powerhouse. It also got a Liquid Retina display and flaunts drastically reduced bezels.
The home button has been banished which means its relies entirely on Face ID for bio-based unlocking and yes, it works in any orientation including when it’s docked with a keyboard. It also has all the various Face ID features including Animoji and Memoji.
The 10.5-inch model has been bumped up to an 11-inch panel, while the 12.9-inch has kept the same screen size.
And as well as all those design features and upgrades such as 1000x faster graphics performance, some practical upgrades such as a USB-C port in the bottom of the tablet instead of the Lightning port used to charge it today. On the downside but perhaps not surprisingly, the audio jack has been removed, so people will need a USB-C-to-headphone dongle to listen to music through wired headphones.
The price for the new iPad Pro ranges from $1399 wifi-only (64GB) to $2949 wifi + cellular (1TB) for the 11inch. The 12.9inch is even more expensive - $3,299 for the top model.
Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard
Apple Pencil has been revamped so it attaches magnetically to the iPad Pro. It automatically pairs and starts charging wirelessly. The keyboard alo magnetically attaches to the iPad Pro and is now better to use on your lap and at a desk.
Apple’s success may not hinge on the Mac any more, but it still has to show that it matters. Today's new devices come in the wake of Microsoft launching new versions of its Surface products and laptops overall have gone through a renaissance in recent years, with offerings from Microsoft, Google and Huawei all receiving plenty of positive reviews.
MacBook Air, which turned 10 this year, has had a full revamp. News that was very well received.
"MacBook Air truly embraced the notion that less could indeed be more," said Tim Cook.
"It is time for a new MacBook Air. One that takes the MacBook Air experience even further in areas that are most important to our customers. And, of course, what we all want in a MacBook Air is a retina display."
The display is larger as the bezels have been slimmed down. It’s thinner, too, with a butterfly keyboard that’s backlit with individual LEDs behind every key. It offers 4X stability over the previous generation.
Other features include Touch ID. Apple’s T2 security chip delivers advanced security and Hey Siri.
The new MacBook Air now comes in three different finishes and is made from 100 percent recycled aluminum. It’s available from November 7 and starts at NZ$2149.
Mac Mini
The Mac Mini has got a refresh with a better, newer processor and a space grey finish. It’s also made from 100 percent recycled aluminum.
Features include the latest generation six core processor, up to 54GB of RAM and up to 2TV of solid state storage. There’s also four Thunderbolt 3, an HDMI and USB-A ports.
The Mac Mini starts at NZ $1499.
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