Apple launches New iPad Pro, Mac Mini and MacBook Air

Taking the stage at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced the company’s second hardware centric event of the year to an audience that seemed to rival that at the Steve Jobs Theatre in September, in sheer enthusiasm.

The city and location for the event was chosen as Apple perceives it as a centre of creativity since the products being unveiled concern creativity.

The first of the products to be presented was an all-new MacBook Air, bringing a 13-inch display, Touch ID, the latest processors and a more portable design.

Attendees try out the new MacBook Air during an Apple launch event.

This thin and light notebook also includes an Apple-designed keyboard, a spacious Force Touch trackpad, faster SSDs, wide stereo sound, the Apple T2 Security Chip and the Thunderbolt 3. Most importantly however, the laptop now has a Retina display, which Apple says is most customer-requested feature for the MacBook Air. It now has 48 per cent more colour than the previous generation with images that are more lifelike than ever.The new MacBook Air also includes a built-in FaceTime HD camera, which works for Group FaceTime calls with friends and family, as well as a three microphone array for better sound quality when making calls and improved voice recognition for Siri.

The new notebook features an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, Intel UHD Graphics and faster 2133 MHz system memory up to 16GB. It also has SSDs up to 1.5TB in capacity, that are, according to Apple, up to 60 per cent faster than the previous generation. The MacBook Air is now lighter and takes up less volume. Prices for the Air start at Rs 1,14,900.

Apple’s versatile Mac mini also sees an upgrade now with quad- and 6-core processors, up to 64GB of faster memory and fast all-flash storage. It features the Thunderbolt 3 ports, the Apple T2 Security Chip and a 10Gb Ethernet option making it a more capable desktop. Apple claims that the Mac Mini now delivers five up to five times faster performance than the previous generation able to handle tasks like photo and video editing, music creation and software development, and workflows including video transcoding, code compiling and live musical performances. With up to 64GB of 2666 MHz memory, Mac mini can load larger files into memory, run more virtual machines or manipulate even larger data sets. It will work on the MacOS Mojave. Prices for the Mini start at Rs 75,900.

Apple also launched new models of its iPad Pro, the more professional level versions of its tablet. These will now be available in 12.9-inch and 11-inch variants and will feature many of the capabilities of the iPhone such as Face ID which works in both landscape and portrait modes, and the A12X Bionic Neural Engine processor and performance that Apple says rivals most laptops. The new iPads have very thin bezels, which means there is no longer a home button. The signature Apple lightning port now gives way to a regular USB Type-C port.

A line of new iPad Pros stands ready for demos during an Apple launch event.

The iPad Pro from the start was created for use with the Apple Pencil, which itself now sees an upgrade. The Pencil now clamps on to the iPad magnetically and charges when attached. Apple describes the screen of the iPad Pros as the world’s most advanced display. The displays on both models are now bigger without taking up more volume. The new 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro will be available in silver and space grey finishes in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB configurations as well as a new 1TB option. Prices for India start at Rs 71,900 and go up to Rs 1,35,900.  The Pencil and the Smart Keyboard are both optional extras and also see an increase in price.

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