The latest Apple event took place on Monday, October 18. We received major news around the new MacBook Pro, AirPods 3, and more.
Apple returned with rumored products like the MacBook Pro 2021 (14-inch), MacBook Pro 16-inch 2021, AirPods 3, and the HomePod mini in new colors.
Apple launching new gadgets and updates almost every month now can be a bit overwhelming for most. It’s easy to lose track of them in this case.
But you’ve got nothing to worry about! We’re here to tell you what happened at the Apple Launch event. From updates to new gadgets, everything is listed in one place for you!
We’ve made sure that you don’t miss anything!
Let’s have a look at what happened in the Apple Launch Event this October 2021!
14inch and 16inch MacBook Pro
Apple’s 14inch MacBook Pro and 16inch MacBook Pro have finally made the transition to Apple Silicon; it was all worth the wait.
Apple has introduced brand new chips for these high-end laptops. Most models of the 14inch and 16inch MacBook Pros use the new M1 Pro chips. The high-end configurations of both sizes use the even more powerful M1 Max (a build-to-order option for the 14in).
These are set to provide tremendous performance and power efficiency improvements over the regular M1.
You can only notice the performance benefits of the device after you use it for some time. But the major visual changes are visible straight away.
Apple has redesigned both the 14inch and 16inch MacBook Pro.
We will also get to see a significant slimming of bezels for slightly larger displays (14.2inch and 16.2inch, respectively) within the same total footprint. However, Apple has introduced a notch to achieve this, making it the only major laptop manufacturer to do so. It makes the new MacBook Pros look like a supersized iPhone – even the iPad Pro is notch-free. Please note that the notch does not incorporate a Face ID camera, just a much much improved FaceTime camera.
The camera is now capable of 1080p video. Apple has made sure to give us a much-improved video calling experience by incorporating the three studio-quality mics within the gadgets. In addition, the quad-speaker system in the laptop supports Dolby Atmos for crystal clear voices and music.
Apple is touting its usual ‘Liquid Retina HDR display,’ with a resolution of 3,456 x 2,234.
It now also features a 120Hz “ProMotion” display, a feature also seen introduced on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max. However, unlike the phones, you can choose a specific fixed refresh rate in the Macbook if you’d prefer.
These versions also have got loads of new ports – a full-size HDMI, an improved 3.5mm headphone jack, Thunderbolt 4 (which is compatible with USB-C), and an SD card slot.
MagSafe has also made a return, but you can still charge using Thunderbolt/USB C if you prefer.
Apple states 30 minutes will get you 50% battery, while you can supposedly get up to 21 hours on a single charge.
It’s also worth noting that the Touch Bar is replaced by a new set of physical function keys. These keys form a part of the Magic Keyboard that sits above a large Force Touch Trackpad.
Pre-orders for both the 14inch MacBook Pro and 16inch MacBook Pro are now live, ahead of release on 26 October.
M1 Pro and M1 Max
Let’s talk about the new processors now!
Apple states that the M1 Pro and M1 Max are the most potent chips it has ever made, and there’s absolutely no reason to doubt that.
The affirmation of these chips giving up to 70% faster CPU performance than the original M1 is a bit hard to believe, but its high-end specs go some way towards justifying it.
The M1 Pro has a new 5nm, 10-core CPU, consisting of eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency cores. This allows the chip to deliver a similar peak performance as a PC chip whilst using up to 70% less power. No wonder Apple is so bullish when it comes to the battery life of M1 Pro devices.
In addition, the CPU works in tandem with a 16-core GPU, which is supposedly up to 2x as fast as M1.
Key upgrades on the M1 Max include a massive 32-core GPU that operates alongside the same 10-core CPU. It’s the largest chip Apple has ever produced, and it can deliver the high-end graphical performance you’d find in compact Pro PCs while using up to 40% less power.
The M1 Pro and M1 Mac both can handle multiple streams of 4K and 8K footage (including dedicated ProRes support) and connect to several high-quality monitors simultaneously.
AirPods (3rd-gen)
Apple did not update its regular AirPods since March 2019, so a refresh was overdue. For the 3rd generation AirPods we see the wireless earbuds get a subtle but welcome update, not least in design. This is where we see Apple crib from the AirPods Pro, with a shorter stem than its previous models and a horizontal charging case. However, there’s still no silicone or replaceable ear tips.
Apple has also inserted a new ‘force sensor’ on one of the buds itself. It’s primarily used to control playback but offers plenty more than the double-tap feature on the second-gen AirPods.
Users also get IPX4 water resistance, although this only protects them from splashes of water, not total submersion.
In terms of audio, the new AirPods have Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support. Both these features were debuted on the AirPods Pro and are expected to deliver a more immersive sound. There’s also Adaptive EQ, which can dynamically adjust the sound to each individual user. However, active noise cancellation is still unavailable.
Battery life has increased to 6 hours from the 5 hours on the 2nd Gen AirPods. With the wireless charging case, you get a total of up to 30 hours of use. Charging speeds sound impressive, too – just 5 minutes will get you one hour of service.
Pre-orders for the 2021 AirPods are live now, ahead of the earbuds going on sale on 26 October 2021.
HomePod mini
This is a very minor but popular update. The HomePod mini was previously available only in white and space grey, but it’ll also be offered in blue, yellow, and orange from November.
Apple Music Voice Plan
If you’re happy to use Apple Music entirely hands-free, the company has launched a new, more affordable tier.
Known simply as the Apple Music Voice Plan, it’s half the price of the next cheapest subscription at £4.99/$4.99 per month.
There’s a range of new playlists to take advantage of it, but you’ll be completely reliant on Siri.
Conclusion
This is a pretty long and detailed blog post. However, we made sure to include all the launch updates here.
Apple didn’t upset us this time. It has come with some excellent updates and launches, making October a bit better for us.
There indeed is something much more prominent in store for Apple fans in the near future.
This new technology is going to change the world!
