Apple Touts Power of M1 Chip in Latest iMacs, iPads; Refreshes Apple 4K TV
The first iMac and iPads to use Apple’s M1 chip, more powerful iPad Pros, a next-generation 4K Apple TV and a Tile-like location tag for the Find My network highlighted Apple hardware introductions during the company's virtual event Tuesday. Products go on preorder April 30 with late May availability, said presenters.
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Color was a major theme among new product intros. Some Apple followers on Twitter seemed as excited by the new purple iPhone 12 and 12 mini phones as by launches focused on performance upgrades, though several regretted it wasn't available when they bought their recent models. The new iMac line becomes available in a multicolored array, with accessory keyboards and mice to match. The iMac with a 7-core graphics processor starts at $1,299 ($1,249 for the education market), and is available in green, pink, blue and silver. The step-up 8-core iMac is $1,499 ($1,399 for education) in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue and silver. Both have 8 GB memory, a 256 GB solid-state drive, two Thunderbolt ports, two USB-3 ports and a keyboard with Touch ID.
The iMac steps up to a 24-inch Retina display, vs. 21.5 inches for the previous generation, but thinner borders keep the overall size close to the previous form factor, said Colleen Novielli, worldwide senior product marketing manager. The M1 chip and Neural Engine boost camera image quality in the 1080p FaceTime camera, and the three-mic array enables clear calls and voice recordings, said the company. Mics are positioned to reduce feedback and directional beamforming is said to limit background noise. It has six speakers and Dolby Atmos.
Previous iMacs had “huge” thermal fan systems and logic boards because of “power-hungry” processors and the need for separate CPUs and GPUs, said Novielli. The M1 architecture consolidates those functions into a much smaller logic board, enabling a more compact, 11.5-millimeter-thick design. The previously bulky thermal system was replaced by two small fans, she said.
The M1 chip also powers two new iPad Pro models. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro has a new Liquid Retina XDR display for “demanding HDR workflows,” said the company. 5G cellular models in the U.S. support millimeter-wave spectrum. A new ultra-wide front camera keeps users positioned in the frame and zooms out when another person enters camera range, it said. Prices are $799 for the 11-inch iPad Pro, $999 for the cellular version; the 12.9-inch model is $1,099 for the Wi-Fi version, $1,299 cellular.
Apple CEO Tim Cook gave a sneak peek into the second season of Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso before handing off to Cindy Lin, director-program management, who unveiled the next Apple TV 4K ($179). The streaming media player has power “that smart TVs just don’t have," she said. It's based on the A12 Bionic chip used in the latest iPhones and brings a “massive upgrade” to a TV, said Lin.
The latest Apple 4K TV steps up to high-frame-rate Dolby Vision HDR at 60 frames per second, making content look more lifelike, said Lin. Apple is working with Fox Sports, NBCUniversal, Paramount+, Red Bull TV and Canal+ as they begin to stream in high-frame-rate HDR, said the company. Videos shot on iPhone 12 Pro can be displayed in 60 fps Dolby Vision via AirPlay via the new streamer.
A new color balance feature in Apple 4K TV works with an iPhone to improve TV picture quality, said Lin. The phone’s camera and proximity sensor guide users to an on-screen target for color measurements. The app uses the light sensor in the phone to compare the TV’s color balance to industry standard specifications and then tailors the video output to compensate for "inaccuracies" in the TV’s picture settings, she said. Results are more natural color and improved contrast, she said. The feature works with phones running iOS 14.5 or later; version 14.5 will be released next week.
The player’s new Siri Remote ($59 when purchased as a separate accessory) has a click-pad control with five-way navigation that’s touch-enabled for fast directional swipes. The outer ring supports a circular gesture that turns it into a jog control. The one-piece design is made of recycled aluminum.
AirTags ($29 or four for $99), a new category for Apple, are designed to attach to items customers want to keep track of, such as keys, wallets and backpacks. Users bring an AirTag close to an iPhone, and it connects, said the company. Once set up, it appears under the new items tab in the Find My app, where users can view the current or last known location on a map. If the item is within Bluetooth range, users can play a sound to help locate it; Siri can be used for location, too. A Precision Finding feature in iPhone 11 and 12 models takes input from the camera, ARKit, accelerometer and gyroscope, then guides the user to the tag using sound, haptics and visual feedback, Apple said.
On the services side, the company introduced Apple Podcasts Subscriptions, which will let listeners discover premium subscriptions, along with free shows. It will be available to listeners in over 170 countries and regions in May. Pricing for subscriptions will be set by creators and billed monthly by default. Creators can also offer annual billing, which subscribers can manage from their Apple ID account settings. Up to six family members can share a subscription. Apple’s podcaster program is available to creators for $19.99 per year.
Apple added a family feature to the Apple Card credit card, billing it as a way for people to share the card, track purchases, manage spending and “build credit together.” Parents can share the card with their kids and set spending limits and controls to teach smart financial habits, said Cook.