The last major Apple event of 2018 is just hours away. And if the rumor mill is right, it could be the most action-packed keynote Apple has had in years.
New iPads, Macs, AirPods and more are expected to be revealed when Tim Cook and company take the stage at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. The show kicks off at 10 a.m. Eastern. Apple will live-stream it worldwide, but we will kick off our live blog a bit before that.
Come on in and join the fun!
I’m still sour about my 12″ MacBook, but I suppose that justifies getting a new iPad this year instead. Now… which size?
After a not-so-thrilling iPhone event, they really kicked it up a notch for Mac and iPad. Pretty savvy. Take that, “Apple can’t innovate” naysayers.
I really didn’t think I needed to replace my 10.5-inch iPad Pro. Now I’m not so sure.
So other than that musical down note at the end (not necessarily bad, just a comedown!), that was pretty darn great.
New MacBook Air, new Mac mini, new programs for “Today at Apple”, updated iPad Pro hardware, a new Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, plus iOS 12.1 drops today. Apple knows how to make an event!
Man they brought the hardware heat today. Assuming you’re still awake after that coma-inducing coda, what was the most exciting thing you saw? And how big is the price tag on your Apple Store shopping cart currently?
She’s “wonderfully talented,” Buster. This is definitely not U2. She’s high-energy like a coffee shop.
“This is the best iOS version ever,” Cook says. “Check it out.”
Everything is the best ever. So tiresome.
AirPower is the best tech disappearing act ever.
No new AirPods, and not a mention of AirPower (although we’ll be checking the store when the event is over).
iOS 12 update coming in. It’s the most installed version of iOS in history. It’s on a tear. 60% of all iOS devices are already running iOS 12. And today we’re getting iOS 12DOT1
12.9-inch version starts at $999. The 11-inch starts at $799. Orders ship on November 7.
Wait, that guy in the launderette in the video can’t afford a washing machine, but he can afford an iPad Pro?
The flat edges on the iPad Pro look great. Shades of the old iPhone 4 design… kind of. (And, as was just pointed out to me, the original iPad.)
This iPad Pro is going to be great for me to read twitter and slack at the same time.
I don’t think these AR experiences are that intriguing, but when we all have AR glasses maybe they will be.
LOL I will never get comfortable watching full-grown adults staring at screens and creeping around tables as they watch their animated butterflies or orcs, feigning excitement.
Apple Pencil shortcuts are a super smart way to extend a feature of an app without needing mode switch between pencil and multi-touch
The new iPad Pro’s “8 cores of pure power” mean you can manipulate real Photoshop files with 100-plus layers with zero lag or latency, Adobe says. Truly astonishing.
Adobe with the Apple Pencil looks like a game changer. And, yes, I feel like I’m using that “game changer” term a whole lot today. But I can’t help it.
“This is Photoshop, reimagined for touch,” says Adobe during the impressive Photoshop for iPad demo. (Soon we’ll get a closer look at Aero, the company’s new AR tool.)
Adobe is on stage to show off a full version of Photoshop on iPad. We already saw this a few weeks ago, but it looks even better on the new iPad Pro. It should come out sometime next year
The new iPad rivals videogame consoles for the first time, says 2K Games. Even the individual fans are rendered individually. And the players’ jerseys are detailed down to the pinholes.
NBA2K demo on the iPad looks pretty awesome. And, of course, the Golden State Warriors are part of the demonstration.
iPad Pro is getting some beefed up apps too to take advantage of all that processing power.
The Apple Pencil is one of my favorite Apple accessories of the last few years. But the first-gen charging mechanism was awful. This new version fixes that in the most stunning way possible.
There’s also a new Smart Keyboard Folio. No pairing, charging or batteries required.
Apple Pencil is getting updated too. It looks sleek. Attaches magnetically to the iPad Pro and charges wirelessly. No pairing required like on the old one.
Apple Pencil is getting a “completely redesigned” upgrade. Magnetically pairs and starts charging wirelessly.
You can connect accessories and external monitors. And it can charge your iPhone from your iPad
WTF is up with the ugly font on Apple’s spec sheets though. It almost looks like fancy comic sans
8 core CPU and a 7 core GPU. 35% faster on a single core. 90% faster on multicore loads. It’s 92% faster than all portable PCs sold.
A12X Bionic chip is an absolute monster. It’s a 7nm chip that’s even more powerful than the A12 processor in the iPhone XS and XR
I haven’t wanted an iPad in years… but damn. My bank account is not going to like me after today.
It’s the same size as the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, but with an 11-inch display. It’s got a quarter million more pixels. There’s also a 12.9-inch version that’s smaller than the old 12.9-inch iPad Pro. It’s the same size as an 8×11 piece of paper.
This is the iPad Apple’s dreamed of making from the very beginning. The display stretches edge to edge. It uses a Liquid Retina display like the one on the iPhone XR
Pretty sick diss from Cook, comparing iPad Pro sales to laptop competitors. The numbers aren’t even close.
iPad is outselling notebooks from all other PC makers, making it the most popular computer in the world
Tim Cook gives a shout-out to Apple Store staffers around the world — “the best team on the planet!”
I hear that the new “Today at Samsung” is offering lessons on using a fire extinguisher.
If you’ve never been to a “Today at Apple” session, you should check it out. They’re really insightful at teaching apps and skills.
Apple is expanding its Today at Apple sessions to provide lessons on creating videos, photo, music and other creative stuff.
Retail is Apple’s biggest product,” Ahrendts says. It’s great to see Apple shining the spotlight on those free Today at Apple sessions. They really are a great (and underappreciated) opportunity to pick up some new skills and knowledge.
If you live anywhere near an Apple Store, you should really be taking advantage of these sessions. Apple launched them 18 months ago, and they’re a great resource.
That projection setup is incredible. It looks like she’s actually in the locations on the screen.
Angela Ahrendts in the house! She’s my favorite ever since we lost good old Bobby Mansfield to semi-retirement
Since we’re moving on from the Mac, let’s take a moment to pour one out for the fallen 12″ MacBook.
It sounds like that might be it for new Macs today. Apple is moving on to talking about its retail stores.
It’s also made from 100% recycled aluminum. If we don’t get a video of Jony Ive talking about the aluminium process I’m going to be severely disappointed.
Stackable Mac minis, made of 100 percent recycled aluminum. “It’s the biggest update ever!”
pricing starts at $799! Tim Cook has been spared from my wrath. That’s a pretty solid price for an entry Mac. Not as good as when it only cost $500 though. Orders open today. Units ship November 7
Looks like Apple found a place to use up all the connectors it removed from every other Mac.
If this new Mac mini costs over $799 i’m going to throw my shoe at Tim Cook next time I see him.
So far Apple’s bringing out lesser known executives that have never been on stage before.
Yeah, it’s much more expensive than I had anticipated, which is a shame. Still, what an awesome ultraportable.
So much for “affordable.” Was really hoping they would squeeze that entry-level MacBook price under $999, if only for psychological effect.
$1199 for a MacBook Air?! That might be a big ‘nope’ for me… The best feature of the MacBook Air used to be its price
Tim has returned to the stage. He calls the new MacBook Air “fantastic and beautiful.” But there’s more to come…
The new MacBook Air offers 8GB of memory, a 256GB hard drive, and an Intel Core i5 chip as standard. It starts at $1,199.
If there was any question about what Mac laptop most people should get, this new MacBook Air is probably it.
It will be even more impressive if this is the “affordable” MacBook the rumors have been promising.
It’s interesting to see what will happen to the 12-inch MacBook now. Apple doesn’t need both of these machines in its lineup, and the MacBook Air seems a lot better with its Core i processors. Who would buy a 12-inch model?
The new MacBook Air is “the greenest Mac ever,” Apple says. It is now showing us a video that highlights its new features and the new manufacturing process.
I love that Apple is positioning this as the same old Air, just with some changes. It’s probably 100% new except for the name.
One thing that’s missing from the MacBook Air: a Touch Bar. I’m not too sad about that though.
The new MacBook Air is made out of aluminum, but this time, it’s 100 percent recycled aluminum.
Bigger display but smaller design?! That’s awesome. This is going to be killer for students and people that don’t want to spend a couple Gs on a MacBook Pro
Of course, the new MacBook Air is environmentally-friendly, too. It uses 100 percent recycled tin and 35 percent post-consumer recycled plastic.
Despite all these improvements, the MacBook Air is even more portable. It has 17 percent less volume than the previous model, and measures just 15.6mm at its thickest point. It weighs just 2.75 pounds.
You get 12 hours of battery life when browsing the web and up to 13 hours of iTunes movie playback.
The MacBook Air is powered by an 8th-gen Intel Core processor with up to 16GB of faster memory. There’s no Core m chips here, you’ll be pleased to hear.
I wonder where this fits in the lineup? It seems like there are now too many MacBooks.
The MacBook Air’s speakers have been improved, too. It’s 25 percent louder than before with twice as much bass and wide stereo sound. What’s more, there’s a three-microphone array for better Hey Siri control and FaceTime calls.
It’s awesome to see the Mac getting so much love. I really thought they were going to kill off the Air line, but this looks pretty fantastic.
Now I just want to know the future of the 12-inch MacBook.
The new MacBook Air’s trackpad features Force Touch and is 20 percent larger than before.
The new MacBook Air features the latest butterfly keyboard, with four times the stability of the original, Apple says. It’s backlit with individual LEDs behind each key for more accurate illumination.
T2 offers secure boot, too, and an SSD controller for secure data encryption. It also provides Hey Siri.
Touch ID works just like it does in the MacBook Pro — to login to apps and authorize Apple Pay payments. It’s powered by Apple’s new T2 security chip.
That’s it for MagSafe then. I wonder if the Air has the awful MacBook keyboard in it, too.
The pixel count is four times as much as it was in the previous MacBook Air. This baby packs 4 million pixels and 48 percent more color!
The new Retina display, which is “better in every way,” is the focus. It has an all-glass cover like the MacBook and MacBook Pro, and it measures 13.3 inches.
The metal bezel around the screen have been swapped for all glass front. Speakers on the keyboard edges. Bigger touchpad.
This MacBook Air looks sooo damn gorgeous. Similar design to the last one. It only has 2 USB-C ports and a headphone jack though
“Unlike any notebook that has come before or since, MacBook Air has become the most beloved notebook ever.”
The MacBook Air changed the industry, Cook adds, with innovative features, all-day battery life, and a revolutionary design. It “embraced the notion that less indeed could be more.”
MacBook Air fans come and get your love. Tim’s about to bust out some sexy goodness
“When Steve pulled that MacBook Air out of that envelope, it was clear that things would never be the same.”
Mojave helps users get the most out of their Mac, Cook says, no matter how they use them.
Mojave the is best version so far, with “new features inspired by pro users but designed for all of us.”
What’s more, the Mac remains the number one in customer satisfaction “by far” in every survey.
Over half of Mac buyers are new to Mac, Cook adds. Apple is adding millions and millions of new customers every day.
How many celebrity cameos can you spot in this dang video? Already saw serena williams, that beatles guy, spike lee…kermit the frog
Apple made a video to showcase some of the creative things people do every day around the world with their Macs. We’re seeing it now.
“Apple’s focus has always been on providing people with the tools to unleash their creativity,” — Tim Cook.
Today’s event is focused on creativity (surprise!), Cook says, and we’re starting with the Mac.
Just a friendly reminder: shooting video on an iPad in public still isn’t ok – even if Apple shows it in their videos.
Apple continues its winning streak of great keynote opening videos with this psychedelic number.
Hasn’t Apple traditionally been pretty good about not leaking Mac updates? Especially if the outside case doesn’t have significant changes
Really hoping we get iPad Pros with Final Cut Pro and external hard drive support so i can completely ditch my MacBook
We had those parts numbers revealed by that Eurasian commercial database. Those indicated new Macs. However, I suppose it’s possible Apple just does a spec bump and launches them by press release.
Possible but highly unlikely.
There have been tons of leaks about the upcoming iPad Pro models. It concerns me we’ve heard so little about the MacBook supposedly coming today. The same goes for the Mac mini. Are they just wishful thinking?
And we’re in. Gorgeous venue #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/MTReVPweJ4
— Federico Viticci (@viticci) October 30, 2018
This venue looks very nice. Apple really seems to enjoy a more traditional theatre for their iPad events.
Someone at Apple believes in video out enough to add robust support for it to iOS 12.
How many people use video out though? What else? A VGA port? A new range of iOS printer drivers?
I don’t believe the iPad mini is coming back. The market for small iPads has dried up. Unless Apple makes it $250 or less, it’ll go nowhere.
Good morning New York! We’re looking forward to an exciting day at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. See you in a few hours! pic.twitter.com/MvyyAemoIj
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 30, 2018
Tim Cook is clearly ready for today’s big event.
I’d considered that Apple might add a USB-C port just for video-out. Seems kludgy, but the current iOS video-out solution is kludgy.
I think a pair of ports (USB-C and Lightning) could make some sense – especially if they ditch the headphone jack.
What about the USB-C and Lightning on iPad Pro rumor? That could make some sense. (I found Charlie’s post on why getting rid of Lightning would be stupid surprisingly convincing, actually.)
I’m 100 percent certain the new iPad Pro will be announced today. But I’m 50/50 on USB-C. In the past, when I was optimistic Apple was going to do something radical, I’ve always been wrong.
Here’s our full roundup of everything we expect to see at today’s event. Luke’s right — it’s gonna be a wallet-buster.
Just in case you don’t know already, here’s how to live-stream the event on any device. Depending on your platform of choice, you might need to download something in advance.
So, half an hour to go — and I couldn’t be more excited. A new iPad, multiple new Macs, an Apple Pencil refresh… suddenly the holidays just got really pricey.
