It’s 4/20 and Apple’s big iMac and iPad Pro launch event was a total trip. The new Mac desktop comes in a rainbow of colors, and the M1 processor in the latest tablet will blow you away. And there’s AirTag too, at long last.
Grab some snacks and get ready to find out what the new products mean for Apple users and for the company’s future.
The just-announced 2021 iPad Pro packs at least 8GB of RAM and can be configured with 16GB. The days when Apple’s tablets got an anemic amount of RAM are over.
There’s so much, Apple stopped hiding the amount. It now proudly announces how much RAM is in its latest professional-grade tablets.
The 2021 iPad Pro is built around an Apple M1 processor that brings a tremendous speed boost. And the USB-C has been upgraded with Thunderbolt, leading to faster connections to external drives. Plus, there’s a version with 5G.
But the latest top-tier iPadOS tablet more than fast — it looks great too. The 12.9-inch version includes a mini-LED display that both improves the look and uses less power.
Apple took the wraps off the new sixth-generation Apple TV 4K on Tuesday. The upgraded set-top box boasts Apple’s A12 Bionic chip, which should bring a welcome performance boost. But perhaps more importantly, Apple redesigned the controversial Siri Remote.
The upgraded remote packs a new clickpad control system, a touch-sensitive ring that makes it easy to jog video backward and forward, and dedicated power and mute buttons.
The world’s most popular all-in-one now runs on Apple Silicon. The all-new and beautifully colorful iMac, unveiled today at Apple’s Spring Loaded event, packs a blazing-fast M1 chip into an aluminum form factor that’s just 11.5mm thick.
The new 24-inch machine delivers significantly faster performance and more powerful graphics, but consumes less power than ever before. It’s also available with Touch ID — a first for a desktop Mac — and it goes on sale on April 30.
Apple announced some changes to its Apple Podcasts app at Tuesday’s Spring Loaded event. While not quite the dedicated Podcasts+ subscription service some were expecting, the update will allow individual creators to easily disseminate paid podcasts. From the sound of things, it’s a bit like an App Store for podcasts.
Apple describes Apple Podcasts Subscriptions as a “global marketplace for listeners to discover premium subscriptions offered by their favorite creators,” alongside offering millions of free shows.
In a surprise move, Apple just introduced a brand-new color for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini — purple.
The new color spiced up Apple’s “Spring Loaded” special event Tuesday. It’s an unusual move for Apple, which rarely introduces new colors or finishes mid-cycle.
Apple just took the wraps off AirTag, a small tracker that users can attach to items for easy location at a later date.
Tile and other companies already offer rivals products. But Apple’s trackers offer technology that makes finding lost items easier and more accurate.
Transparent iPhone cases don’t have to be boring. Limited77’s awesome range, new to the Cult of Mac Store, features unique designs that help your iPhone stand out from the pack.
They’re also slim but ultra-protective, and available at up to 22% off the usual price for a limited time. Bag yours before the discounts disappear.
Update: Now that Apple’s Spring Loaded event is history, you can watch (or rewatch) it at the YouTube link below.
Apple’s next big event is just hours away, and it promises to be a big one for fans of iPad, AirPods and more. It will be an online-only affair, like other recent Apple events, and you’ll be able to watch it live almost anywhere.
Find out how before the “Spring Loaded” event begins in just a few hours.
GoDonut is a tough, portable stand that’s compatible with a wide range of handsets and small tablets. It can be used in landscape or portrait, and offers multiple viewing angle. Plus, it’s colorful and fun.
I tested GoDonut with iPhone and iPad. And other devices, too. Here’s why I like it. And why I don’t.
Get your Apple Watch ready for summer with these colorful, high-quality Milano leather bands from Laut. They’re beautifully made, with a slim and lightweight design that’s great for warm weather, and they’re nicely priced at under $50. Bag yours today from the Cult of Mac Store.
Google Stadia could be the answer for anyone who wants to play console-quality games on an iPad. There are many big-name titles to choose from, and players can use off-the-shelf game controllers. This is cloud gaming — everything is played online so the service doesn’t take up space on your iPad.
I spent quite a bit of time playing Stadia games on an Apple tablet. Here’s why I recommend it.
Trusted tipster Mark Gurman says the 2021 iMac all-in-one desktop might be the next to get the M1 processor. The announcement could be only a few days away.
And that’s only the beginning. There’s plenty more evidence that an upgraded iMac will launch at Apple’s April 20 event.
This week on For All Mankind, Russians are blockading the moon and Ed Baldwin’s going up to set ’em straight. Can old-fashioned American ingenuity prevent the reignition of the Cold War?
Be honest, are you even watching Apple TV+’s alt-history space race show?
Two of Apple TV’s big nature shows just returned back for their second seasons mere months after they debuted. Tiny World is the cuter of the two. Its micro look at a macro world remains charming, cute and sometimes despairing and gross, but never so much you couldn’t show it to kids.
Apple TV+ docuseries Earth at Night in Color delivers a fresh batch of majestic nighttime sights, cruel natural phenomena and fascinating perspectives in its second season, which premieres today. The show didn’t quite reinvent the nature documentary wheel, but it still offers a welcome retreat from the horrors of 2021.
Slip an Apple MagSafe puck into the Elago Charging Tray to create an iPhone 12 charger with a built-in tray. The combination quickly powers up your handset while also helping to organize your desk or nightstand.
The accessory has been beside my bed for several weeks. Here’s why I like it.
Redditor XTJ7, a programmer and photographer based in Germany, knows how to make a setup last and do just what he needs it to do. As his recent post declared, his setup’s core is two “trash can” Mac Pro towers from 2013 plus a racy gaming PC.
Yeah, you heard right: That’s two computers running from 2013 to now. Eight years might as well be a few decades as far as computer performance goes. But he has his reasons to wait on the upgrade.
A nature special and a cautionary tale, The Year Earth Changed delivers a whole mess of qualified good news that you’re going to wish didn’t come with so many strings attached to it. An engaging, largely drone-shot 45 minutes of TV, the new Apple TV+ documentary about the environmental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic won’t change your life. But it will make you feel slightly better about having just spent the last year indoors.
Apple has saved 861,000 metric tons of copper, tin, and zinc ore by removing power adapters from iPhones, starting last year. That’s one of the tidbits from Apple’s factoid-studded Environmental Progress Report, released Friday.
It showcases how Apple is working toward its efforts of achieving net carbon neutrality across its whole supply chain by 2030. As Apple notes, that includes “How [an Apple product is] designed, how it’s made, how it’s shipped, how it’s used, [and] how it’s recycled.”
Google just added the ability to locate lost iPhones using the Google Assistant. It’s a super-handy feature for those who own a Google smart speaker or display, and it’s very easy to set up. We’ll show you how.
Apple Fitness+ added screen legend Jane Fonda to the Time to Walk feature for Earth Day. She discusses her life as well as the fight against climate change.
Time to Walk promises interesting and encouraging audio stories to liven up walking for exercise. It’s part of Apple Fitness+, a $9.99-a-month subscription workout service built around Apple Watch.
Apple Fitness+ will introduce new workouts geared specifically toward pregnant women and older adults next week, the company said Thursday. There will also be new Yoga, High Intensity Interval Training and Strength workouts for beginners coming soon to Apple’s subscription fitness service.
Earth Day takes place on April 22 and, as it has for years, Apple has its own tie-in promotions ready to help publicize the annual event dedicated to environmental protection.
From today through Earth Day, Apple will donate $1 to Conservation International — up to a maximum of $1 million — for every Apple Pay transaction via Apple’s website, the Apple Store app, or in physical Apple Stores.