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.
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.
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.
You know it’s a special day at Apple when the company whips out its rainbow stage. Designed by Apple’s industrial design team, back when Jony Ive was in charge, the rainbow stage — adorned in Apple’s classic logo colors — made its debut in May 2019. That year, it was used for a concert by Lady Gaga for Apple employees.
With many Apple employees currently working from home, a concert after today’s event seems unlikely. Nonetheless, Tim Cook — who tweeted out a picture of the rainbow stage — is clearly in a party mood.
Is Apple finally getting serious about podcasting? With a premium podcast service reportedly in the works, and several exclusive shows already online, it looks like Apple might be ready to defend its turf when it comes to the increasingly popular medium.
It’s about time. The company that was so strongly identified with podcasts from the start is rapidly losing its dominance as competitors come on strong. Here’s how Apple could regain its podcasting edge.
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.
Update: The Apple Online Store is down as well now. Expect it to go back up following the conclusion of today’s Apple event.
The Apple Online Store sitemap page is down ahead of today’s “Spring Loaded” event.
Usually, Apple takes the entire Apple Online Store down ahead of its special events. Today that doesn’t appear to have happened. (Although this could change as the day progresses.)
Nonetheless, this highlights that Apple is expecting to make some changes to the products on offer — likely including a new iPad Pro, iMac, and possible other products like Apple’s location-tracking AirTags. There may also be more information about Apple’s rumored Podcasts+ service.
Apple could debut a premium podcast service at Tuesday’s “Spring Loaded” event, according to Recode reporter Peter Kafka.
“Pretty sure Apple is prepping its own podcast plan – a paid subscription service – on Tuesday,” Kafka tweeted Sunday.
No additional details are known about the possible podcast initiative, which presumably would join paid subscription services Apple News+, Apple Music, Apple TV+ and Apple Fitness+. The possibility of a paid podcasting service from Apple was rumored earlier this year.
As you might expect, we can’t wait to see what new gear Apple unleashes next Tuesday.
If you don’t mind spoiling the surprises, take a look at our predictions about what will bounce out of Cupertino’s magic pipeline during the “Spring Loaded” event.
However, if you’d rather skip the spoilers and spend your weekend watching astonishing animals, check out our reviews of the totally binge-worthy new season of Tiny World and the other new nature shows that just arrived on Apple TV+ for your Earth Day enjoyment.
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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.