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In its second event this autumn, Apple has unveiled new Macbook Air, Mac Mini and iPad Pro models.
Held at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off the product launch. Here’s what the company showcased:
Macbook Air
The all-new MacBook Air comes with a 13-inch Retina display, Touch ID, the latest processors and an “even more portable design”. Promising all-day battery life, the new MacBook Air is available in three finishes – gold, space gray and silver.
The most affordable Retina-display Mac so far, the new model includes an Apple-designed keyboard, a spacious Force Touch trackpad, faster SSDs, wide stereo sound, the Apple T2 Security Chip and Thunderbolt 3.
“The first MacBook Air revolutionised Mac with its thin wedge-shaped aluminum design. It forever changed the entire industry for portable computers and became the world’s most loved notebook,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
“Redesigning MacBook Air started with a stunning Retina display and all-day battery life, and then we added Touch ID and the Apple T2 Security Chip, the latest processors, incredible sound, the third-generation keyboard and Force Touch trackpad, high speed Thunderbolt 3 ports, and of course macOS Mojave in a beautiful, thinner, lighter, all-aluminum design that a whole new generation of MacBook Air customers are going to love.”
Mac Mini
Now with quad- and 6-core processors, up to 64GB of faster memory and all-flash storage, the new Mac mini offers five times faster performance than previous models. Specs include Thunderbolt 3 ports, the Apple T2 Security Chip and a 10Gb Ethernet option.
“Mac mini is loved by customers for its ability to be used in incredibly diverse environments – from casual desktop use, to live professional performances, to multiple Mac mini computers powering through video renderings and compiling software code, to racks of thousands in giant app build farms — anywhere a small-but-mighty Mac is needed to get the job done,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
“Mac mini customers are going to flip over the new Mac mini. It has more than five times the performance, up to 6-core desktop-class processors, an Apple T2 Security Chip, faster memory up to 64GB, high-performance all-flash storage, and is packed with advanced ports including four Thunderbolt 3, two USB-A, HDMI video, audio and Ethernet up to 10Gbps. All of this power is packed into the same size enclosure as before, perfect for customers updating or creating all-new installations where Mac mini is the ideal solution.”
iPad Pro
Apple also introduced what it called the biggest change to the iPad since the tablet range first launched eight years ago.
The new iPad Pro is 5.9mm thinner and about 15% slimmer than the previous model. More drastic changes come in the form of USB-C support, meaning users can connect the iPad Pro up to a monitor.
The new iPad also follows in the footsteps of the iPhone X range and does away with the Home button. With an almost edge-to-edge display, just like the new iPhone’s users will have to get used to swiping the screen to get back to previous pages.
Another nice touch comes in the form of the iPad Pro’s Pencil, which magnetically connects to the side of the tablet. This isn’t just so that you don’t lose it, but it also automatically charges while attached.
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