Apple is hosting one of its trademark product keynote events this morning in Brooklyn, New York. Apple is also live streaming the event from its website. We’ll be updating this post live with the most important news from the show in roughly chronological order; refresh or click here for the latest.
The Preamble:
The theme for today’s event is essentially Apple’s “most creative products” — and its products for creative professionals. Apple is holding the event in an opera house, its logo is being drawn in a bunch of different art styles, and today’s introductory videos feel more art-house than Hollywood blockbuster. CEO Tim Cook didn’t do much of a windup — we’re jumping right into the Mac update.
The MacBook Air:
Apple’s Mac business now has 100 million active devices. First up for an update: The MacBook Air, which “truly embraced the notion that less could indeed be more,” per Cook, who says it’s the “most beloved notebook [computer] ever.”
This is a big update, arguably overdue, for one of Apple’s most popular products.
The new MacBook Air has a high-resolution retina display — addressing its biggest shortcoming — plus two USB-C ports and a headphone jack. The new display has 50 percent narrower borders and 48 percent “more color.” The new Air now supports TouchID to unlock your Mac or use Apple Pay, a feature Apple previously introduced in the MacBook Pro. It can drive a 5K external display. Apple is pledging 12 hours of battery life in “wireless web browsing.”
The MacBook Air is smaller — 17 percent less volume — and 10 percent thinner, and a bit less than 10 percent lighter, weighing in at 2.75 pounds. It’s made from 100 percent recycled aluminum.
The new MacBook Air starts at $1199, the lowest price for a retina Mac, but 20 percent more expensive than the old MacBook Air, which recently started at $999. Pre-orders start today, with availability next week.
The Mac mini:
Apple is also making another long-awaited Mac update, a new Mac mini. “This new Mac mini is an absolute BEAST on the inside,” Apple promises.
This smallish device has had a weird history — Apple goes years between updates — but has a strong niche following, using it as a media center, to power conference room TVs and even in server farms. It will now support quad- and 6-core processors, offering 5X faster performance, and up to 64 GB of memory — a lot for a small device.
The good news for Mac mini fans: Unlike Apple’s laptops, which have been losing their ports, this Mac still has a bunch of them, including four USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, HDMI, ethernet, etc. Its aluminum enclosure is now also 100 percent recycled. It starts at $799, with pre-orders starting today and shipments on Nov. 7.
Preview:
Apple is expected to announce new iPad Pro tablets and Mac computers today.
The iPads will supposedly sport thinner borders and support Apple’s Face ID system, and represent Apple’s ongoing push to capture more of the professional market with the iPad — a long-term effort that hasn’t come easy. There’s also a chance Apple will refresh the iPad mini.
The new MacBook will supposedly be the successor to the still-popular MacBook Air, which was revolutionarily portable when its current design launched in 2010, but is now showing its age.
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