Table of Contents
Introduction
Hi Folks, so Apple just held its October ‘Unleashed’ Event. Well we here at tech2stop do cover, all launched products separately, but this time we shall provide you with a complete summary of the Apple October ‘Unleashed’ Event, for you to take a detailed look at everything that’s launched.
To keep, things easy to read and simple, we shall cover the main highlights in bullet points. So let’s start.
If you are more interested in a summary video, here’s one from VERGE
Apple Music Voice Plan
Apple’s main two points of discussion for this October Unleashed event was music and Mac. So for music, apple has stressed on integrating SIRI, with Apple Music in the most seamless possible way. Siri now has access to more comprehensive playlists, for every situation, and the voice integration is seamless.
This new Voice Plan in Apple Music allows users to access all playlists, and premium music with the help of Siri.
- Voice Plan starts at 4.99$/month
- Available in 17 countries including India
- Can be used by 1 person
- Has access to all songs and playlists.
HomePod Mini
HomePod mini has received no-major update. It’s just a couple of new colours being added to the lineup.
- HomePod mini now comes in 3 new colours : Yellow, Orange, Blue
- It starts at 99$
- It can now also be used as an intercom
AirPods 3rd Gen
Apple’s AirPods have been amongst the best selling pair of wireless earbuds, since it’s launch. Now Apple has announced the 3rd generation of Apple AirPods.
Let’s discuss what’s new with the Apple AirPods 3rd Gen
- AirPods 3rd gen now come with support for Spatial Audio
- They have a new contour design for better experience.
- Apple has designed custom low-distortion drivers for the AirPods 3rd gen, for great bass, and superb audio clarity , even at higher frequencies.
- AirPods 3rd gen are sweat and water resistant.
- Adaptive EQ is now also present in the AirPods 3rd gen. This feature was originally released with the AirPods Pro. This changes the equaliser settings in real-time, for the best audio experience of the user.
- The AirPods Pro give upto 6hrs of listening time, and the case can charge it fully 4 times. Thus giving it 30hrs playback time with the case.
- AirPods now also have fast charging option, wherein you can get 1hr of playback, with just 5mins of charge.
- The AirPods now start at 179$ / nearly 18,000 rupees in India.
Now we are done with the music part of the event. Let’s start with the Mac part.
MacBook Pro , Apple M1 Pro & M1 Max
Essentially Apple has launched 2 new MacBook Pro devices. But before we talk about the Macs,we need to inform you about the 2 – new Apple Silicon chips : The M1 pro and the M1 Max.
Apple M1 pro
- It’s the first pro chip in the M1 series
- 200 Gb/s memory bandwidth is now present.
- Upto 32Gb of unified memory
- Based on 5nm technology
- 33.7 Billion transistors are present
- It’s a 10 core CPU, with 8 high performance cores, and 2 high efficiency cores
- It has a 16 core GPU
- The Media Engine supports Pro-Res Video formats, and really work well with softwares like FCP X
- There’s support for upto 2 Apple Pro-Display XDRs and thunderbolt I/O.
Apple M1 Max
- The M1 Max is has 400Gb/s memory bandwidth
- It has 51.2 Billion Transistors
- The same 10 Core CPU is present as the M1 Pro
- There’s a 32 core GPU present
- Support for upto 4 external displays is there.
Now the new chips, along with the macOS integration give phenomenal performance, especially in tasks like 3-D rendering, video editing, app/game development etc.
Now let’s talk about the MacBook Pro lineup launched in the Apple October ‘Unleashed’ event.
MacBook Pro 2021
The MacBook Pro this year has been launched in 2 sizes : 14 inch and a 16 inch model. Let’s talk about the changes.
- Keyboard layout on the MacBook Pro has been changed
- Physical function keys replace the touch-bar
- I/O has been enhanced, with 1 HDMI Port, 1- Thunderbolt-4 port, 1 headphone jack, SD card reader
- Mag-Safe 3rd generation makes a return with support for fast-charging.
- Users can now charge the Mac with mag-safe as well as using the thunderbolt ports.
- The MacBook Pro supports upto 2 – Pro Display XDRs, with the M1 Max configuration in both the sizes.
- The designs on the MacBook Pro lineup has changed after a long time.
- The Displays now have notch design, with 24% thinner borders and 60% slimmer top borders.
- The 16 inch variant has a 16.2 inch display with a resolution of 3456 x 2234. The 14 inch variant has a 14.2 inch display with a resolution of 3024 x 1964.
- Both displays are Pro-Motion Displays with upto 120Hz refresh rates.
- The displays are having the same mini-led tech from the newer iPads, and they are Liquid Retina XDR displays, with a peak brightness of 1600 nits.
- The Displays are by-far the best on any notebook ever.
- The Web-Cam on the MacBooks have also improved to a 1080p shooter with a wider aperture and a larger sensor, with support for computational video.
- There’s now a 6 speaker spatial audio system, with best quality microphones which have 60% lower noise floor. So video calls are great on the new MacBook Pros.
- The new SSD on these devices give speeds upto 7.4 Gb/s
- With increased power, a dip in battery life is expected. But Apple claims to have 17 – 21 hrs of continuous video play back on the 14 and 16 inch variants respectively.
- The devices are made of 100% recycled aluminium.
- The 14-inch model starts at 1999$ , and 16-inch model starts at 2499$
Conclusion
So these were the announcements made in the Apple October ‘Unleashed’ Event. A cheaper and user-friendly Apple Music plan, new colours for the HomePod mini, AirPods with better design and spatial audio, and the super powerful new MacBook Pro lineup. Apple this year has enhanced the MacBook Pros especially for the creative people, and the introduction of the new Apple Silicon chips, open up new horizons for developers, and creative personnels.