Apple Is Getting Colorful Again
The new iPads shine brighter, the iMacs are more colorful, and with AirTags, the iPhone is supposed to find lost things: Apple’s innovations at a glance.
Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic was still relatively new, so Apple refrained from product presentations and instead announced new iPads and MacBooks in a press release. In the meantime, the company has perfected its online displays as well as its live shows in the Steve Jobs Theater at the company’s California headquarters.
The same was also the case this Tuesday when the group once again delivered a perfectly choreographed production. The stars were the new iMacs.
The New Colorful iMacs
For the first time in years, Apple is again offering its all-in-one computer in different housing colors and an entirely new design, just as it did at the turn of the millennium, when the concept was unique and unusual. Seven colors—green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver—are available. At the same time, Apple radically changed the design. The computers are much slimmer than before and have more defined edges than their predecessors.
The New iPad Pro With an M1 Chip
It was clear that Apple would introduce a new version of the iPad Pro. What nobody expected: Instead of a new version of the A14 chip that is in the iPhone 12, Apple is packing the M1 processor, which also works in the new iMacs and MacBooks, into the new tablet. In addition, Apple has replaced the USB-C port with a Thunderbolt socket. It looks the same but enables much higher data rates, for example, to connect hard drives or large screens.
The 5G cellular module, which is now finally available in Apple’s flagship tablet, also promises higher data rates and can ensure fast connections on the go—if you can find a 5G network. The storage space can now be ordered up to two terabytes in size. The 12-megapixel webcam has a wide angle and a function called Center Stage to ensure that you always stay in the center of the picture during video chats.
What Makes Mini-LED Screens Special
LCD screens, such as those used in most televisions and computers, need a light source to glow. Because LEDs have been used for illumination for years, such screens are often referred to as LED TV or LED displays.
In the simplest case, the sides of the screen are fitted with one or more LED light strips. These so-called edge LEDs are cheap, but they also ensure that the entire screen always lights up a little, thanks to their rough construction. That is why there is no natural black on such displays and only low contrasts.
The solution for this is so-called full-array LEDs, in which many LEDs are installed directly behind the display. In combination with local dimming, where the background lighting is switched off in separate areas in dark scenes, you get good black levels and contrasts. However, weak areas can still “bleed out”; for example, when light-colored letters in the credits of a film wander over a black background and are not displayed perfectly sharp.
Mini-LED technology solves this problem by using many more and much smaller LEDs for the backlight. LG, for example, presented televisions in early 2021 in which 30,000 tiny LEDs illuminate the picture with exceptional precision. The result is very high image quality, with black levels and contrast that come close to those of self-emissive OLED screens while being significantly cheaper to produce.
It won’t be cheap, however. In the 11-inch version, the iPad Pro costs 879 euros; the 12.9-inch iPad Pro starts at 1199 euros. The versions with a 5G module cost 170 euros more each.
AirTags: Find Your Lost Items
AirTag is the name of the new tracking device that brings Apple’s “Find My” functionality to physical items. The system is reminiscent of Tile Tags and Samsung’s SmartTags: you can put an AirTag in your backpack or hang it on your key ring and use the app to find the items marked this way if you lose or misplace them.
Tile responded immediately with a prepared statement. Tile said it felt flattered that Apple was now entering this market as well. At the same time, Tile said it was justified for the US Congress to take a closer look at Apple’s business practices. Tile sees Apple’s “Where is?” As unfair exploitation of the company’s market power.
Apple specifies the unit price at 35 euros. In a pack of four, the AirTags cost 119 euros.
Apple TV 4K, Podcast Subscriptions, and a Purple iPhone
Apple’s streaming box, Apple TV 4K, is getting a purely technical upgrade consisting of the A12 Bionic processor. Among other things, the upgrade should enable the playback of films with HDR and Dolby Vision at up to 60 frames per second. In conjunction with an iPhone 12, there is also the option of calibrating the color rendering of the television set. The remote control contains a new type of ClickPad that is intended to simplify operation.
As a new service, Apple announced Podcast Subscriptions, which Apple users can use in a newly designed podcast app to subscribe to premium podcasts in addition to free ones. SPIEGEL will be there at the start with its podcast offers.
As a side note, a new variant of the iPhone 12 and 12 mini was announced. The only difference between them and the previous models is the color: a soft purple.
Also Read: How To Check iPhone Model Number
