Today Apple had their ‘California Streaming’ event. There was a number of products announced including new iPads, new Apple Watch, and new iPhones. Let us go in event order, starting with the 10.2-inch iPad.

10.2-inch iPad

The entry-level iPad is the most popular iPad model. It is not only the most popular due to it being the successor of the original iPad but also because of its low entry price of $329. The new 10.2-inch iPad has the A13 Bionic which provides 20% faster processing over the previous model, for CPU, GPU, and neural engine.

Beyond the speed increases while using the iPad, you should also see some improvements when taking pictures and video, because the camera sensors have been improved as well. The back camera is still an 8MP sensor, but it now includes improved autofocus and better low light performance. The Face Time camera is a different story.

The FaceTime camera is now has a 12MP camera sensor that includes an ultra-wide sensor with a 122 degree field of view. This will work quite well with a feature called CenterStage. CenterStage is already available on the iPad Pro, but it is now available on the 10.2-inch iPad Air as well. CenterStage will automatically adjust the zoom when people enter the field of view.

The 10.2-inch iPad has the same design, is available in two colors, Silver and Space Gray, and comes in 64GB and 256GB sizes. The price is still the same at $329 for the 64GB, and $479 of the 256GB, with the cellular versions being $459 and $609 respectively. You can order it today and it will be available starting September 24th. 

There was another iPad that got an update, the iPad mini. Let us move onto that one next.

Source: Apple Newsroom - iPad

iPad mini

The iPad mini is Apple’s smallest iPad. Even though it is the smallest that does not mean that it is the slowest. The iPad mini has received the biggest update. The iPad mini now has a similar design to that of the iPad Air. This means that there is a new edge to edge display, and the home button is no longer present. 

The removal of the Home button has two big impacts. The first is the size of the device hasn’t changed, that means the screen is now larger at 8.3-inches diagonally. Also like the iPad Air the iPad mini still has a Touch ID sensor, and the iPad mini’s TouchID sensor is located in the sleep/wake button.

The position of the sleep/wake button has moved from the side to the top of the device. The reason for this is to allow support of the 2nd generation Apple Pencil. Also like the iPad Air, the iPad mini now has USB-C.

The iPad mini has also seen a significant increase in speed due to the new A15 Bionic processor. tHis processor provides a 40% increase in CPU performance, 80% increase in Graphics performance, and up to 2x faster neural engine computations as compared to the previous version.

The iPad mini has two new sensor arrays, the FaceTime camera is the same as the one in the 10.2-inch iPad with the same features for Center Stage. The rear camera is a 12MP Wide camera with an ƒ/1.8 aperture, which is an improvement over the previous generation. To go along with this, there is a True Tone flash, to provide better lighting when taking photos. 

The iPad mini comes in four colors, Space Gray, Pink, Purple, and Starlight. The iPad mini comes in two sizes, 64GB and 256GB, for $499 and $649 respectively. The cellular models, which support 5G, are $649 for the 64GB, and $799 for the 256GB model.

The iPad mini is available to order today and will be available starting on September 24th. Now, onto the Apple Watch.

Source: Apple Newsroom - iPad mini

Apple Watch

Apple unveiled the Series 7 Apple Watch. This model of watch comes with a new design. The design includes smaller bezels, which means that the face of the Apple Watch Series 7 is slightly larger. This new design allows for some rethinking and redesign of the various Watch Faces. 

The glass of the Apple Watch Series 7 is stronger. According to Apple it should be more crack resistant. It is also dust resistant due to its IP6X rating, and remains water resistant with the WR50 rating.

The exterior is not the only changes coming to the Apple Watch. The Series 7 is also capable of ‘Fast charging’, up to 33% faster with a new Magnetic charging cable. And with a 15-minute charge you should be able to get an 8-hour charge, which is perfect for charging right before you go to sleep for sleep tracking.

The Apple Watch Series 7 comes in five colors, Midnight, Starlight, Green, Blue, and (PRODUCT)RED. The Apple Watch Series 7 will be priced starting at $399, and will be available “Later this Fall”. 

The Apple Watch Series 7 redesign means that the watch comes in 41mm and 45mm variations, but the good news is that all of your existing Watch bands will be compatible with the new watches. On the topic of watch bands, there are some new ones.

Watch Bands

There are a significant number of new Apple Watch Bands as well. The new watch bands are, as broken down by type:

Solo Loop

• Abyss Blue
• Chalk Pink
• Clover
• Dark Cherry
• English Lavender
• Marigold
• Starlight

Braided Solo Loop

• Abyss Blue
• Dark Cherry
• English Lavender
• Maize
• Pride Edition
• (PRODUCT)RED

Sport Band

• Abyss Blue
• Clover
• Dark Cherry
• Marigold
• Midnight
• Starlight

Sport Loop

All of these are two-toned and aligned vertically.

• Abyss Blue/Moss Green
• Dark Cherry/Forest Green
• Maize/White
• Pink Pomelo/Tan
• (PRODUCT)RED
• Tornado/Gray

Nike Sport

• Magic Ember/Crimson Bliss
• Midnight Navy/Mystic Navy
• Olive Gray/Cargo Khaki

Nike Sport

All of these now have the Nike "Swoosh" on them.

• Black
• Cargo Khaki
• Summit White

Leather

• Chalk Modern Buckle
• Dark Cherry Leather Link
• Golden Brown Leather Link
• Midnight Leather Link
• Midnight Modern Buckle
• Sequoia Green Leather Link
• Wisteria Modern Buckle

All of these watch bands are available to order today. Next, onto iPhones, starting with the iPhone 13.

Source: Apple Newsroom - Apple Watch

iPhone 13 Phones

The iPhone 13  is a big update over the iPhone 12 line. There are four total new iPhones, the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. The physical sizes have not changed they are 5.4-inch, 6.1-inch, 6.1-inch, and 6.7-inch respectively.

The entire iPhone 13 has the same A15 processor as the iPad mini, so all of the features and speed will apply to these devices as well. Additionally, there is a new 20% smaller notch on the iPhone 13, so you will be able to see more of the screen.

There is a new camera feature across the entire line called Cinematic Video mode. Cinematic Video is a technique that allows the focus of a video to shift from the foreground to the background. This typically takes a lot of setup in order to do, and was not necessarily easily achievable on the iPhone. With the iPhone 13 this can be done by simply tapping on the person to focus on, and then tapping on another person will change focus. The iPhone will even try to automatically detect changes when a person’s focus changes and adjust accordingly.

The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 are getting an ew Super Retina XDR Display, which is 28% brighter and provides 800 nits of brightness with a peak of 1200 nits. There is still the P3 color gamut, and HDR10. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini also have 6-core CPUs, with 2 high performance and 4 high efficiency cores. The 16-core Neural Engine is capable of performing 15.8 trillion operations per second.

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are getting a re-worked camera system. The first change is that the two lenses are now diagonal from each other instead of vertically aligned. They have a new f/1.6 aperture wide lens, which will allow 47% more light, which should be better in most situations. A feature pioneered with the iPhone 12 Pro Max is making its way to the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13, sensor shift optical image stabilization. This means that there should be better optical image stabilization in all situations. 

All four iPhone 13 models are getting a new feature called “Photographic Styles”. These are preferences that you can set that will allow you to apply specific styles to all of your photos. You can use a combination of features to create your own stye. The best part is that you do not need to set it every time, you can just set it once and then it will be used for all of your photos, by default.

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are designed to be the most advanced iPhones that Apple produces. They do not disappoint in that. Much like the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 the Pro are also getting a new display. The more efficient OLED display will be able to provide 1000 nits of peak brightness while outdoors. While this is a helpful change, there is a much bigger change, ProMotion.

ProMotion has been available on the iPad Pro models for a while, but it is coming to the iPhone 13 Pro models. ProMotion is the ability for the screen to automatically adjust its refresh rate. In the case of the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max it can go from 10Hz to 120Hz, and it can do this dynamically as needed. The lower refresh rate means that if the screen does not need to refresh it will reduce the rate in order to save battery, but when high refresh speeds are needed, they can make everything look much smoother and faster.

Beyond the screen, the entire rear camera system is getting an improvement. The first improvement is the telephoto lens which is now a 77mm lens. This larger sensor allows 3x optical zoom, which should allow for sharper photos. The Ultra Wide camera is an f/1.8, which allows for 92% better low light performance, and the wide lens is a f/1.5 aperture lens which has 2.2x better low light performance.

Battery life is an important part of any iPhone experience. All of the iPhone models are getting an improvement in battery. The iPhone mini and iPhone 13 Pro should see up to an extra 1.5 hours of battery life, while the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max should see an increase of up to 2.5 hours.

The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 come in five colors, Blue, Midnight, Pink, (PRODUCT)RED, and Starlight. There are three sizes, 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are available in four colors, Gold, Graphite, Sierra Blue, and Silver. There are four available storage sizes, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Here is as complete breakdown of the pricing:

All of the iPhone 13 models will be available for pre-order on September 17th, with delivery or pickup on September 24th.

Source: Apple Newsroom - iPhone 13 Mini/iPhone 13, Apple Newsroom - iPhone 13 Pro/iPhone 13 Pro Max

Closing Thoughts

Today’s “California Streaming” event was a packed one. It included updates for the iPad, iPad mini, Apple Watch, and iPhones all in 75 minutes. 

The 10.2-inch iPad has seen a bump in processing power with the A13, the new camera system which supports Center Stage for better video conferencing. 

The iPad mini takes cues from the iPad Air with the new significantly reduced bezels, which results in a larger 8.3-inch screen. The iPad Air adds support for the 2nd Generation Apple Pencil, which is accomplished by moving the sleep/wake button to the top and includes Touch ID. The speed improvement on the iPad mini is significant with a 40% increase in CPU, and 80% in GPU performance. The new 10.2-inch iPad and 8.3 iPad mini are available to order today with availability starting on September 24th. 

The Apple Watch Series 7 has some improvement as well, including a new design that is more edge-to-edge. This has resulted in a slight increase in size to 41mm and 45mm, but the good news is that your existing Apple Watch Bands will continue to work with the new Apple Watches.

The screen is a more crack resistant glass, so you can be a bit more rough with it. There is also the new IP6X dust resistance and the WR50 water resistance rating. 

When you need to charge your Apple Watch, it can be done faster with the 33% faster charging, and you can get 8 hours of charge in just 15 minutes. 

The Series 7 Apple Watch will be available in five colors, Blue, Green, Midnight, (PRODUCT)RED, and Starlight and will be available “later this fall”. 

The iPhone 13 line of phones has a significant set of improvements with the new camera sensors which provide better low light photos, and sensor shift optical image stabilization across the entire line. This is all made possible with the 20% smaller FaceTime camera sensor array. Battery life is seeing an improvement of up to 1.5 hours on the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 Pro, and up to 2.5 hours on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro Max. 

The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 are available in five colors, Blue, Midnight, Pink, (PRODUCT)RED, and Starlight. The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are available in four colors, Gold, Graphite, Sierra Blue, and Silver.

The iPhone 13 lines of phones will be available for pre-order this Friday, September 17th and will begin arriving on September 24th. 

I will have a post about how well my predictions did later this week.

With each Apple event, I make some predictions of what I think will be shown at the event. The 'California Streaming' event is no exception. Normally I provide a percentage likelihood of a prediction coming true. I am not going to do that this time. It will just be the prediction itself. On that note, here is what I think we will see announced at the event.

Four New iPhones

I think that we will see the next set of iPhones be announced, specifically four new iPhones. These will be the iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max, just like last year's iPhone.

I think the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max will have a higher refresh-rate. The iPad Pro models have ProMotion, and I am thinking that the Pro iPhones will get it this year.

No Macs

Apple announced the transition to Apple Silicon at their World Wide Developer Conference in 2020. In November of 2020 the first set of devices were announced, the 13-inch MacBook Air, the two-port 13-inch MacBook Pro, and the Mac mini. In April of this year Apple announced the 24-inch iMac with Apple Silicon.

Even though it would be a good time to release new Macs, I do not think we will see any announced at this event.

Refreshed iPads

I think we will see two new iPads, the standard 10.2-inch iPad, and the iPad mini. There are indications that the 10.2-inch iPad is running low on inventory, which could indicate that there is a new version imminently.

The iPad mini has not been revised in nearly 2 1/2 years. It is likely time that we will see a new iPad mini, possibly with a design that mimics the iPad Pro line, with squared off edges, Face ID, and even possibly USB-C. Checking the Apple Store, there does not seem to be any issues with inventory on this model, but it probably sells fewer units than other models.

Apple Watch

I think we will see the Series 7 Apple Watch. I suspect it will be a slight improvement over the Series 6, with two slightly larger sizes, 41mm and 45mm. This would be a 1mm increase over the previous models. Outside of this, I do not think there will be any new sensors, just a faster processor and a new design.

Prediction Recap

I think the 'California Streaming' event will be a bit more subdued. While there will be new hardware, I think it will fall more onto a smaller set of upgrades. Here is a recap of what I predicted.

As is the case with other events, I will have a full recap post on what Apple announces after the event.

Today Apple sent out invitations to attend an event titled 'California Streaming' for 10 am Pacific Time on September 14th, 2021. It will be available to stream on Apple TV or via the Apple Events website. It is likely that Apple will announce a new line of iPhones, but I will be publishing my predictions before Tuesday. What are you expecting to see?

Today Apple held their "Spring Loaded" event, and it was a packed event. There were a bunch of new products announced an update to Apple Card, a new podcast service, a new iPhone 12 Color, AirTags, a new iMac, a new Apple TV 4K, and a new iPad Pro. Let us look at each of these in turn.

Apple Card Family

Apple Card was introduced in August of 2019. Since its introduction each person has to apply for their own card and it cannot be shared. This arrangement means that there is discrimination in that the primary card holder is the one who builds credit, while a spouse or partner may not build up credit. This all changes with Apple Card Family. According to Apple:

Apple Card Family allows two people to co-own an Apple Card, and share and merge their credit lines while building credit together equally. Apple Card Family also enables parents to share Apple Card with their children, while offering optional spending limits and controls to help teach smart and safe financial habits. 

This is a great addition and will be available in May, but this will be U.S. only. It may expand to additional countries in the future, but there is no information on future expansion.

Apple Podcast

Audio content has always been a big draw for many users. People listen to audio in a variety of situations. This could be music, radio, audiobooks, or even podcasts. Apple has maintained a directory of podcasts since they first added podcast support to iTunes in June of 2005. Today Apple announced a big shift to podcasts, including Podcast subscriptions.

Starting in May, listeners in more than 170 countries and regions can sign up for premium subscriptions that include a variety of benefits curated by creators, such as ad-free listening, access to additional content, and early or exclusive access to new series. Listeners will be able to enjoy premium subscriptions from independent voices and premier studios...

All of this coincides with a redesigned Podcasts app which will allow users to discover shows similar to the ones they enjoy through the new Top Charts, Categories, and Advanced Search options. The new Podcasts app will be available with iOS 14.5 and the new Podcast Subscriptions will be available in May.

Purple iPhone 12

While it has not been every year, Apple has consistently added a new color to its latest iPhone lineup in the spring. Typically it has been the PRODUCT(Red) phone, but there is already a PRODUCT(Red) the iPhone 12. Instead of red, Apple has introduced a new purple color. This is a similar shade of purple as the purple iPhone 11.

The purple iPhone 12 will be available for pre-order this Friday, April 23rd with delivery beginning on April 30th. The prices remain the same as the regular iPhone 12. You can also get an iPhone 12 mini in purple, if that is your preference.

AirTag

No matter how much we may try, we all end up losing things from time to time. Sometimes we can quickly find the items. However, in some cases it is not that easy. There have been accessories that allow you to find your missing items, and when Apple introduced their "Find My" network, many speculated when Apple would release their own trackers. Well, today Apple announced their tracking device, called AirTag.

AirTags are little devices that utilize the U1 chip in your iPhone 12 to be able to help locate items. AirTag utilizes the "Find My" network to allow anybody to locate your missing device anonymously without giving anyone your location.

Apple has some accessories for the AirTag, including leather key rings, loops, leather loops, and even third-party accessories from Belkin, like the secure holder and secure holder with key ring. Apple has partnered with Hermes to provide a Bag Charm, Luggage Tag, and Key Ring.

You can customize your AirTags by engraving them with up to 4 characters including emoji. This is done when you order them. Speaking of ordering, AirTag will be available for pre-order this Friday, April 23rd and they will begin arriving April 30th. You can purchase a single AirTag for $29, or a 4-pack for $99.

Apple TV 4K

Apple is doubling down on their original TV content with shows like "The Morning Show", "Wolfwalkers", and "Ted Lasso". One way to enjoy all of the content that you want is through the Apple TV, and in particular the Apple TV 4K. The last update to the Apple TV was in September of 2017. Today Apple announced a new Apple TV 4K.

The new Apple TV 4K includes an A12 Bionic chip, which provides even better graphics and processing. There are three other features with the Apple TV 4K. The first is a feature called high frame rate HDR.

High frame rate HDR

With A12 Bionic, Apple TV 4K now supports high frame rate HDR (High Dynamic Range) and Dolby Vision video, enabling fast-moving action at 60 frames per second (fps) to play more smoothly and appear more lifelike than ever before.

This should make any video that you watch even better. Beyond fast-moving video, this should also help with things like gaming. The Apple TV 4K supports the Playstation 5 controller as well as the Xbox Series X|S controller. However, controllers are not the only way to control items on the new Apple TV 4K. There is another way, and that is the next big feature, a redesigned Siri Remote.

When the Apple TV was originally introduced many did not like the Siri Remote. Some of the big issues with the Siri Remote were that the touch surface was a bit too sensitive and it was hard to orient the remote in low light situations. Apple has taken these, and additional issues into account with the new Siri Remote.

Siri Remote

The new Siri Remote is an all aluminum design with a five-way directional pad, home button, back button, play/pause button, volume up and down buttons, and a mute button. Along with this, in the upper right corner, you will find a power button. The power button and mute button are designed to allow you to control your TV's power and mute functionality without needing a separate remote. The other buttons are designed to provide you quick access to these functions.

The five-way directional pad will allow you to control the content even easier than before. Along with this, there is a circle around the five-way directional pad that will allow you to more easily jog through content to find the exact scene you are looking for.

The Siri Remote, as the name implies, still has Siri, but this is now a button on the right side of the remote. You can hold down the button and ask Siri your question and you will get a response just as in the past.

There is one last feature, and this one is a software feature called Color Balance.

Color Balancing

Each television set has its own characteristics. Some televisions can more accurately represent colors better than others. With the new Apple TV 4K you will be able to use your iPhone to provide the Apple TV with a better color balance so that it can compensate for any discrepancies in the color representation in your television. This is done by holding your iPhone up to your television when the Apple TV 4K is in Color Calibration mode. Once finished, the Apple TV 4K should be able to provide you with better colors while watching content.

The new Apple TV 4K is $179 for the 32GB model or $199 for the 64GB model. You can purchase a Siri Remote separately for $59 and it will work with previous versions of the Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K. Lastly, there is an update Apple TV HD with the new Siri Remote. This is $149 for 32GB of storage.

All of these Apple TV-related products are available for pre-order on April 30th, with availability in the second half of May. Next, let us turn to a slightly different device, the iMac.

iMac

Last June at WWDC 20, Apple announced that they would be transitioning all of the Macs to their own Apple Silicon chips and this transition would take approximately two years. The first batch of devices, the MacBook Air, the lower-end 13-inch MacBook Pro, and the Mac min were all released with the M1.

Today Apple unveiled another new Mac with the M1, the smaller iMac. I use the term "smaller", because the first change is that it is no longer a 21.5-inch device, instead it is a 24-inch model. This is possible through the reduction in bezels, which now are just a thin border around the edges, similar to the iPad Pro. In the bezel is a whole new camera system. More on that in a moment.

Screen

The higher 21.5-inch iMac models had a 4K screen. With the 24-inch screen the new resolution of 4480-by-2520 resolution at 218 pixels per inch, creates a 4.5K resolution for the screen.

There is a now a 1080p camera system, that will allow better FaceTime and other video calls. This is all handled through the M1 image signal processor. This will provide better low-light performance. To go along with the video, is a better microphone system, which Apple calls "studio-quality mics", similar to the 16-inch MacBook Pro. The microphones will allow better sound due to cancelling out room noise and the like.

The new 24-inch iMac is powered by the M1. This design allows for a much thinner profile. The thinner profile is not just a bit thinner, but massively thinner. The screen is flat, like the iPad Pros and comes in at 11.5mm thick. This is made possible through a redesign of the cooling system, which allows air to be pushed through the system as well as a redesigned logic board, which is much smaller thanks to the M1 powering the entire system.

The screen is not the only new feature, the biggest, and likely most requested feature, is one that users like to customize and that is the color.

Colors

There is another big change to the 24-inch iMac. When the original G3 iMac was introduced, it came in a bunch of colors. Since the Intel transition beginning in 2005, the iMac has only been available in three colors, White, Silver, and Space Gray. With the latter being on the iMac Pro only. The 24-inch iMac now comes in a variety of colors, up to seven different color options, depending on the model. The full list of color options are:

• Blue
• Green
• Pink
• Silver
• Yellow (Higher end only)
• Orange (Higher end only)
• Purple (Higher end only)

The base and front of each iMac is a light shade of the color, whereas the back if a vibrant color. There are two different model types, just like the MacBook Air. There is an 8-core CPU, 7-Core GPU model, and an 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU model.

Internals

All models include an M1, a 24-inch screen, 256GB of storage, 8GB of unified memory, and two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports. The higher-end model includes two USB-3 ports, and Gigabit Ethernet (configurable on the lower end model).

For options, on the 8-CPU/7GPU model you can configure a 512GB or 1TB storage option, and the aforementioned Gigabit Ethernet. On the 8-CPU/8-GPU model you can configure 512GB, 1TB or 2TB or storage.

The 24-inch iMac includes a 143 watt power brick, with a 2 meter/6 foot cable. This cable is a woven nylon cable, that is also color matched to the system. This is not the first time that Apple has used a woven nylon cable. In fact, Apple used one on the original HomePod as well as the HomePod mini. That is not the only feature of the power brick.

If you look at the back of the iMac you will notice that there is no Ethernet port, even on the higher-end model. That is because the ethernet port is in the power brick. The power port on the iMac can handle both power and data, and the Ethernet connection is handled over this cable. Apple indicated in the event that this will allow you to reduce the number of cables running to the computer, which was one of the goals of the original G3 iMac.

Next, let us look at the keyboard and mouse, there have been a couple changes there as well.

Magic Accessories

With the addition of colors, Apple is also including a color-matched accessories. These include the Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Keyboard. The bottom portion of the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad are color matched, and white on the top. As is the case with the current Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard, you need to power it with an included USB-C to lightning cable. Just like the power cable, this is color matched with the iMac.

The Magic Keyboard is not to be left out of being of being color matched, because it is also color-matched with the iMac. However, there is a big change with the Magic Keyboard, beyond the color. There are new icons on the keys; well there are but that is not the big change. The big change is that the Magic Keyboard now has a Touch ID button, that replaces the eject button.

This is the same Touch ID that you see with the MacBook Air and MacBook Pros. For the first time you can use Touch ID on your iMac just like you can on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. This is a big advancement.

The lower-end iMac does not get the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, however you can configure the iMac with that keyboard. The higher-end 24-inch iMac has the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID included in the box. There is also a Magic Keyboard with Number Pad and Touch ID that is can be configured on either 24-inch iMac model, should you need that model.

The 24-inch iMac will be available or pre-order on April 30th, with availability in the second half of May. The 24-inch iMac starts at $1299 for the 8-Core CPU/7-Core CPU model, and $1499 for the 8-Core CPU/8-Core GPU model. Next, let us look at one last new product, the iPad Pro.

iPad Pro

Last year Apple upgraded the iPad Pro with a couple of new features, an A12Z processor and a new camera system. The new camera system allowed developers to use LiDAR used within Augmented reality applications. This was a minor update over the 2018 iPad Pro. Today Apple released a new set of iPad Pros, however these are not small updates.

Processor

There are still two iPad Pro models, the 11-inch and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. However, the processor within the two devices is radically different. In fact, it is not longer an A-series processor. It is now an M1 processor, the same one that is iMac, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini. According to Apple this means:

The 8-core CPU design features the world’s fastest CPU cores in low-power silicon - delivering up to 50 percent faster CPU performance than A12Z Bionic. The 8-core GPU is in a class of its own, delivering up to 40 percent faster GPU performance. 

With the iPad Pro running the M1, that means that it can support Thunderbolt/USB 4. The iPad Pro does just that. The USB port has been replaced with a Thunderbolt/USB 4 port. This means that you can use accessories like Thunderbolt storage as well as being able to power the Apple Pro Display XDR at its native resolution with the iPad Pro.

Since the original iPad in 2010, the iPad has had an option of cellular connectivity. The latest iPad Pros are no exception. The 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models now have 5G connectivity as an option.

Camera

Along with the M1, there is also an improved Face ID camera. There is now a 12 Megapixel camera with a 122 degree field of view. This means that video calls will be even better than before. However, that is not the only feature with the camera. The camera will now automatically try to keep you in the center of the frame, so if you move to the side, the camera will move as well; up to its 122 degree limit. Similarly, if another person enters into the view, the camera will try to zoom out to include everyone in the shot. This is a nice feature which will make things a bit nicer overall.

The M1, Thunderbolt/USB 4 port, as well as the improved camera is included on both the 11-inch iPad Pro and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. However, there is one feature that is specific to the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, a Liquid Retina XDR display.

Display

The Liquid Retina XDR display uses a new technology called Mini Light Emitting Diode, or Mini LED. Mini LED, as the name implies, these are very small LEDs. For comparison, in the previous iPad Pro models there were 72 LEDs. In the new 12.9-inch iPad Pro, there are over 10,000. These are broken down into dimmable regions so the color can be reproduced even more accurately than before. This also allows certain areas to be individually dimmed, again allowing even better color options.

The Liquid Retina XDR display has a standard brightness of 600 nits. However, at max brightness it is 1000 nits, and its peak is 1600 nits of brightness. It is not likely that the max brightness will occur very often.

Accessories

The 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models support the 2nd Generation Apple Pencil. Along with this, there is a new Magic Keyboard. The Magic Keyboard is a slight change from the previous generation. There is a new color as well, White.

The 11-inch iPad Pro supports the existing Black Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro has a new Magic Keyboard, which will be $349.

Both the Magic Keyboard for the 5th Generation iPad Pro, as well as the White version of the 11-inch and 12.9-inch Magic Keyboard will be available for pre-order on April 30th.

Price

Both iPad Pro models came in a variety of storage sizes, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB options. The 2TB option is new this year. The 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB, models all have 8GB of memory, while the 1TB and 2TB models have 16GB of memory. This is the first time that Apple has indicated the amount of memory in an iPad.

The 11-inch iPad Pro has the following cost breakdown of Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular

• 128GB - $799 / $999
• 256GB - $899 / $1099
• 512GB - $1099 / $1299
• 1TB - $1499 / $1699
• 2TB - $1899 / $2099

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro has the following cost breakdown of Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular

• 128GB - $1099 / $1299
• 256GB - $1199 / $1399
• 512GB - $1399 / $1599
• 1TB - $1799 / $1999
• 2TB - $2199 / $2399

The 12.9-inch model is more expensive this year, as is cellular. Cellular costs an addition $200, whereas last year it was $149. You can pre-order an 11-inch or 12.9-inch iPad Pro on April 30th, with availability being the second half of May.

Closing Thoughts

Overall, what Apple announced definitely lived up to the name of the event being "Spring Loaded".

The event was full of new products including Apple Card family, which allows two co-owners of a card to build credit equally as well as providing limits for children. This will be available in May. Apple also introduced a new Podcast subscription service, that will allow listeners to support their favorite podcasters. This feature will be available in May. Apple also unveiled a new iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 color, purple. This will be available for pre-order on Friday with delivery beginning on April 30th.

Along with the iPhone, Podcast, and Apple Card, Apple unveiled a new product, AirTag. The AirTag is a way of being able to locate missing items. AirTag will cost $29 each or $99 for a 4-pack. These will be available for pre-order this Friday for delivery beginning April 30th.

The new AirTag is not the only new product, there is a new Apple TV 4K replete with a new Siri Remote. The new Apple TV 4K has an A12 Bionic processor. The A12 Bionic also allows for the new Color Calibration feature and high frame rate HDR to allow the best television watching experience. The new Siri Remote is aluminum with a new button layout and the dedicated Siri button is now on the side. There are new power and mute buttons that will operate your existing television. The Apple TV, and Siri Remote, will be available for pre-order on April 30th, with availability in the second half of May.

Possibly the biggest product release is the new 24-inch iMac. The iMac has an improved Face Time camera and thinner bezels. The new 24-inch iMac is significantly thinner, 11.5mm thin. The speakers have been improved as well. The 24-inch iMac can come in 7 different colors and there are three configurations. The 24-inch iMac starts at $1299, can be configured up to 2TB of storage and 16GB of RAM. The iMac will be available or pre-order on April 30th, with availability beginning in the second half of May.

The last new item that Apple released was a new set of iPad Pro. Both models include an M1, providing even more performance over the previous generation. The iPad Pro models can come in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB. There is a Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular models. The Wi-Fi + Cellular models cost $200 more than the Wi-Fi models, but the cellular is now 5G. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro has a new Liquid Retina XDR Display that uses Mini LED technology. The iPad Pro models will be available for pre-order on April 30th, and will be available in the second half of May.

All of the new products today are great upgrade, or addition, to Apple's product line up. While there is nothing available to purchase today, there are a couple of items available for pre-order this Friday, April 23rd, while the remainder are available for pre-order on April 30th.

Source: Podcasts, Apple TV 4K, iMac, iPad Pro

Today, Apple announced that they will be holding a "Spring Loaded" event. The event will be streamed on April 20th at 10 am Pacific Time. The invitation states "Please join us for a special Apple Event from Apple Park." This makes me think that it will be an event similar to the fall events.

While there has been speculation that there would be an event this spring, it looks like Siri let it slip that it was going to be next Tuesday. Here is a screenshot of Siri's response my Mac, as well as another one from my iPhone, when I asked "Siri, when is the next Apple Event".

Siri's response is "The special event is on Tuesday, April 20, at Apple Park in Cupertino, CA. You can get all of the details on Apple.com". As is the case with other Apple events I will post my predictions for what I think we will see at the event, so stay tuned for that.

Earlier this week I made my predictions for what we would see at Apple's "One more thing" event. Let us look at how well I did.

New Macs running Apple Silicon – 100%

This one I did get correct. We actually got 3 new Macs running Apple Silicon. The MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro, and a new Mac mini.

macOS Big Sur release date – 100%

We did get a release date for macOS Big Sur. Which is tomorrow, November 12th, 2020. You can learn all about macOS Big Sur by getting the e-book from Apple or Amazon for $3.99 each. You can also order a paperback in black and white for $14.99 or the color version for $39.99. The Amazon e-book will be available on Friday.

Craig Federighi showing off macOS Big Sur – 95%

I got this one correct because Craig Federighi did indeed show off macOS Big Sur.

Demos of iOS apps and macOS apps working together – 95%

Unfortunately, we did not get to see these apps working together, but we did get a variety of apps that were shown working on Apple Silicon.

New MacBook Air with Apple Silicon – 90%

Yes, we did get a new MacBook Air with Apple Silicon. You can read all about this in my event recap post.

macOS Big Sur released on 11/11 – 75%

I got this one wrong, because the release date is actually November 12th, not November 11th. I did debate on whether this would be the case. Thinking that the version number was 11, it would make sense to release on 11/11, but alas, they did not do this.

Closing Thoughts

I got 4 out of 6 correct. That's not as bad as I have gotten in the past, but I have definitely done better. I do not think we will have any more events this year.

On Tuesday, November 10th, Apple is holding their "One more thing" event. This event will be streamed, just as was the case with the previous two events, "Hi, Speed" and "Time Flies" events. Each of the previous events have focused on a small number of things. I think the same will happen in this event.

I think there will be two items covered in this event, Macs, and macOS Big Sur. Here is what I think we will see.

Macs

The first thing I think we will see is the first Macs that are running Apple Silicon. Apple has stated that they will be releasing Macs running Apple Silicon before the end of the year. We are quickly approaching the end of the year and it is not likely that Apple will have a December event, but stranger things have happened.

The big question is which Macs will be the first Macs with Apple Silicon. I think we will see a laptop and a desktop. The question is which ones. I think we will see a MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro. The new MacBook Air will replace the existing ones. I do not think the existing models will continue to be available, at least not directly from Apple.

I also think we will see a bunch of comparisons between the "current" Macs and the new Apple Silicon ones. In particular, I think this will be with professional apps to show that these the new Apple Silicon Macs are no slouches when it comes to performance. Furthermore, I also think we will see some iOS apps running on these machines and how all of iOS apps as well as native macOS apps work seamlessly together.

The MacBook Air is the one that makes the most sense, as it is the entry level model and it is the one that most users would be happy to use. Along with this, I think we will be informed of when we will be able to order these, which I think may be later in November and they will begin shipping in early December.

Big Sur

Apple Silicon Macs will require macOS 11 Big Sur. I think we will see an Apple Silicon-specific feature that has not been revealed yet. There are no rumors of this, but it is just a hunch I have. I do think we will get a release date for macOS Big Sur, and I think it will be the following day, November 11th. I think this for few reasons.

The first, is provides a big of a buffer between the release of the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max. A lot of people will upgrade soon after its release. The second reason for this is the date. macOS Big Sur is version 11.0. It would be symbolic for Apple to release version 11 of macOS on 11/11/2020. The third reason that I think this is that iOS 14 was released the day after the announcement, therefore it might stand to reason that macOS Big Sur will follow the same pattern.

Predictions Recap

Here are my actual predictions for what I think we will see.

• New Macs running Apple Silicon - 100%
• macOS Big Sur release date - 100%
• Craig Federighi showing off macOS Big Sur - 95%
• Demos of iOS apps and macOS apps working together - 95%
• New MacBook Air with Apple Silicon - 90%
• macOS Big Sur released on 11/11 - 75%

Closing Thoughts

I don't think that we will see any other products with this announcement. I think Macs running Apple Silicon is too much of a big deal to share the stage with anything other than macOS Big Sur, which is needed to power the Macs.

You can learn all about macOS Big Sur by pre-ordering the e-book from Apple or Amazon for $3.99 each. There will be paperbacks available soon after macOS Big Sur is released and the e-books will be released the same day that macOS Big Sur is available.

Today Apple announced an event titled "One more thing". This is slated for November 10th, 2020 at 10:00 am Pacific Time. This event will follow the same format as previous events this year and be live streamed. It is expected that this will be the event where Apple unveils the first Apple Silicon Macs, but there may be more.

As is the case with other events, I will have my predictions for what we will see, a recap of what was announced, and well as a predictions results post.

Earlier this week Apple held their "Hi, Speed" event. On Sunday I made my predictions for what I thought we would see. I made 16 predictions for this event, so let us see how well I did with my predictions for this event.

iPad Air order and release date – 100%

Unfortunately, I got these two predictions wrong. Apple did not provide a release date, nor an order date at the event. It was announced as a press release the morning of Friday, October 16th, that iPad Airs were available for order that day and would be available on October 23rd.

iPhone 12 mini/iPhone 12/iPhone 12 Pro/iPhone 12 Pro Max - 100%

I got all four of these correct since Apple announced four different phones, the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

iPhone 12 Screen Sizes (Four Predictions) - 100%

I predicted that there would be three different size screens. The iPhone mini at 5.4 inches, the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro at 6.1-inches, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max at 6.7-inches. All four of these were correct as these were the screen sizes.

iPhone 12 new blue color – 95%

There is indeed a new iPhone 12 color called Blue.

iPhone 12 Pro Max new blue color – 95%

I got this one correct as well. There is a new iPhone Pro/Pro Max blue color, Pacific Blue.

All four models having 5G – 90%

Yes, all four iPhone 12/12 Pro models have 5G connections in them. I will be interested in seeing how well 5G works compared to 4G with the same phone in the same locations.

HomePod mini available in November – 90%

Yes, the HomePod mini is available for pre-order on November 6th, with a release date the week of November 16th. I am quite interested in the HomePod mini and will likely end up ordering a couple of them.

HomePod mini for $99 – 90%

Yes, the HomePod mini is available for $99 in either white or black.

Big Sur release date – 90%

Unfortunately, I got this one wrong. No release date for macOS Big Sur has been released. You can pre-order either of the e-books for my macOS Big Sur book. You can pre-order macOS Big Sur for Users, Administrators, and Developers on Apple Books or Amazon Kindle for $3.99.

Prediction Results

Out of 16 predictions, I got 13 correct. This is probably the best I have done at 81.25% being correct. With no release date for macOS Big Sur and no announcement of new Macs running Apple Silicon, I am guessing that there might be one last event sometime in November. I guess we will know soon enough. If there is indeed an event, then I will have another prediction post for what we will see at that event.

In the meantime, be sure to check out the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Availability posts for availability of the latest iPhones. You can also get all of the details of the event in my event recap post.

Apple had their "Hi, Speed" event today and it had a lot in a short amount of time. Apple only covered two items today, HomePod and iPhone. Let us look at each in turn starting with the HomePod.

HomePod

The HomePod is Apple's smart speaker for the home. Back in 2017, Apple introduced the HomePod and released it in February of 2018. Since then, the speaker itself has not changed. Today, there is a new addition to the HomePod line, the HomePod Mini.

The HomePod Mini is a much smaller version of the HomePod. It stands at 3.3 inches high and 3.9 inches wide. This much smaller size means that the weight has also been significantly reduced. The HomePod mini is now 0.76 pounds versus the larger HomePod size of 5.5 pounds. The physical characteristics are not the only thing to change. The internals have changed as well.

The larger HomePod has 7 tweeters, and you cannot fit 7 tweeters in the small size of the HomePod mini. Instead, there are two tweeters with a new "acoustic waveguide", which will direct the sound where it needs to go. The new HomePod Mini is powered by Apple's S5 chip. The same one that powers the Apple Watch SE and the Apple Watch Series 5. This also includes the U1 chip, which will help detect the proximity of your iPhone.

What the U1 chip will do is allow you to move throughout your home and your audio can follow wherever you are. This means that you can go about doing housework without needing to carry around anything with you. The

There is also a new feature to the HomePod called Intercom. Intercom is a way of being able to address all of the HomePods in a home so you can get everyone's attention. When someone hears an Intercom message, they can also respond back. The Intercom feature is not limited to HomePods. It can also work with iPhones as well as CarPlay devices. Additionally, you can address an individual room with an Intercom message.

Ultimately, the much smaller package comes with a smaller price tag as well. The new HomePod mini is $99 and comes in Space Gray or White. It will be available for pre-order starting on November 6th, with delivery the week of November 16th. Next, let us look at the iPhone.

iPhone

Apple unveiled a slew of iPhones, four in total. These are the iPhone 12 Mini, the iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Pro, and the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Let us look at these in two groups, iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro. Before we do that, let us look at the commonalities between all of the models.

iPhone 12 Common Features

Even though Apple introduced four new iPhones, within two different groups, there are some commonalities between all of the iPhone 12 models.

Internals

All of the iPhones have the A14 Bionic. This processor has six cores, a faster neural engine, and is built on a 5 nanometer process. According to Apple:

the A14 Bionic features a 16-core Neural Engine — for an 80 percent increase in performance — that is capable of completing 11 trillion operations per second, enabling improved performance on even the most intense ML models.

5G Connectivity

The biggest among the commonalities is the inclusion of 5G. All four models have 5G cellular radios within them, and in the U.S. the millimeter-wave variant of 5G will be supported. 5G will allow faster downloads and uploads. This includes up to 4Gbps download and 200Mbps upload. These are in ideal conditions, which means you will likely see speeds a bit slower than the ideal ones.

5G connectivity will use more battery, so if you do not need the speed, your iPhone 12 will automatically switch to LTE in order to save battery.

Cameras

The ubiquity of smartphones means that everybody has the potential to take pictures. One of the more common types of photos taken is the selfie. While some, myself included, hate taking selfies, there is a large contingent of people who like taking them. The entire iPhone 12 line has a new TrueDepth sensor array, including the front camera. With this new sensor comes a new option, the ability to take Night Mode selfies.

The new front camera will allow better low-light shots so you can take good selfies even if you are in a low-light area. To go along with this new night mode selfie option, you can now also take time lapse pictures and video with Night Mode enabled.

There are more changes with the cameras, but those will be covered in a bit.

Environmental Impact

Even though Apple introduced four new iPhones, within two different groups, there are some commonalities between all of them. The biggest among them is the inclusion of 5G. All four models have 5G cellular radios within them, and in the U.S. the millimeter-wave variant of 5G will be supported. All of the iPhones have the A14 Bionic. This processor has six cores, a faster neural engine, and is built on a 5 nanometer process, which allows for better efficiency of battery.

One of the areas where Apple is attempting to help the environment is by reducing waste. One way to do that is to not include some items in the box. Much like the Apple Watch, the iPhone 12 line will not include a power brick within the box. Furthermore, there will no longer be headphones included in the box. All of this means that the iPhone 12 boxes should be significantly smaller and will allow more to be packed onto a pallet, which should reduce fuel consumption overall.

A charging cable is still included in the box. But this has changed slightly. In the box will be a USB-C to lightning cable. This means that you will need to get a USB-C power brick, if you do not have one, or you can use wireless charging. Which all of the iPhone 12 models include.

The most interacted item on an iPhone is the screen. All of the iPhones have some similarities in their screen. All of the iPhone 12 models will have an HDR display that has a Wide P3 color gamut and supports True Tone.One of the experiences that all iPhone owners will likely eventually have is when they drop their phone and the glass breaks. Apple has made the glass a bit tougher over the years, but this year is a larger jump in protection with the new Ceramic Shield.

Ceramic Shield

The Ceramic Shield is a new feature that you will not see directly, as it is it built into the glass on the iPhone 12 line. This protective coating is designed to make the glass four times more resistant to breaking. This means that if you accidentally drop your iPhone it is less likely to have the glass break. According to Apple,

the Ceramic Shield front cover, which goes beyond glass by adding a new high temperature crystallization step that grows nano-ceramic crystals within the glass matrix, increases drop performance by 4x.

Whether or not the Ceramic Shield will indeed limit breaking of the front glass has yet to be seen, but it could prove interesting and a great enhancement. That concludes all of the common features, next let us turn to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini.

iPhone 12/iPhone 12 mini

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini are essentially the same phone, except for the size. The iPhone mini has a 5.4-inch screen with a resolution of 2340-by-1080 pixels. Whereas the iPhone 12 has a 6.1-inch screen with a 2532-by-1170 pixel screen. Both models come in three storage options: 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB.

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini have an aluminum shell that will be pretty sturdy. The back will continue to be glass and, as mentioned above, the front will be the Ceramic Shield. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will come in a variety of colors, let us look at those now.

Colors

The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will be available in five colors. These colors are:

• Black
• White
• (PRODUCT)RED
• Green
• Blue

The iPhone 12 mini's price depends on your carrier. There is a $30 instant discount for AT&T and Verizon subscribers. Here is the pricing for AT&T and Verizon for the iPhone 12 mini/iPhone 12:

• 64GB is $699/$799
• 128GB is $749/$849
• 256GB is $849/$949

Pricing for T-Mobile, Sprint, or Sim-Free is $30 more.

• 64GB is $729/$829
• 128GB is $779/$879
• 256GB is $879/$979

The 6.1-inch iPhone 12 will be available for pre-order this Friday, October 16th and will begin arriving on October 23rd. The iPhone 12 mini will be available for pre-order on November 6th, and will begin arriving on November 13th.

iPhone 12 Pro/iPhone 12 Pro Max

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are very similar in features. The only difference between the two models is some features on the cameras. Before we dive into the differences in cameras, let us look at a new feature to the iPhone 12 Pro line, LiDAR.

LiDAR

LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, is used to measure the distance from one object to another. This is done by measuring the amount of time taken for the reflection of a light to bounce back to the source. LiDAR is not new to Apple products, as the 4th Generation 12.9-inch, and 2nd Generation 11-inch iPad Pro models are equipped with it. However, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max are the first iPhones to have the technology.

LiDAR is used heavily with Augmented Reality and allows you to map out a scene in extensive detail. You can then take this data and use it to build an Augmented Reality scene. Having LiDAR on the iPhone 12 Pro models will allow the technology to be used more heavily within the iOS ecosystem. Next, let us look at the other changes regarding the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Max, the Cameras.

iPhone 12 Pro/iPhone 12 Pro Max Cameras

One of the biggest uses of any iPhone is its camera. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro Max have similar cameras, but they are different. To quote Apple:

iPhone 12 Pro features the new seven-element lens Wide camera with an ƒ/1.6 aperture, the fastest ever on an iPhone, for 27 percent improved low-light performance in photo and video; the Ultra Wide camera with a 120-degree field of view, perfect for capturing more scene in tight spots or epic landscapes; and a 52 mm focal length Telephoto camera, great for framing portraits, bringing the optical zoom range to 4x.

iPhone 12 Pro Max takes the pro camera experience even further. The new ƒ/1.6 aperture Wide camera boasts a 47 percent larger sensor with 1.7μm pixels for a massive 87 percent improvement in low-light conditions. It also includes the expansive Ultra Wide camera and a 65 mm focal length Telephoto camera for increased flexibility with closer shots and tighter crops. Combined, this system offers 5x optical zoom range.

Both of the iPhone 12 Pro models can shoot photos in a few feature called Apple ProRaw. Apple ProRaw is a way of taking RAW photos, like you would on a non-smartphone camera, and combine it with Apple's Machine Learning to provide a combination of the two technologies.

The two iPhone 12 Pro models have the same camera setup of three lenses of Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto lenses. The Ultra Wide lens features an ƒ/2.4 aperture with a 120° field of view and the Wide lens has an ƒ/1.6 aperture.

Here is a breakdown of the differences between the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Pro, in terms of camera features. These will be in the format of iPhone 12 Pro/iPhone 12 Pro Max.

• Telephoto lens: ƒ/2.0 aperture ƒ/2.2 aperture
• Optical Zoom in: 2x/2.5x
• Optical Zoom out: 2x/2x
• Optical Zoom Range: 4x/5x
• Digital Zoom: 10x/12x

The above differences are for still pictures. There are some variations between the two when it comes to video as well. The iPhone 12 Pro has a digital zoom up to 6x for video, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max has up to 7x digital zoom for video.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max wide camera sensor has exclusive feature to it, Sensor-shift optical image stabilization. The Sensor-shift optical image stabilization will allow minor vibrations to be compensated for, so you will not get blurry and bouncy images when using the Wide sensor.

One of the differences for the iPhone 12 Pro models, as compared to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini, is the back and shell. The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro max have a Textured matte glass back and stainless steel design. The stainless steel edges should allow the color iPhone you choose to really shine. Speaking of colors, let us take a look at the options.

Colors

Similar to the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available in four colors. These colors are:

• Silver
• Graphite
• Gold
• Pacific Blue

The iPhone 12 Pro models will come in three different storage options, 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. The base storage has been doubled from last year. Unlike the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max pricing is a bit simpler. The base price remains unchanged from last year, however, the higher storage options have actually been reduced in price. The pricing for the iPhone 12 Pro/iPhone 12 Pro Max is:

• 128GB is $999/$1099
• 128GB is $1099/$1199
• 256GB is $1299/$1399

The 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro will be available for pre-order this Friday, October 16th and will begin arriving on October 23rd. The 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available for pre-order on November 6th, and will begin arriving on November 13th.

Let us turn to one additional thing that is new, and that is one last item that is common to all of the iPhone 12 models, MagSafe.

MagSafe

There is one thing that is featured on all of the new iPhones and that is a new MagSafe connector. This connector allows you to more easily position your iPhone on a wireless charger, meaning that you will be able to get an efficient charge. MagSafe is built into all of the new iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models. To go along with this is a new set of cases. There are cases for each size in a variety of colors. These colors are:

• Black
• Clear
• Cyprus Green
• Deep Navy
• Kumquat
• Pink Citrus
• Plum
• PRODUCT(RED)
• White

These will be available for $49 each. Sometimes you want to travel with as few things as possible. There is a new accessory that allows you to leave your wallet at home, and that is the new "iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe". These leather additions have a MagSafe connector on the back of them and allow you to put the important items in the wallet and attach it to the back of your iPhone. These wallets will come in four colors:

• Baltic Blue
• California Poppy
• Saddle Brown
• Black

Each of these Leather Wallets will be $59. While Apple is producing MagSafe accessories, other manufacturers are not being locked out. They are free to create new accessories that will work with the MagSafe charger on the iPhones 12 line.

The image at the top of this section is called a MagSafe Duo. There is no release date, nor pricing on this, but it should be able to charge both an iPhone as well as an Apple Watch.

Older iPhones

It is not uncommon for Apple to keep older iPhone models around, however they have not done so the last few years. This year is an exception to that. The iPhone XR, and iPhone 11 will remain in the lineup of iPhones, but at new prices.

The iPhone XR is still available in its six colors:

• White
• Black
• Blue
• Yellow
• Coral
• (PRODUCT)RED

It is still available in two sizes, 64GB or 128GB. The 64GB model is $499 and the 128GB model is $549.

Similarly, the iPhone 11 is still available in its six colors:

• White
• Black
• Green
• Yellow
• Purple
• (PRODUCT)RED

The iPhone 11 is also still available in its three storage sizes, 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB. The prices for each is $599, $649, and $749 respectively.

The iPhone SE is still $399 for the 64GB model, and $449 for the 128GB model, and $549 for the 256GB model. It is still available in the same three colors, White, Black, and (PRODUCT)Red.

Closing Thoughts

The new iPhones are great additions to the existing lineup. The fact that Apple kept the older models around will be good for those who may not want, or be able to afford, the latest technology but still may want a great phone. The fact that the only changes are the prices means that you can still get your favorite colors.

If you do want the latest iPhone technology but do not want a large phone, the new iPhone 12 mini may be a great solution for you. The iPhone 12 mini is identical to the iPhone 12, except for the screen size. The 5.4-inch screen should be a nice happy medium between the iPhone SE, which has a 4.7-inch screen, and the iPhone XS, which had a 5.8 inch screen.

The iPhone 12 is a solid upgrade to the iPhone 11, with the new A14 processor and new night mode selfie options will be great updates for everyone. The iPhone 12 Pro line has the new LiDAR sensor as well as the new Apple ProRaw feature. Although ApplePro Raw will not be available until later this year.

The new HomePod mini should be great addition to the HomePod line, and the $99 price tag should allow you to add HomePods in more rooms of your home.

The 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro are available for pre-order this Friday, October 16th. The iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max, and HomePod mini will be available for pre-order on November 6th.

Source: iPhone 12 & iPhone 12 mini, HomePod mini, iPhone 12 Pro & iPhone 12 Pro Max