Apple brings fresh gadgets to Brooklyn
Apple is about to give two neglected product lines much-needed upgrades after the gadgets slipped into the towering shadow of the iPhone.
On Tuesday, the technology giant will take the stage at the Brooklyn Academy of Music to unveil new Mac computers and iPad tablets.
The new Macs and iPads will have larger screens and keyboards, more versatile software and typically faster processing speeds than iPhones. Those features are particularly useful for people who create graphics, build Web sites, edit movies, write music, and, in the case of Macs, develop their own software.
The main news will be revamped iPad Pro with Face ID and a new charging port, a new laptop destined to replace the aging MacBook Air, and a new Mac mini geared toward professional users, according to people familiar with the plans.
An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.
The update to the iPad Pro will be the most significant in the product’s history. The device was originally launched in 2015 as a counter-measure to Microsoft’s Surface Pro.
Here’s what Apple is planning for the new iPad Pro, according to people familiar with the plans:
Nearly edge-to-edge screens with slimmer, symmetrical bezels like the latest iPhones.
A USB-C connector for charging and syncing data, the first time Apple is bringing this charging standard to its iOS devices. This will leave the iPhone as Apple’s only major product to use the Lightning connector.
Face ID will be used for unlocking the new iPad, and the home button and fingerprint scanner will be removed.
For the Mac, Apple is planning its first wide-ranging upgrades since June 2017.
Here’s what the company is preparing for the Mac line:
A new entry-level laptop to replace the aging MacBook Air — the entry level laptop — will have a higher-resolution 13-inch screen.
The first update to the Mac mini since 2014, adding new processors and features for professional users.