Apple unveils new iPad, Macs
It’s goodbye, Lightning cord; hello, USB-C.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Apple is finally giving the iPad Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Mini a refresh.
After years of seemingly minor performance boosts, Apple took the wraps off redesigned models of both popular computers, introducing a new iPhone Xinspired iPad Pro that drops the home button and redesigned MacBook Air successor that looks more like the company’s other 2018 laptops than the old Air, which the company hadn’t redesigned in several years.
The new iPad Pro, as previously reported, does, indeed, feature an edgeto-edge display. The company has dropped the home button and fingerprint sensor in favor of thinner bezels around the edges and facial recognition.
Thanks to the thinner bezels, screen size has been increased from 10.5 inches on the smaller iPad Pro to 11 inches, while the larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro will see its screen real estate remain 12.9 inches, but shrink the actual device to roughly the size of a sheet of paper.
Also as expected, the company dropped its proprietary Lightning connector found on iPhones and older iPads in favor of the USB-C standard used by most modern laptops. The move to USB-C is a welcome move that will finally allow Apple’s tablet to more easily use accessories and cables that other computers and tablets use without the need for adapters. Apple also introduced a new Apple Pencil stylus to replace the older model that charged by the Lightning connector.
The 11-inch version starts at $799, and the 12.9-inch version starts at $999. They are available for order now and in stores Nov. 7.
A long-overdue new MacBook Air
Called the new MacBook Air, it adds a much sharper 13.3-inch “Retina display” with more than 4 million pixels, USB-C Thunderbolt ports, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor and is available in multiple colors. Unlike the company’s other MacBooks, the new computer is designed to be the company’s more affordable, entry-level Mac laptop with a starting price of $1,199. It is available to order now, with machines available Nov. 7.
New Mac Mini
The new, sleeker Mini now starts with quad-core processors, has support for more RAM and can be configured with a bevy of ports. Among the port options: four USB-C Thunderbolt ports, HDMI for displays, two older USB-A ports and an option to add Ethernet.
The new Mini is available to order now before shipping Nov. 7. For a model with an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB processor, the starting price is $799.