Apple Spring Loaded Event 2021 event happened yesterday, with CEO Tim Cook taking the stage metaphorically at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The Spring-Loaded exhibition, like related recent ones, will be completely interactive, with Apple fans able to view the event live stream online.
If you couldn’t watch the event live, we are going to mention everything that was announced at Apple Spring Loaded Event 2021. The following is the start of our live blog coverage of the Spring Loaded event:
Earth Day
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, began the keynote by honoring Earth Day and the company’s sustainability initiatives. Cook revealed that Apple’s worldwide business activities are carbon-free, with headquarters, warehouses, and data centers powered entirely by green energy.
They intends to be carbon-free through the whole supply chain by 2030, according to Cook.
Apple Card
Apple also updated the Apple Card, which is part of the company’s services division. Today, Apple revealed that Card would enable spouses and partners to share and combine credit lines, which Cook defined as a “game-changer” that will “help deliver equity.” The launch is part of Card’s family of products, which would enable children to use the card.
Apple Podcast
With a whole new podcast software, Apple revealed the most significant update to Podcast since its inception. Cook said that there are already platforms to help you discover new shows, suggestions to help you discover new shows to try, and subscriptions to unlock additional material, ad-free listening, early access, and more.
Next month, it will be available in 170 countries and territories.
iPhone and AirTag
Apple also unveiled a new color for its iPhone range, including a new purple color for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini.
Apple has released updated versions of the Find My software. According to Caroline Wolman-Estrada of Apple, the software is already installed on approximately 1 billion smartphones. Apple today unveiled its first-party tracker, which uses the Find My button on your phone to help you find missing or misplaced things. The airbag monitoring tags join Chipolo’s newly released third-party compliant tags that operate with the iPhone’s Find My software.
Apple explained that “AirTag uses the Locate My network, so your iPhone can help you keep track of and find your thing.” Apple’s U1 ultra wideband chip is included in the Air Tag to help you find your missing pieces. Each tag costs $29, and a four-pack would set you back $99. There are keyrings and other accessories to help you attach your AirTag to your possessions, as well as exclusive Hermes accessories for the AirTag ecosystem.
Apple TV 4K
The company is updating the set-top box to make it easier to use the company’s Apple TV+ application.
Apple said:
“It is based on the same world-class silicon that we use in the iPhone.”
It also features the latest A12 Bionic chip, which supports Dolby Vision and HDR at fast frame rates for smoother recording. According to Apple, enhanced AirPlay also facilitates high frame rate HDR.
Apple is also enabling iPhone users to change color balance using the sophisticated sensors on their phone and an on-screen guide, resulting in more realistic colors on the television display and more natural colors and better contrast. Apple also updated the Siri remote this year, giving it a one-piece aluminum style with contrast and power, as well as a modern click with five-way navigation and touch controls. On the touch screen, there’s a new jog control that looks like the iPod’s press wheel. The Siri icon has been relocated to the side, close to how it is on the iPhone. The remote is constructed of aluminum that has been recycled.
Prices for 32GB launch at $179. For the latest Apple TV 4K, you will get twice the storage for $199.
The redesigned 24-inch iMac with M1
Tim Cook is back with fresh Mac upgrades after announcing a two-year switch to Apple’s in-house custom silicon. Cook and his team revealed today at Apple Spring Loaded Event 2021 that the M1 processor would be included in a completely revamped iMac. The new iMac, according to Apple, was built from the ground up to suit the current M1 processor.
Apple believes that the new iMac’s richer colors would add a sense of joy to every room. The M1 processor, which utilizes smaller fans with a more lightweight system that is just 11.5mm thick, allows for the iMac’s slimmer design. The M1 iMac features a 24-inch touchscreen with thin bezels and True Tone Retina support.
The iMac’s cameras, headphones, and microphones have all been updated. There’s now a 1080p FaceTime monitor with double the resolution and improved low-light output than ever. For numerical videos, Apple often employs an image signal processor, which aids camera calls. White balance, auto exposure, and noise control are also supported by this. It also employs tone mapping to improve dynamic range, making you “look like a rock star.”
When on a video call, the iMac now has a three-array microphone setup with beam shaping to minimize background noise. For stronger bass and louder mids and lows, the iMac also has two sets of woofers for a six-speaker system. The audio format Dolby Atmos is also provided. This, according to Apple, is the finest sound device ever built into a Mac. Apple reports that the latest M1 is up to 85% more stars than the previous Intel-powered iteration, with graphics output up to 50% stars than previous models’ standalone GPU. Machine learning is now three times quicker, and workflows will now be two times faster.
To make the screen less cluttered, the device has a modern magnetic linking power cable, four USB-C ports, two of which are Thunderbolt ports, and an Ethernet connector that fits into the power brick. The color-coordinated Magic Keyboard includes new emoji-supporting keys as well as Touch ID with wireless fingerprint transfer through a new chip within the keyboard. Touch ID is compatible with Apple Pay and allows for fast device switching. Color-matched designs are now available for the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad in seven distinct colors.
Pre-orders for the latest iMac begin on April 30, with prices beginning at $1,299. The machine will be delivered in mid-May.
M1 Chip comes to the new Apple iPad Pro
That’s correct, Apple’s strong Mac processor is now available on the company’s newest iPad Pro, boosting the tablet’s success even more! This is a significant shift for the iPad, which had previously relied on Apple’s A-series processors. The iPad and Mac could become more aligned as a result of this update, blurring the distinction between PC and tablet. This ensures that M1 outperforms the iPad Pro from the previous century by 50%. According to Apple, the M1 improves on the first iPad by 75 times. Graphics efficiency has been improved by 40%. This is 1500x faster results than the first ten iPads, according to Apple. This, according to Apple, has visuals comparable to those used on consoles.
A new 2TB configuration with more bandwidth and 2x faster storage is now accessible, allowing you to access your data much faster.
Apple is also adding Thunderbolt to the iPad’s USB-C port with M1. There’s 4x more bandwidth today, as well as a larger ecosystem of accessories and docks to choose from.
The iPad Pro also has 5G cellular networking and mmWave cell broadband service for even higher rates, up to 4Gbps in perfect settings.
The Apple iPad Pro now has a more capable camera. The iPad Pro is now a more robust content development platform, thanks to studio-quality microphones and the LiDAR Scanner. The M1’s picture signal processor makes for smoother HDR captures on the iPad Pro.
Center Stage, a new 120-degree ultra-wide camera lens with auto-monitoring, is included with the new iPad Pro.
Masab Farooque is a Tech Geek, Writer, and Founder at The Panther Tech. He is also a lead game developer at 10StaticStudios.
When he is not writing, he is mostly playing video games