Apple on Tuesday held its first big event of 2021. Dubbed “Spring Loaded,” the naming of Apple’s big virtual press conference on April 20th suggested that the showcase would be “loaded” with new announcements. While plenty of the reveals had already been spoiled by leaks and reports over the past few months, Apple’s Spring Loaded event was indeed packed from start to finish with big announcements.
From refreshed hardware devices and huge next-gen Mac computer upgrades to brand new products that Apple has never offered before, the consumer electronics giant covered all the bases at its big Spring Loaded event on Tuesday. Now, it’s time to take a look back at all the hottest new products that Apple fans can’t stop talking about on social media.
The first Apple event of each year typically takes place in March, and that’s what fans were expecting in 2021 thanks to claims from a few reliable leakers. When March came and went without any big Apple announcements, however, fans wondered if the global pandemic had once again caused big delays with Apple’s new releases. Thankfully, the suspense didn’t last very long because Apple announced last week that it would hold its first big event of 2021 on April 20th.
Now, Apple’s huge Spring Loaded event is finally behind us.
Apple executives began unveiling new products and services right out of the gate on Tuesday, and the action continued right up until the very end of Apple’s big presentation. Now, it’s time to look back at all the biggest announcements that Apple CEO Tim Cook and his team made during this afternoon’s big event.
Apple Card
Apple has changed the way spouses build credit using the Apple Card. Now, each cardholder will build his or her credit history regardless of the main account holder.
Apple Podcasts
Apple announced a huge update to its Podcasts app that includes a big visual redesign as well as new channels. Apple Podcasts Subscriptions is another new feature of the app — learn more in our earlier coverage.
iPhone 12
In what was easily the biggest surprise of the event — because it was the only surprise, really — Apple unveiled a brand new iPhone color: purple. Apple’s new purple iPhone 12 will be released on April 30th and it’ll be available for pre-order starting this Friday, April 23rd.
AirTag
After what seemed like an eternity of leaks and rumors, Apple’s new AirTag is finally official.
Like Tag item trackers and dozens of other comparable products on the market, AirTags use Bluetooth in cooperation with a mobile app — in this case, Find My — to locate objects. You can attach them to any device on their own, plus Apple has a bunch of accessories to help you attach them to things like keychains.
“Precision Finding” is available in newer iPhone and iPad devices to enhance the Find My feature with more precision.
The AirTag will be released on April 30th for $29, with pre-orders opening on April 23rd. Learn more right here.
Apple TV +
The new season of Ted Lasso is coming this July. We can’t wait!
Apple TV 4K
Apple finally… FINALLY… announced a new
That’s right, Apple fans — Apple has a new Siri Remote without that godawful touchpad! It’s a one-piece aluminum remote with a new click pad that is touch-enabled, but it’s nothing like the crappy old one everyone hates with a burning fury that cannot be measured. There’s also a Siri button on the side instead of on the front.
The new
Learn more in our earlier coverage.
iMac
Apple’s new iMac has been built from the ground up around the new M1 processor. It’s the fastest and most powerful iMac ever, and it comes in 7 different colorways.
The new design is incredible, with a razer-thin housing and a single sheet of glass that covers the entire front of the display. Somehow, the enclosure is only 11 mm thin! Apple’s new all-in-one desktop computer features a 24-inch screen with industry-leading low reflectivity and 11.3 million pixels in what Apple calls a 4.5K Retina display.
Apple’s new iMac camera is an upgraded 1080p FaceTime HD camera for higher-quality video chats and recording. The iMac also has a studio-quality three-mic array for better audio quality and background noise reduction. And finally, a new six-speaker sound system brings audio quality like nothing you’ve ever heard before on a Mac.
The new iMac will be released in late May and pre-orders open on April 30th. Pricing starts at $1,299
Check out everything you need to know about the new iMac right here.
iPad Pro
Not only did Apple just announce a new iPad Pro… it unveiled the first iPad Pro powered by Apple’s M1 chip! That’s right, Apple’s new tablet now sports the power, speed, graphics performance, and efficiency of Apple’s latest Macs. Apple says the new model is 50% faster than the previous-generation model, with 40% faster graphics performance. You can also look forward to all-day battery life, 2x faster storage, up to 2TB of storage, faster connectivity including Thunderbolt and USB 4 support, 5G cellular support, upgraded rear cameras, and more.
The smaller new iPad Pro has an updated Liquid Retina display, and the 12.9-inch model packs a Liquid Retina XDR display that uses the same tech as Apple’s $5,000 Pro Display XDR. Also cool is the new CenterStage feature uses an upgraded TrueDepth camera system to automatically zoom and pan around on video calls as you move.
Pricing starts at $799 for the 11-inch model and $1,099 for the 12.9-inch iPad Pro with pre-orders set to open on April 30th. The new iPad Pro is set to be released sometime in late May.
Check out our earlier coverage to learn more about the new iPad Pro.
