Apple held its first press conference of 2019, where it showcased its new products. Rumours abound about the presentation, mainly regarding the iPad mini and Air tablets as well as the new version AirPods. Apple had already announced its new gadgets a week prior to the event. The company also did not prepare for the event, sending press releases to journalists. Tim Cook, who was presenting the company’s new services, pointed out that the entire press conference was dedicated to them when Tim Cook began.
Let’s take a look at the latest Apple gadgets.
Apple unveiled new gadgets a week before the event. The company announced new gadgets three days in a row: the new iPad, iMac and AirPods. The new iPad mini and iPad Air were first shown. They both received the A12 processors, and the support for the 1st-generation Apple Pencil stylus. The Mini is the same design as its predecessor, four years ago. Air has a 10.5-inch display, just like last year’s iPad Pro. Mini costs $515, while Air costs $670.
iMac received the updated hardware only, without any redesign. The 8th generation Intel Core processor is now available on the iMac 21.5 Apple will also release a monoblock version with a Radeon Pro Vega video card. The iMac 27 comes with the 8th and 6th processors of 9th generation. The iMac 21.5 costs about $1,680, while the iMac 27 costs around $2,380.
AirPods only received a new processor. This processor increased headset time by 50% during a conversation. They can also call Siri voice assistant using their voice. A wireless charging case for AirPods was also announced, and it was available in 2017. New headphones cost $210 with a standard case and $265 with a new case. It can also be purchased separately for $100.
Apple & a subscription to games and magazines
Apple News will include a News+ subscription that allows users to access articles in more than 300 magazines for a $10 monthly fee. The articles will also be available online in paid subscriptions (e.g. The Wall Street Journal. This is a unique restructuring of the old application Newsstand. In this application, the individual could purchase new issues and had the option to manually subscribe to magazines of their choice. The subscription cost is $10 per monthly; the first month is free. Apple claims that subscriptions to all media in News+ cost about $8,000. Apple also announced the Apple News app in Canada, Australia, and the UK at the end 2019
Apple Arcade subscribers have access to over 100 exclusive games. The company did not disclose any details, including the cost of the subscription. It only showed parts from different projects. Sega and Konami are two of the game developers who will be using this service. It will be possible to play on the iPad and iPhone and Apple TV. A subscription will also be available in more than 150 countries in the autumn 2019.
Apple & a Credit Card
The company presented the Apple Card credit card, which can be issued to any iPhone owner. There is no service fee. Apple Card users will immediately receive a cashback of 3% on purchases at Apple stores, 2% on Apple Pay purchases, and 1% via a physical card. It works only in the USA. The company did not mention whether the card would be available in other countries.
Apple & an Online Cinema With Exclusive Shows
The presentation was dominated by Apple TV+, a new streaming service that offers exclusive movies and TV programs. Steven Spielberg, Jay Jay Abrams and Damien Chazelle were among the other directors who were publicly opposed to Netflix. Fam