W Mappy
You don’t have to be a techie to be excited about an Apple launch event!
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 saw an exciting Apple launch event. The event was streamed virtually, on Apple’s website as well as Youtube. Since the release of new, faster high-end Macbooks and iPads in the spring of 2021, Apple fanatics have been talking about the release of a new affordable iPhone (still called their SE model) and possibly the release of new Mid-range iPad. Apple fans were also hoping to hear about the release of iOS 15.4 and its enhanced features. (iOS 15.4 is the operating system used on all Apple devices.)
The new products and features announced were even better than the rumors! First, the iPhone 13 series (pro and standard) got an unexpected makeover, with the standard being offered in green and the Pro and Pro Max now offered in alpine green. They also feature ceramic surfaces to make it the most durable iPhone yet, plus a new wide-angle camera lens, A15 Bionic chip, and Super Retina and Super Retina XDR displays, for the clearest display ever. Not everything is perfect at Apple, some are a little crazy, but we’re excited about new devices and upgrades.
Second, the long-awaited 3rd generation iPhone SE has just been released! A more affordable option for the standard iPhone model, the SE will set you back $429 for the base 128GB model, while still being affordable compared to the other iPhone models, 2020’s SE (aka the SE 2) has a more competitive price with Android models. Despite this, Apple claims the new iPhone SE 3 is faster than any competitor at any price. The SE 3 received a durability upgrade, is waterproof, comes with the A15 chip (same as the iPhone 13), comes with a battery upgrade, and now supports 5G. Same as the SE 2, it’s the only model that retains a home button and the same display capabilities as the SE 2, like a 4.7-inch Retina display and 60Hz refresh rate. of course pre-installed with iOS 15.4. As for the camera, it remains the same as the iPhone SE 2, which is a single 12-megapixel wide-angle lens. The camera software will however be updated, allowing the user to choose different photographic styles to get the perfect shot. Considering an upgrade? It’s 2.2x faster than iPhone 8, 3.7x faster than iPhone 7, and 5x faster than iPhone 6s!
The new iPad Air is thin, portable and powerful, and the latest iPads just got a major computing upgrade, featuring Apple’s M1 chip. This chip upgrade gives the new iPad air a 60% performance boost. The M1 chip is already in the iPad Pro, which means you could get similar computing power in a more portable and affordable design. Users will also see 2x the graphics performance of the previous iPad air. Similar to the iPhone SE 3, the iPad air models will support 5G. Large data transfers? No problem! The new iPad Air will have a 2x faster USB-C port, for faster downloads, transfers and file sharing! It’s also 2x faster than competitive tablets and 2x faster than a Windows laptop. Prices remain the same with an iPad air at $542 for 64GB.
Although it is small, it is powerful, is an expression that applies to Mac Studio, the latest processor from Apple. At just 7.7″ X 3.7″, it’s ultra-compact and designed to fit perfectly under any Apple monitor. It contains a unique thermal system with a double-sided fan, with a perforated circular base allowing air to be drawn through the entire system. Air is then drawn in through the exhaust, which contains 2,000 tiny perforations, ensuring your CPU stays cool! Mac studio also houses the M1 Max chip which is 2.5 times faster than the 27-inch iMac and 50% faster than the Mac Pro. GPU performance is 3.5 times faster than its predecessor, the 27-inch iMac. Best of all, it’s 3.4x faster than the Mac Pro (Radon Pro)! This Mac will cost you $1999.
Apple also unveiled a new M1 chip, the M1 ULTRA which joins the M1, M1 Pro and M1 Max range! The most powerful chip yet is sure to transform the way you work. The new M1 ULTRA even surpasses the M1 Max. Mac Studio with M1 ULTRA is 3.8 times faster than the previous 27-inch Mac (which was the fastest 27-inch iMac so far.) Mac Studio with M1 ULTRA outperforms Mac Pro (16-core Xeon ) at 90% speed. Even the Mac Pro is eclipsed by the Mac Studio with the M1 ULTRA chip! Mac Studio M1 is 60% faster than the 28-core Mac Pro, when it comes to CPU performance. Quality doesn’t come cheap, as this Mac will set you back $3,999, although it offers the highest performance at the lowest price! Studio display is 5k and starts at R’s 1,59,9,000.
Of course, it still looks great, with a slim profile design, housed in all aluminum and the display stand can be tilted up to 30 degrees, or you can choose a tilt and height adjustable stand option. to further customize your workspace. It also has a counterweight arm to make the screen feel weightless! It even has a 12MP ultra-wide camera, in case you want to look good at your next virtual meeting! For the first time, it will include Center Stage and three-way microphones (with a low-noise floor), for really, really, ridiculously good-sounding video conferencing capabilities! Studio display starts at 1599. Oh, and if you can’t wait to update your iOS, you’ll get your chance next week when iOS 15.4 is released! It brings bug fixes, universal iPad control features, new Face ID features that include the ability for a user to be recognized with a mask on (while modern problems require modern solutions, I hope this feature isn’t needed too much longer) and users will get a new set of emojis (although this might be controversial, I for one think Apple has too many emojis already.) best part of any Apple operating system? It brings improvements while still being free to download!
These new products will be available for purchase on March 18, and are already available for pre-order!
