Apple Event on October 18: Full Report on new MacBooks Pro, AirPods and more

This fall has already brought Apple fans lots of news: the iPhone 13 line, upgraded iPad Mini and the improved basic iPad. Now is the time to introduce new and improved Macs, with the biggest anticipated change being the new internal chips in the MacBook Pros. Apple is undergoing a major tech switch from Intel to M-series chips, proprietary Apple microprocessors. Their predecessors, the A-series, have been powering iPhones and iPads since 2010, and have gained a positive reputation. Other anticipated changes include the return of the magnetic charging cables and HDMI ports, and the removal of the Touch Bar.

Earlier this year, the iMac line was already augmented with an M1-powered entry-level model, which came in seven colors and was priced at $1,299. Other recent upgrades included the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini, which had no changes in design, but boasted improved battery life.

AirPods 3

The new version of the basic AirPods is coming out, and it looks more like AirPods Pro than ever. Built-in spatial audio and force sensor on the stems, new design, sweat and water-resistance, 6 hours per charge (30 hours total with the charging case) – all of this, including wireless charging, will cost $179.

M1 Pro and M1 Max

The new microprocessor series will revamp the MacBook Pro beyond belief. M1 Pro-powered laptops will now support up to 32 GB of memory and twice the transistors of the 2020 M1. With 6 high-performance cores and 2 “efficiency” cores, multiple display and ProRes video support, no wonder that the M1-powered computers have already raised Apple’s computer sales to a record $9.1 billion in Q1 2021, up an impressive 70% from Q1 2020. Just a few years ago, annual growth amounted to an average of 1%.

M1 Max, the heavyweight of the series will support up to 64 GB of memory and have a 32-core GPU, which is said to perform better and consume 70% less power than its competitors, ike AMD or Nvidia.

Another principal difference that distinguishes the new M1 is the fact that the CPU and GPU share their memory, boosting performance greatly. Graphics performance is 13x faster, and M1x is 3.7x faster than a Core i7 MacBook Pro.

Other changes to MacBook Pro

- Improved cooling

- Better battery life – up to 17 hours of video playback on the 14-inch and up to 21 hours – on the 16-inch model

- MagSafe, SD slot and HDMI port are back! (You can still use Thunderbolt, though)

- 14 and 16-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with high ProMotion adaptive refresh rate

- 6 audio speakers for spatial audio with Dolby Atmos

- More pronounced feet

- Touch Bar is gone

- Improved FaceTime camera has moved to the middle of the menu bar, and performs twice as well in low light

The 14-inch model is priced at $1,999, and the 16-inch model – at $2, 499. They are available for pre-ordering.

The anticipated Mac OS Monterey, expected to allow the use of the same keyboard and mouse on a Mac computer and iPad, has not been revealed yet, but may come out with the new MacBooks next week.

Apple Music through Siri

A new Apple Music plan is the first item to be revealed at the event. $5 will now get you access through Siri, and a new feature will allow subscribers to request playlists by event – like a child’s birthday or a dinner party.

Bright new HomePods Mini

HomePod Mini (coming some time in November) will now be featured in yellow, blue and orange colors, in addition to the previous palette.