Apple event – live: AirPods 3, new MacBook Pro, Apple Music voice discount and more products unveiled
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Apple has unveiled a host of new products at its “Unleashed” virtual event on Monday.
The star of the show is an updated MacBook Pro, which will include a new M1 Pro or M1 Max chip. New AirPods with spatial audio have also been unveiled.
The new MacBooks will come alongside the updated MacBook Air, Pro, Mac Mini and iMac that were released with Apple’s M1 chip – the first “Apple Silicon” processor designed by Apple itself rather than Intel.
Apple describes the new M1 chips as the first truly professional version of that chip, bringing yet more performance for more demanding users.
The outside also received a redesign, with an even thinner screen than its predecessor. The MacBook Pro comes in two sizes (14” and 16”) and comes with additional ports for users.
MacBook Pro: Apple launches totally redesigned new laptop that is ‘reimagined in every way’
Apple M1 Pro and Max: Company releases new professional chip for its more powerful computers
AirPods 3: Apple launches new version of wireless earbuds with updated design and features
Apple Music offers new subscription for half-price if you only use it with your voice
A live stream of the event can be found at the top of this page.
The all new AirPods line up
This is how the new Apple AirPods line up will look, and how much they’ll cost.
Apple AirPods to go 3D
Some news about AirPods, which Tim Cook claims are now the most popular headphones in the world.
AirPods will now support spatial audio to “create something truly multi-dimensional”, offering “a whole new way to experience music”.
It works with AirPods Pro And AirPods Max.
More about Apple Music Voice Plan
You can read more about Apple’s new Voice Plan for its Music streaming service here.
First up is former Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe, who appears to have fully swallowed the iPill by transitioning from Apple Music host to product unveiler. He introduces a new Voice Plan for Apple Music, which will be available across 16 countries.
After an intense build-up that felt like flying at warp speed through space, a much more sedate opening video is here to launch the event.
It’s a man in a garage making music from sounds made by Apple devices and software. Mac startup sound, iPod wheel scrolling, all providing a soundtrack building up to... Tim Cook.
“We’re focussing on two important areas: Music and the Mac,” he says
“Apple has forever changed the way people listen to and create music.”
Apple Unleashed event live stream is here!
With just a minute to go, the live stream for the Apple Unleashed event is here.
You can find it at the top of this page.
Apple event comes amid global chip shortage
Previous Apple events suggest that most products announced at today’s event will likely be made available to pre-order immediately and ship before the end of next week.
This pattern could be complicated, however, by a global component shortage and logistics issues that have already impacted the roll out of the iPhone 13, which was unveiled last month.
Apple has been forced to slash production of its latest iPhone due to a lack of chips, with reports suggesting that the tech giant may end up selling 10 million units less than anticipated. You can find out more about it here:
Apple to slash iPhone 13 production amid global chip shortage
The tech giant was earlier aiming to sell 90 million units of its new iPhone 13 models
Apple AirPods that can take your temperature?
One of the rumours ahead of today’s Apple event involved a major upgrade for the AirPods headphones.
According to a report in the The Wall Street Journal last week, Apple is looking at ways to make next-generation AirPods read your body temperature, improve your hearing and even help fix your posture.
It’s not clear if or when such an upgrade might come, though the report warns that the new features aren’t expected to come until some point next year.
You can read more about the latest AirPod rumours right here.
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With less than an hour to go until show time, we thought we’d take the chance to give a quick plug for our IndyTech newsletter. It comes out on Tuesdays, so you’ll be able to read all the analysis from today’s event tomorrow, together with all the latest tech news.
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Intel will ‘never give up’ pushing chips to Apple
After Apple ditched Intel chips and switched to its own in-house hardware for its Mac computers, the CEO of the processor giant has said he hasn’t given up on supplying Tim Cook’s company in the future.
“What I have to do is create a better chip than they can do themselves. I would hope to win back this piece of their business, as well as many other pieces of business, over time,” Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger said in a new episode of Axios on HBO.
“In the meantime, I got to make sure that our products are better than theirs, that my ecosystem is more open and vibrant than theirs, and we create more compelling reason for developers and users to land on Intel-based products. So, I’m going to fight hard to win Tim’s business in this area.”
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