By: Nick Gambino
With everything announced at the Apple “Spring Loaded” event, of which there was a lot, is it strange that the most exciting was the unveiling of the trailer for Ted Lasso season 2?
The Apple TV original starring Jason Sudeikis is a refreshing and optimistic alternative to TV’s current cynical landscape. That said, there were some cool reveals at the Apple event this week and we’ll cover them here.
AirTag
The long-rumored AirTag is finally here. This is the Apple answer to Tile trackers that allows you to easily find things you’re prone to misplace. Attach the AirTag to just about anything (keys, phone, wallet) and track it down if you lose it. As expected, you’ll use the Find My app to locate it instead of having to learn an entirely new system.
iPad Pro
This was the main product we expected to see at the “Spring Loaded” event. In an effort to make iPad Pros robust enough to compete with any halfway decent laptop, they’ve included 8GB and 16GB RAM options. The next-gen iPad Pro also comes replete with an M1 chip, Thunderbolt connectivity and 5G support.
iMac
The iMac has a redesign that includes a throwback to the 90s when they released the computer in an array of colors. The color options include Blue, Green, Pink, Silver, Yellow, Orange and Purple. Be prepared, some of those you’ll have to pay extra for. Like the iPad Pro, the iMac includes the new super-fast M1 chip.
Apple TV
The Apple TV 4K has some power upgrades in the new release, but of real interest to the general consumer is the redesigned Apple TV remote. The biggest change was the decision to do away with the touchpad that was introduced in the 4th-gen Apple TV in 2015. The new remote features a five-way click wheel that is reminiscent of the old classic iPod.
Additional
Not an important announcement but interesting is the release of the purple iPhone 12 and 12 Mini.
The much-maligned (by me at least) Podcast app is getting an overhaul and will include options to pay monthly or annual subscriptions to individual podcasts.
While the “Spring Loaded” event, like most Apple events in the recent past, didn’t reveal anything that blew our minds, it was chockful of more goodies than we expected.
