Apple Spring 2021 Event Recap: Everything Announced

Another year, another Apple Event. Hosted today, the Apple Spring 2021 Event showcases huge updates for Apple TV, iMac, and iPad Pro. As well as finally unveiling the much-discussed Apple AirTags. There’s nothing on Apple Arcade, but if you want to know all the announcements in the live event, let’s recap what Apple showed off in the stream.

Updates to Apple Card and Podcasts

Apple Card, which previously only been available for individuals, is now getting support for multiple users. Apple will allow partners to share and merge their credit limits into one account. New Family settings will allow kids over the age of 13 to share an Apple Card. Of course, parents can control payment limits and see shared credit rating scores.

Meanwhile, Apple Podcasts is getting an interface update that makes it easier for you to find and share podcasts. The addition of the podcast subscriptions system in May also allows Apple Podcast users to subscribe and pay for their favorite shows. Costing $19.99 per year, it’ll launch in 170 countries and regions.

Purple iPhone Color and New Cases

The Apple Event 2021 announced a new purple finish for iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini, which will be available on April 30, with preorders starting this Friday, April 23. If you fancy yourself a new case for it, these new items are all available to order today:

• MagSafe Leather Case or Leather Sleeve in Deep Violet.
• Silicone Case in Capri Blue, Pistachio, Cantaloupe, or Amethyst.
• Leather Wallet in Arizona.

Apple AirTags Reveal

Finally, AirTags can be personalized with emojis and words, and you can attach them to almost anything. If you lost it, easily track the tag using the Find My app or precisely locate it through your iPhone 12 using a feature called Precision Finding that gives visual, audio, and haptic feedback. AirTags are priced at $29 or $99 if you grab a four-pack. Pre-orders start Friday, April 23, with the first shipments launch on April 30.

New Generation of Apple TV 4K

The next generation of Apple TV 4K and Siri Remote is coming. Starting at $179 (for the 32GB model) with pre-order beginning Friday, April 30, it is powered by an A12 Bionic CPU and supports 60 FPS HDR and Dolby Vision video. You can also do a color correction setting through your iPhone 12’s camera. It will be released in the second half of May.

Meanwhile, the new Siri Remote will be available separately for $59. It now features an iPod-like clickpad and TV power button, along with a touch-enabled control. A bundle of Apple TV HD with the new Siri Remote will be sold for $149.

iMac Apple Silicon Update

The first redesign of the iMac is here, complete with minimal bezels and an Apple Silicon processor, the M1. The new iMac comes with a 24-inch 4.5K Retina display and True Tone technology and a headphone jack on the side, and a new magnetic power connector that includes ethernet.

With how often we use cameras for Zoom calls these days, the FaceTime camera (used to only support 720p) is now upgraded to be able to record in 1080p along with three microphone arrays to block out background noises. Not to mention the speakers got an improvement from a six-speaker system that adds spatial audio like in AirPods. Apple also announced a new Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. The new iMac comes in seven different colors. Pre-order opens on April 30, and it will be available in the second half of May:

• iMac with 7-core GPU – $1,299 and $1,249 (education):
  • Available in green, pink, blue, and silver.
  • 8-core CPU, 8GB of unified memory, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt ports, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Mouse.
• iMac with 8-core GPU – $1,499 and $1,399 (education)
  • Available in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver.
  • 8-core CPU, 8GB of unified memory, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt ports, two additional USB 3 ports, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, Magic Mouse, and Ethernet.

New iPad Pro (Also) Goes Apple Silicon

Following the new iPad Pro last year, Apple is updating both the 12.9-inch and 11-inch iPad Pro models. For the first time, it shares the same processor with a Mac: by using the M1 Apple Silicon. Apple claimed that it would add a 40% boost over the 2020 model. It also improves the performance of the LiDar scanner for AR apps and battery image processing in Pro Cameras. Talking about the camera, a new ultra-wide Center Stage feature will help you automatically zooming in and out on a subject and follow you around the room when making a video call.

Of course, that’s not all; the new iPad Pro is now equipped with a Mini LED display, called Liquid Retina XDR. This new screen is said to have 1,000 nits of brightness, with 1,600 nits of peak brightness and a 1,000,000:1 color contrast ratio. Along with Thunderbolt 4 support for USB-C port for four times more transferring bandwidth, 2TB configuration, and 5G cellular connection (includes the faster mmWave support) for future-proofing.

The 11-inch iPad Pro will cost $799, while the 12.9-inch model starts at $1,099 and feature the new Mini LED Display. Like the iMac, pre-order opens on April 30, and it will be available in the second half of May.

And that’s pretty much it! What do you think of Apple Event 2021? Impressed by the iMac and iPad Pro updates? Drop by in the comments, and let’s discuss it together.