Spring Apple event 2021: iPad Pro and iMacs

 

The spring Apple event has sprung and with it, new iMacs, and iPads. I'll cover the event (AirTag, and Apple TV) in a separate post but this one is dedicated to the iPad pro 2021 and the new iMac. These two devices have one thing in common: the M1 SoC. Let's take a look at the new features and innovations in the iPad Pro 2021 and iMac.  

 
 

iMac 

At the 2021 spring Apple event, Apple refreshed its bottom-barrel consumer iMac with some hardware, namely an M1 chipset. I've already done some content and explainers on the M1 so if you want a more detailed explanation, you can go ahead and read those articles. Here's a quick summary about how it applies to the iMac: the M1 provides speedy performance and efficiency for tasks such as web browsing while giving just enough power for some prosumer tasks such as photo and video editing. Some other specs include the choice for up to 16GB (the most M1 can handle) of RAM and up to 2TB of storage. Pricing starts at $1,299 and goes up to $1,499 for the 2TB model.  

 
 

Image Credit: Apple

The actual hardware design of the iMac has also benefited from the new chipset with a much slimmer body and overall footprint. It comes in with 4 USB-C ports (on the higher-end model with 2 of the 4 not being thunderbolt), an ethernet port in the power cable, and a headphone jack on the side. For context, the iMac is so slim that they had to fit the headphone jack on the side because it wouldn't fit on the back. However, this is the consumer iMac, and a lack of USB-A ports is a testament to how out of touch Apple really is with consumers, not even one of the peripherals I rely on is USB-C so I would be forced to buy dongles. The more I think about the port decisions I feel like this was on purpose (or maybe because USB-A is too big for the frame?). There's also new paint jobs with 7 distinct colors to choose from: green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. Suspiciously, no space grey is available, extremely disappointed but nevertheless okay with it.  

Image Credit: Apple

The last 3 points I wanted to cover are the screen, webcam and mics, plus the peripherals also announced at the event. The screen is an improved 24-inches (up from 21.5-inches), thanks to slimmer side bezels, the chin still provides a thick bezel at the bottom. The screen also no longer 1080p but instead it's a premium 4.5K resolution supplying a much better viewing experience for most media than the earlier generation iMac. The webcam is also finally 1080p, this was overdue and I'm still mad this didn't happen earlier, better late than never.  

Image Credit: Apple

It's just telling that this is the second mac with a 1080p webcam while I'm typing this on a Surface Book from 2015 that does have 1080p webcam; just saying. The mics and speakers are also premium with a cool speaker design that makes use of the chin and mics that aren't quite studio quality they are so much better than your average desktop (see MacBook pro-16-inch as reference). We also now have TouchID on the new Magic keyboards and color matching trackpads and Magic Mice. Honestly, the new iMac is an immense value compared to the earlier low-end iMac with a better camera, chipset, and screen that combine to create an excellent desktop.  

 
 

iPad Pro 

 
 

The Spring Apple event also brought some large updates to the iPad Pro. Apple also added an M1 to both the 12.9 and 11-inch models of the iPad Pro to give an extra boost in performance and I have no doubt it'll make a difference. This does show how M1 is adaptable to both performance environments (iMac) and efficiency environments (iPad and MacBook Air), but I still have concerns. The departure from the "A" branding is a bit weird but I guess we'll have to wait until the chip shortage is over to see if Apple will return to the "A" moniker for iPad Pro.  

 

Image Credit: Apple

Something to keep in mind is that the M1 is still a Mac chip and putting a Mac SoC in an iPad body still seems like a risk considering Mac's have more room for thermally demanding tasks like video editing and software development (maybe not that last one). How the iPad will handle the M1 is completely up in the air but it's an innovative idea that might work if implemented correctly. One last thing I want to mention about the M1 is that it's unclear if Apple is throttling the M1 to keep it workable for the iPad; I highly doubt it but it's still a possibility I wanted to mention.  

 

We also have a new USB-4 thunderbolt USB-C port on the side of the iPad that should give new connectivity options especially concerning docks and displays. It's unclear if iPad OS will handle said peripherals but having it there opens the iPad Pro to a lot of new possibilities. Possibilities that actual Pros will be able to tap into. We also have some display tech from the Pro display XDR heading over to the iPad Pro 12.9-inch in the form of a new mini-LED display. 

Image Credit: Apple

This innovative technology basically packs over 10,000 LEDs into the iPad Pro's display allowing for up to 1,000nits of brightness and better color balance. This is a huge upgrade for cinematographers and photo professionals that want to use an iPad to view their footage or photos with exact colors and brightness. The 11-inch is staying with the same display as the previous-gen iPad Pro; still good but not that mini-LED goodness. Of course, I leave any heavy analysis to the reviews that are soon to come out.  

Before I wrap up with some other features, I wanted to mention how Apple is adding features that real pros are going to use. That thunderbolt port is useful, mini-LED is useful, even the LIDAR scanner is getting more features (and no I'm not talking about that weird TikTok mode). Apple giving the iPad Pro more Pro features is staying true to and earning that "Pro" moniker that up until this point really didn't exist.  

There's also 5G options for those who can benefit from 5G, and I like this decision. Pro machines are often held for a long time and having 5G is just a bit of futureproofing for those who might make use of it. Pricing is also nice with the 11-inch still starting at $799 and the 12.9-inch model starting at $1,099.  

 

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