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Last week Apple held its Unleashed event to introduce new products. Like last month’s fall event, this event was preceded by plenty of rumors, some of which were actually true.
At last week’s event, Apple introduced new MacBook Pro laptop computers, new AirPod earbuds, and new HomePod Mini speakers, as well as updates to its streaming music service, Apple Music.
Also see => Apple Announces New iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and More!
Apple Music Updates
Apple announced updates to Apple Music to make finding enjoyable songs easier and to bring streaming music to more listeners.
New Apple Music Playlists
Apple Music has new playlists that can be summoned by Siri according to your mood or activity. You can now Siri for a playlist to help you chill out, to inspire you while hiking or to play in the background during your dinner party. According to Apple, hundreds of new playlists for moods and activities are now available for Apple Music subscribers.
To listen to these new playlists, you can ask Siri to play them. While Apple hasn’t made a list of these new playlists available, MacStories has compiled a comprehensive list of over 250 of these new playlists: A Comprehensive Guide to 250+ of Apple Music’s New Mood and Activity Playlists.
That MacStories article also contains a link to a Shortcut to play the new playlists with a few taps.
New Apple Music Subscription Tier
Beginning later this fall, Apple will be offering a new subscription tier for Apple Music: the Apple Music Voice Plan. This new plan will cost $4.99/month and will allow subscribers to listen to the almost 90 million songs on Apple Music using Siri.
That’s right, just as the name implies, the Voice Plan requires that you use your voice to summon Siri to play a song. Or a playlist. Or an artist. Or an album. Users won’t be able to scroll through music on their Apple Music app and tap to play a song.
Another limitation of the Apple Music Voice Plan is that music can only be requested via a Siri-enabled device such as an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or HomePod. You can’t use Apple Music Voice Plan to download songs to your device nor to create your own playlists, though you can listen to the new mood and activity playlist via Siri.
But if you’re looking for a less expensive way to subscribe to Apple Music and won’t miss the features that aren’t included, you may want to give the Apple Music Voice Plan a try.
This new Voice Plan subscription tier will be available in 17 countries later in the fall.
New HomePod Mini Colors
If you’ve been holding off buying a HomePod Mini because you didn’t find its white and Space Gray color options exciting enough, Apple’s announcement at the Unleashed event may be of particular interest to you.
Coming in November, the HomePod Mini, Apple’s wireless speaker, will be available in three new colors:
- Blue
- Orange
- Yellow
Not only will the mesh fabric covering the speakers come in these new colors, but the power cord, touch surface, and volume icons will also all be color-coordinated.
These new color options will be in addition to the traditional choices of white and Space Gray and will arrive in November for $99.
New AirPods
Apple announced its latest version of AirPods wireless earbuds at the Unleashed event with this fun video:
https://youtu.be/-5y2YqrlOr4
(Note that dance lessons are not included with these AirPods.)
These 3rd generation AirPods come packed with new tech including Spatial Audio, that’s like surround sound for your ears. They also offer Adaptive EQ that tunes the music to the shape of your ears, as well as a longer battery life than previous generations of AirPods.
The charging case of these AirPods can provide up to 30 hours of listening time, while each charge of these AirPods in their case can provide up to six hours of listening time. Five minutes of charging AirPods in their case will give one hour of listening time.
Both these AirPods and their charging case are water- and sweat-resistant.
3rd Generation AirPods will be available tomorrow for $179 and can be pre-ordered today.
New MacBook Pro Computers
The highlight of the Unleashed event was Apple’s announcement of new MacBook Pros in 14″ (35.6 cm) and 16″ (40.6 cm) sizes. The new MacBook Pros include not only tech advancements but also the return of some tech features that have been sorely missed by many.
Out With the New, In With the Old (Favorites)
These new MacBook Pro laptops have long-missed features such as the magnetic charging cables that disconnect when pulled. No more sending your laptop flying when you trip over a cable!
Apple also made MacBook Pro users happy by adding ports. These new ports include the three USB-C ports, an HDMI port for external monitors, a headphone jack, and an SDXC card slot. In addition to charging the battery with the magnetic cable, you can also charge it using a cable in one of the three USB-C ports.
Powerful and Efficient New Chips
The biggest technological advancement in these MacBook Pros is the new chips — M1 Pro and M1 Max.
These new chips were designed for these computers and provide more power while consuming less energy. With the M1 Pro chip, a MacBook Pro can connect to two external monitors plus a 4K TV. With the more powerful M1 Max chip, a MacBook Pro can connect to four external monitors plus a 4K TV.
Battery Life
The battery life on these new laptops is impressive, meaning you may be able to leave your power cord behind when you head out for the day.
The 14″ MacBook Pro has a battery life of up to:
- 17 hours of video playback
- 11 hours of Internet browsing
The 16″ MacBook Pro has a battery life of up to:
- 21 hours of video playback
- 14 hours of Internet browsing.
Screen Space and Notch
Apple squeezes more screen space into these laptops by shrinking the bezels. The 16″ model has a screen diameter of 16.2″ (41 cm) and the 14″ model has a screen size of 14.2″ (36 cm). The minimized bezel reveals a notch for the camera, similar to the notch on iPhones for the front-facing camera.
Apple uses the top of the screen for the menu bar that wraps around the notch, leaving the remainder of the screen real estate free from obstruction.
Keyboard
These new MacBook Pro models get rid of the Touch Bar that adapted to show controls based upon what was being shown on the screen. Also gone is the butterfly keyboard that was prone to problems and gave the feel of typing on granite.
Instead, these models have a new keyboard with full-height keys, Touch ID, a row of function keys, and a keyboard shortcut for Siri.
Better Video Calls
These MacBook Pros have features to enhance video calls, including an HD camera, six-speaker sound system, and three studio-quality microphones.
Availability
Both the 14″ and 16″ models offer the M1 Pro or M1 Max chips, up to 8TB of storage, and up to 64GB of memory. Prices start at $1999 for the 14″ model and $2499 for the 16″ model. Pre-orders are open now with sales beginning tomorrow.
Your Thoughts
Which of Apple’s announcements from last week’s events were the most interesting to you? Do you like the idea of a lower-priced Apple Music subscription? Are you pleased that Apple is bringing back some much-missed MacBook Pro features from the past?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
Wow! A great recap of Apple’s latest. Thanks.
Hi Carol, You’re very welcome. I’m so glad you found this helpful.
These gadgets look awesome, definitely a collector’s item, and the perfect selection to pick an ideal Christmas present from. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Wilson, Yes, there are some wonderful Christmas gift ideas in these new items from Apple. I’m sure those on your gift list would be delighted to receive any of these!