Apple unveils an updated line of hardware that we’ve all been waiting for.

Hey folks, just in case you missed it, here’s a little recap on the October Apple event held
yesterday. To end what I like to call “Techtober”, Apple unveils an updated line of hardware thatwe’ve all been waiting for. Apple has announced a November 7th shipping date for the US but no news yet on availability in Malaysia at the time of writing. While software updates should berolling out to all eligible devices in the coming weeks. Here’s a look at what was launched.

New iPad Pro

The iPad Pro also received an updated as we had expected. As rumoured, Apple has removed the home button and to no surprise the headphone jack is gone as well. Though embracing a feature new to the iPad line, we get a USB-C port for charging and data transfers. (Is this thebeginning of the end of the lighting cable?) With the removal of the home button, Apple has made Face ID available in both Portrait and Landscape mode and all round smaller bezels.The previous 10.5” model is increased to a 11” screen while retaining the physical size of the device.The 12.9” model is also physically smaller than the previous generation.On the insides, Apple has included the new A12X Bionic chip which boasts a 35% increase inperformance and a bump in graphic performance as well. Another notable change is that thereis an option to upgrade the RAM to 6GB and a maximum storage capacity of 1TB. The new iPad Pro starts at $799 (RM3341) for the 11” device and $999 (RM4178) for 12.9” with just Wi-Fi.

Apple Accessories

The Apple Pencil also gets an upgrade with a much improved charging mechanism. It now
magnetically attaches to the side of the iPad Pro for both charging and storage when not in use.The Smart Keyboard also gets a minor update offering more angles. Both accessories come with a small price bump too. Another thing to take note is that the old Apple Pencil is
incompatible with the new iPad Pro.

Macbook Air 2018

3 years in the making, Apple has finally launched an refreshed Macbook Air with an updated spec sheet and a modern design. The new 2018 Macbook air has a slightly larger 13.3” displayas compared to the 13” with the previous model while being in a smaller overall footprint with50% narrower bezels and weighing 7% lighter. Speaking of the display, Apple has decided toinclude a Retina Display, a much appreciated upgraded from the previous generation Macbook Air. Other noteworthy improvements are the new third-gen butterfly keyboard, Touch ID, a 20%larger trackpad-which supports force touch, an improved audio experience. The headphone jack makes a welcomed appearance, along with two USB-C ports.The internals also gets an upgraded 8th Gen Intel dual-core CPU and up to 16GB of RAM and1.5TB SSD. The basic configurations comes with 8GB RAM / 128GB SSD and is priced at $1,199 or about RM5000.

Mac Mini 2018

The Mac Mini also gets a long overdue refresh. On the outside, the Mac Mini looks exactly the same as the previous generation but it comes with a new colour and an updated spec sheet.The processor gets a bump to the latest Intel 8th Gen 6-core or quad-core processors with support for up to 64GB of RAM and 2TB flash storage. Apple also included its new T2 security chip and a range of updated ports at the back of the unit. There are 4 USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports, HDMI, Ethernet, and two USB-A ports on the rear.