Apples 4/20 event titled “Spring Loaded” marked the release of new iMacs, item trackers called Airtags, a new Apple TV 4k, and a new iPad Pro. Although many of these items had been rumored for a long time, their release proves to be a major event on Apple’s 2021 timeline. I will be covering Airtags, the new iPad Pro and the new iMacs. I have chosen to leave out the new Apple TV because of my lack of experience with the Apple TV and general view of any $200 TV box as overpriced and not worth buying unless it has a groundbreaking feature.
iPad Pro
Apple’s new iPad Pro packs all the same features of last generation with a new M1 processor, 5G and an improved “XDR display” on the larger model. While all of these features are welcome changes, the model which includes the new “XDR display” comes with a $100 price hike, bringing the lowest cost of a 12.9 inch iPad Pro to $1,100. Nobody is going to complain about having 5G support or a new M1 chip on the next iPad Pro, but these features definitely do not warrant upgrading from last gen because iPadOS has very few use cases for the extra performance of the M1 chip, and 5G should never be the selling point of tablet especially when it has not been fully rolled out in America. Additionally, new features included on the iPad pro will never really matter as long as iPadOS stays as closed off as it is. The new iPads still lack the ability to download many professional Mac and Windows apps which would leverage its processor’s full power. Therefore, until iPadOS becomes more like a full fledged desktop operating system, it will never be able to compete with similarly priced laptops or warrant the price of a $1000+ tablet along with a keyboard and Apple Pencil.
24 inch iMacs
The new 24 inch iMac poses as the ultimate family computer. With a very thin design, many color options, and the new M1 processor, the newest iMac is a noticeable upgrade from the outdated design of its predecessors. However, the new iMac manages to retain some of the design aspects that were commonly criticized on previous iMacs. Apple’s decision to put most of the components in the chin bezel of the computer in order to keep it just over a centimeter thin creates a massive bezel which takes up space that could have been used to give the iMac a larger 27 inch screen or a smaller body. Rather than keeping the chin bezel, Apple should have made part of the back of the device about two centimeters thick to accommodate all the parts while including slim bezels on all sides. Included with the iMac is a beautiful 4.5K display which is surrounded by a white bezel. While I believe that the white bezel makes the device look better, I have heard that it can be harmful to color correction based workflows which normally use displays with black bezels. The final sticking point for the new iMac is the price. The most optimal configuration costs $1500 and includes a Magic Keyboard with touch id, the version of M1 featured in the MacBook Pro and a power brick with ethernet included. For $1500, I would expect an all-in-one to have a better processor than the mobile chip ported over from the MacBook Pro. Part of the appeal of a desktop is for it to be faster than laptops in its price range because it can use more power. However, with the new iMac, this is not the case. Hence, I would find it difficult to justify buying the new iMac with its limited feature set and questionable design.
Airtags
Airtags are revolutionizing the item tracker market through their ability to be found in the find my network and precision tracking abilities of the U1 chip. By taking advantage of the capabilities of the iPhone, Apple’s Airtags are already much better than their competitor, Tile, because they can use the Find my Network, meaning that an Airtag’s location can be updated by any iPhone. The only downside is that they don’t work with Android devices, so hopefully Apple’s competitive pressure will force other tracking devices makers to up their game. Apple’s tight integration could also be overcome with similar integration on the Android side with a Google or Samsung made tracker. Overall, Airtags are an amazing product. They are affordable and effective trackers with a plethora of new features so that your items can always be found when lost. You can even drill a hole in them to avoid buying a keychain accessory and fit them directly on your keychain.
The Overclock 