During the "Unleashed" virtual event, Apple announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, new AirPods 3, and more.
See also: Apple's 'Unleashed' event will take place on October 18th
Apple Music
The event kicked off with two announcements about Apple Music. First, Apple announced that Apple Music is adding “hundreds of new playlists and activities” created by the service’s editorial team.
Second, Apple announced a new Apple Music Voice Plan, available for $5 per month. This plan allows users to access the entire Apple Music catalog exclusively through Siri. Users can ask to play music on all their Siri-enabled devices, including HomePod mini, AirPods, iPhone, and CarPlay.
AirPods
The company also turned its attention to AirPods. It officially announced the new third-generation AirPods, bringing an all-new design inspired by the AirPods Pro.
The new AirPods 3 look almost identical to the AirPods Pro, but without the replaceable tips. Apple says the design is meant to fit “at the right angle to provide comfort and direct sound into the ear.” The new AirPods are sweat and water resistant, with an IPX4 rating for both the earbuds and the charging case.
The AirPods 3 charging case features MagSafe support for the first time. You can also charge via Lightning. AirPods 3 have up to six hours of listening time per charge and up to 30 hours of total listening time with the charging case.
Apple says the AirPods use computational audio, similar to the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, to tune the sound in real time based on how the AirPods fit in the user's ear. There's also support for Adaptive EQ and Dolby Atmos.
The new AirPods 3 are available to order for $179.
See also: Apple announced the new MacBook Pro: Everything you need to know!
HomePod mini
Apple announced that starting next month, the HomePod mini will be available in three new colors: yellow, orange, and blue. These colors will join the existing white and gray options at the same $99 price.
M1 Pro and M1 Max
One of the highlights of the presentation was the all-new MacBook Pro line, featuring next-generation Apple Silicon chips. Dubbed the M1 Pro and M1 Max, Apple unveiled two new versions of the M1 chip that first debuted last year in the 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and MacBook Air.
For starters, Apple says the new M1 Pro processor is up to 70 percent faster than the M1. It has a 10-core design with eight high-efficiency cores and two high-performance cores. For graphics, the M1 Pro has a GPU with up to 16 cores that is up to 2x faster than the M1.
Next up, the M1 Max is what Apple calls “the world’s most powerful chip for business laptops.” The M1 Max features the same powerful 10-core processor as the M1 Pro, paired with a massive 32-core GPU for up to 4x faster graphics performance than the M1. The M1 Max can be configured with up to 64GB of RAM.
Both the M1 Pro and M1 Max feature a 16-core Neural Engine for on-device machine learning acceleration and improved camera performance, plus built-in Thunderbolt 4 controllers, providing even more I/O bandwidth, the Secure Enclave for better security, and more.
New MacBook advantages
Wrapping up today's event, Apple officially announced the new next-generation MacBook Pro series powered by the M1 Pro and M1 Max processors.
The new MacBook Pro lineup is available in 14-inch and 16-inch configurations. On the sides, you'll find three Thunderbolt 4 ports as well as an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and a MagSafe connector for charging. The Touch Bar has also been removed in favor of traditional function keys for things like brightness, media playback, volume, and more.
See also: Apple announced the new MacBook Pro: Everything you need to know!
Both models feature a larger display than the previous generation. The 16-inch MacBook Pro offers a 16.2-inch display with 7.7 million pixels. And the 14-inch model gives users a 14.2-inch display and a total of 5.9 million pixels.
In terms of specs, the 14-inch MacBook Pro can be configured with Apple's M1 Pro or M1 Max processor, up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 8TB of SSD storage. The 16-inch model can be configured with the M1 Pro or M1 Max processor and up to 64GB of integrated memory, plus up to 8TB of SSD storage.
The new MacBook Pros are available to order on Apple's website starting today, and the first orders will arrive for customers and in Apple stores next Tuesday.
