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Watching video on all Apple devices is only getting better, with the company on Thursday unveiling its new line of iPads as well as a new high-definition iMac screen.
The new products include the iPad Air 2, the iPad Mini 3 and a new 27-inch iMac with a 5K Retina display.
The iPad Air 2 will feature a new A8X processor and M8 chip, which will up the device’s computer processing speed by 40% and its graphics speeds by 2.5 times. The new iPads also will include an improved 8 megapixel (MP) iSight camera - up from 5 MP - that will allow users to record video in 1080p, making it easy for video producers to shoot video on the fly and in the field. The new camera also allows for slow-motion and time-lapse shooting, adding tools to producers’ arsenals.
The iPad Air 2’s screen also will feature a new anti-reflective coating that will cut glare by 56%, a first for tablets, allowing for easier use outdoors and in other bright-light situations. And it’s super thin, so much so that two stacked together are still thinner than the iPad 1, released nearly five years ago. The device’s battery life is about 10 hours, offering plenty of time to get the job done.
Pricing for the new iPad Air 2, now also available in gold, will start at $499. Prices for mini models will start at $399, with devices available devices in gold, silver and grey.
Pricing for Apple’s previous tablets — the iPad mini, iPad mini 2 and iPad Air 1 — will be reduced.
On the higher end, Apple also revealed a new iMac — a favorite of designers — with the “world’s highest resolution display” at 14.7 million pixels, that’s also 30% more power efficient than previously models. Pricing for that machine will start at $2,499.
Apple also is releasing OS X Yosemite today, after announcing it in June. The new OS, which is available as a free upgrade for Mac users via Apple’s App Store, is described as the most significant change to the Mac OS in years. Yosemite includes a “total visual overhaul of the Mac OS,” according to the Verge, which will make it more closely resemble iOs with built-in apps and other features. On Monday, Apple will release iOS 8.1, intended to smooth out the bumps in the release of iOS 8.
Apple also announced during the event that Apple Pay will go live on Monday, allowing consumers to pay for goods and services using their iPhones via apps.
Apple hosted a similar event in September, where it announced new, larger iPhones as well as the new wearable Apple Watch.
“We can deliver something no one sell can do: a simple, intuitive and yes, a magical experience for our customers,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook during Thursday’s event. “This is our vision of personal technology. And we are just getting started.”
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