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Apple aesthetics: A look at the iMac's design history
A new version of Apple's iMac desktop machine doesn't always come with a retooled exterior. As has become the norm with the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, a spec boost via new internals is the case more often that not. This week, in addition to packing in a load of updated components, the company outfitted the all-in-one option with a new high-res Retina display that should translate to some stellar views. With a product line that dates back to the late '90s, let's take a closer look at the iMac's notable design changes over the years.
Apple's 2014 iPad event: A closer look at the numbers
There are a few things you can count on when Apple releases a new iPad: it will be thinner, it will be faster and there will be a LOT of hyperbole. Amidst the claims of magical devices, record-breaking sales and "very cool stuff" there are also a lot of numbers. Here's a closer look at the big digits from today's event.
iPad mini 3 vs. the competition: Which will you hold in one hand?
The iPhone might be getting bigger with each iteration, but it's not quite at tablet size yet. There's still plenty of room for the latest 7.9-inch iPad mini, now equipped with Touch ID. But is that enough to justify buying one over other 7-inch slates? We've sized up the iPad mini 3 against some of its more popular competitors to see which tablet's specs give you the most bang for the buck. If matching the iPad mini 3 up against the Nexus 7, Galaxy Tab4 7.0 and Kindle Fire HD 7-inch isn't enough for you, make your own comparison with our handy tool and decide for yourself which tablet really comes out on top.
iPad Air 2 vs. the competition: Is it the tablet to beat?
There was a time when it was hard to find someone who would argue with Apple's claim that the iPad was heavyweight tablet champ. But now Android slates like the Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1, the Xperia Tablet Z2 and the recently announced Nexus 9 are making a run at the title. Sure, the iPad still has some great apps, but how does the latest iPad Air compare to the competition under the hood? Check out the tale of the tape below, and decide for yourself if the iPad Air 2 has what it takes to stay on top.
Apple's new iPads choose LTE at will from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile or EE
After years of rumors that Apple would introduce its own type of SIM card, it appears to have snuck the tech into today's new iPad announcement (there's a history here, the original iPad introduced the Micro SIM). The Apple website says LTE-equipped models of its new tablets (sold in the US and UK) have a packed-in Apple SIM that lets owners switch between short term plans across a variety of participating carriers, right on the tablet itself (you can see a picture of the new option under settings after the break). That list includes AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint in the US, and EE in the UK, but notably not Verizon. Verizon is still an option, of course, you'll just need to switch out Apple's SIM for one of theirs, which eliminates the possibility of changing carriers via software.
A first look at the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3
Unlike last month's Apple event, today's shindig was held in a tiny auditorium on the company's campus, nary a single gigantic white box in sight. Arguably, the size of the venue matched the importance of the products being announced -- minor iPad and iMac refreshes don't exactly command the same kind of attention as revamped iPhones and Apple's introduction into the wearables market. This doesn't mean the latest version of the iPad Air and iPad mini aren't worth a closer look, of course; they may be just another iteration of the series, but if you're in the market for a new tablet, there are a few new features to be aware of.
Here's your first look at Apple's new 5K iMac with Retina display
We had a feeling Apple would announce a new iMac today, and indeed, the company didn't disappoint. Here in Cupertino, we just saw Tim Cook and co. unveil the 27-inch iMac with Retina display, which has basically the same slim design as the last version, except this time it packs a 5K, 5,120 x 2,880 display. And it's available today, starting at $2,499. I'd be lying if I said I got to spend much time with it -- the demo area here is extremely crowded -- but I did want to give you some early impressions. And you know, some hands-on photos, too. Have a gander at the gallery below, and keep your eyes peeled for a full review -- something tells us we'll be taking one of these bad boys for a spin very soon.
Apple finally updates the Mac mini, lowers the price to $499
It wasn't too long ago that we were seeing Apple unveil its new set of iPhones, but now the Cupertino company is back for another round. Just now, at its routine iPad event, Apple has taken the time to introduce new Mac minis too, which it hadn't done since late 2012. The starting price has dropped to $499/£399 on the base model, compared to $599/£499 from previous years. Internally, Apple will be offering customization options that include fourth-generation Intel Core processors, also known as Haswell, and Intel Iris and HD Graphics 5000. In addition to that, the 2014 Mac mini is set to offer PCle-based solid-state drive options, support for 802.11ac WiFi connectivity and a pair of Thunderbolt 2 ports. Those are all the details Apple was willing to share during the presentation, but we'll be adding any additional info to this post as soon as we have it. The new Mac minis will begin shipping today -- and yes, that means you'll have OS X Yosemite to boot.
Apple reveals the 27-inch iMac with Retina Display starting at $2,499
A stable of new iPads wasn't all Apple had up its sleeve today. The folks in Cupertino have also been hard at work on a desktop update, and the iMac is the beneficiary. If you'll recall, Apple quietly trotted out a more affordable version of the machine back in June, but this fall's release packs a much bigger punch. With the latest model, the company's all-in-one option gets a boost in the screen department with the addition of a Retina panel. That 27-inch oxide TFT display is what Apple's calling "Retina 5K," touting a 5,120 x 2,880 resolution with 67 percent more pixels than 4K. The added real estate means that you'll be able to do things like edit 4K video in Final Cut Pro X while still having plenty of room for all the tools you'll need. Even with all of that new screen power, the new iMac is said to be 30 percent more energy efficient. The outer edge is also 5mm thick, keeping the trim frame all the way around.
Apple drops iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad mini 2 prices by $100
Now that Apple has introduced the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3, it's time for some of the older models to get a price cut. After announcing the new tablets, Phil Schiller, Apple's senior VP of worldwide marketing, also revealed that the original iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad mini with Retina display, will be sticking around once the newer versions start to ship at "the end of next week." As a result, the iPad mini, iPad mini 2 and iPad Air now start off at $249/£199, $299/£239 and $399/£319, respectively, for the 16GB (WiFi) versions. On the other hand, the newly unveiled iPad mini 3 will cost $399/£319, while the iPad Air 2 is going to be $499/£399 -- both with 16GB of storage and WiFi-only. Like always, if you want to add a 4G/LTE to that, you'll have to shell out $130/£100 extra per iPad.
Apple officially outs the iPad mini 3, pre-orders start tomorrow
You knew it was coming; now it's here. Apple just pulled back the curtain on the iPad mini 3 at its live media event in Cupertino, and so far it's pretty much what we expected -- a modestly updated tablet with some more familiar looks. The saga of the iPad mini 3 hasn't been too spoilerific, but Apple's "accidental" leak from the other day painted the thing with some vague strokes: We figured out what it'd be called and knew it would have a Touch ID sensor (turns out that latter bit is the most notable addition to the mix). Phil Schiller didn't spend too much time on them -- by which we mean he hardly said anything about them -- mostly likely because there's really nothing else new here.
iPad Air 2 is Apple's thinnest tablet ever
Apple's got a new iPad, and it's a sequel to last year's ultra-svelte iPad Air: It's called the Apple iPad Air 2. CEO Tim Cook announced as much this morning from Apple's Cupertino, California, headquarters with a video of a pencil being shaved down, a nod to last year's unveiling of the first iPad Air. The iPad Air 2 is 6.1mm, "18 percent thinner than the first iPad Air," Apple's Phil Schiller told attendees. "It's the world's thinnest tablet." Beyond thinning it down even further, Apple's usual suspects of upgrades are on board: The iPad Air 2 has the newest A8 processor and M8 coprocessor, which Schiller said is 12 times more powerful than the original iPad. It's also got a brand-new camera out back: an 8MP iSight camera (f/2.4 aperture) that does 1080p video, burst mode, panorama shots and auto HDR (that takes up a bit less space). The display remains 9.7 inches, which Schiller called "a new Retina display." He also said the new iPad Air 2 has Touch ID, the Home button-based security system that enables logging in via fingerprint. With Touch ID, iPad Air 2 also has Apple Pay, albeit enabled for online purchases only. Head below for more specs and info as it comes out of Cupertino!
You can download OS X Yosemite for free starting today (update: get it now!)
Oh, so the prospect of some new iPads and refreshed Macs wasn't enough for you? How about the chance to take OS X Yosemite for a spin? As expected, Apple confirmed that you'll be able to download and install Yosemite for free later today -- just keep an eye on the Mac App Store for your chance to play with what developers and beta testers have been perfecting for months. Aside from Yosemite's flatter design, features of note include Continuity (which basically blurs the line between your Mac and your iDevices), smarter Spotlight searching and total redesigns for native apps like Mail and Safari. (Sadly, you won't get access to Stephen Colbert's phone number like Craig Federighi did.) We'll keep you posted on when you can actually take the plunge, but in the meantime, take a peek at our in-depth Yosemite preview to give you one last taste of what to expect before the digital download floodgates open. UPDATE: After what seemed like ages, Yosemite is now available to download right here.
Apple Pay launches Monday with support from Starbucks, Macy's and others
Apple has just kicked off the iPad extravaganza with a big piece of news about its Apple Pay initiative. It'll launch this Monday, and now has the support of 500 US banks along with major retailers like Starbucks, Macy's, McDonald's, Disney, Walgreens and Target. To remind you, Pay will make it possible to use your iPhone 6 and 6 Plus at the till (or online) instead of pulling out a credit card, since they're the first Apple handsets with contactless NFC. It'll work in conjunction with the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, and let you use any credit cards you've stored in Passbook. Meanwhile, the new iPhones' Secure Element chip encryption is fenced off from iOS and iCloud, so that even Apple itself can't see confidential purchase information. If you're good with all that, you can give it a crack starting October 20th -- a partial list of retailers is available here.
iOS 8.1 is coming on Monday, will bring Apple Pay and added Continuity support
Craig Federighi, Apple's senior VP of software engineering, has just announced that iOS 8.1 will bring Apple Pay compatibility to the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. That's good news, because Apple Pay launches this Monday with support from Starbucks, Macy's, Target and others. It'll also bring back the Camera Roll, which should be good news for iPhone users who missed that feature when it was taken away. Additionally, those who update to the new firmware will get access to the public beta of iCloud Photo Library, which gives you the ability to access the full resolution of all your photos and videos without any downscaling. The big news though, is that iOS 8.1 will finally bring Continuity compatibility when it comes to SMS and Instant Hotspot (as long as you have OS X Yosemite installed on your Mac, of course). That means you'll be able to make and receive texts from your Mac and get online via your phone's cellular connection. Those with iOS 8 and Yosemite could already enjoy other Continuity features such as handing off a half-composed email from your Mac to your iPad, sharing Keynote slides and making and receiving calls. And if all of that sounds intriguing to you, well good news: iOS 8.1 will be available this coming Monday. Update: We previously mentioned that iOS 8.1 will add Continuity compatibility, but iOS 8 already had some Continuity features. iOS 8.1 will add SMS and Instant Hotspot features specifically.
Apple to roll out WatchKit for developers in November
Apple wants developers to start tinkering and creating apps for its new smartwatch ASAP. So, the company's launching WatchKit in November, a few months before the upcoming wearable starts shipping early next year. WatchKit, along with HomeKit and HealthKit, is part of the company's larger effort to open up its devices to third-party devs, allowing them to create new features for its lineup. This lets companies, like banks and hotels, among others, provide apps that customers can use the moment they unbox their new Apple gadgets.
We're liveblogging Apple's iPad event!
OK, folks, who's ready for new iPads? Apple's just about to begin its big keynote, and we're pretty sure we're going to see some fresh tablets. Maybe iMacs too, and a final version of OS X Yosemite to go with them. But who needs speculation at this point? Follow along as we report live from Apple's press event in Cupertino. Then, when we're done with that, you might want to stick around even longer: There's a chance we'll be getting hands-on with all the new stuff.
Doing it wrong: A visual history of awkward iPad photography
Did you know that Apple hasn't changed the 5-megapixel camera on the iPad for three models running? It's probably fair to hope that the company adding something to the tablet's imaging prowess at tomorrow's event. That said, is it really true that the best camera is "the one that's with you," if said snapper is a 9.7-inch slate? We decided to take a little trawl through some of history's most notable iPad photography incidents to find out if people really are holding it wrong. [Image Credit: Michael Sohn/AP]
Apple leaks iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3 ahead of official announce
Well, this is a bit unlike Apple -- the company appears to have accidentally spilled the beans about the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3, which are expected to be announced tomorrow. Representations of both devices showed up in a screenshot of the iPad User Guide for iOS 8.1, which we're also expecting new details about tomorrow. We can't tell much from the image, but it does confirm that Cupertino's tablets will be getting Touch ID. A later screenshot also details burst shooting mode, which will be coming to the iPad Air 2, but not the mini 3, according to the document. However, downloading the book didn't reveal any additional info. In fact, there's no trace of the content leaked via the preview screenshots at all. While the leak may seem like a careless mistake, the more cynical out there will note that this happened just moments after Google announced its latest Nexus devices. It might be a coincidence, or the notoriously media savvy company might be trying to push the competition out of the news cycle as fast as possible. [Image via 9to5Mac]
Apple's iPad event is happening tomorrow, get your liveblog here!
Apple's holding one of its big keynotes tomorrow, and you know what that means, right? Damn straight you do: We'll be there, liveblogging the whole thing, with up-to-the-minute news updates and (Tim Cook willing) hands-on impressions of all the new stuff. So will we see new iPads? Almost certainly. iMacs? Yeah, maybe. Whatever it is, we only have a day until Apple sets the record straight. Bookmark our liveblog and meet us back there in t-minus 24 hours to watch it all unfold.
