On Tuesday 30 October 2018, Apple announced its redesigned MacBook Air and iPad Pro models. The focus is squarely on productivity, although aesthetics aren’t being left behind. This follows the company’s most expensive iPhone in history being released last month.
The company trimmed the side and top bezels even further and also got rid of the iPad Pro’s home button. The device now also comes with a USB-C port instead of the previous Lightning. This ensures that it is compatible with a wider range of accessories than before. All previous iPads had Apple’s in-house Lightning port.
The new iPad Pro, which is also notably thinner, comes in 11-inch and 12.9-inch versions. Both are fitted with swipe gestures and face unlock. The Apple Pencil (or stylus) charges wirelessly and docks magnetically onto the device’s steel frame.
Apple claims that the new iPad Pro can run up to ten hours on a single battery charge. The 12 MP rear camera uses “smart HDR” to take pictures, and the front camera boasts 3D sensors to give a “stage lighting” effect for taking selfies. It can also create “animojis”, or animated selfies, similar to the iPhone XS and XS models.
The MacBook Air’s keyboard now features fingerprint unlock, the track pad is 20% bigger, and the device now boasts a sharper 13-inch HD display. There are also two USB-C ports on the side for connecting devices and charging, as well as 1.5 TB of storage (SSD), 16 GB of memory and an Intel Core i5 processor. It is only 15.6mm thick and weighs a mere 2.75 pounds.
The latest MacBook Air is available in silver, gold and space grey (made from recycled aluminium).