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Top Stories: New iPad Pro, MacBook Air, Powerbeats, and More

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With no March media event in the works, Apple this week rolled out a number of product updates including updated iPad Pro models with dual cameras, a LiDAR scanner, and a Magic Keyboard accessory with trackpad.


On the Mac side, we got an updated MacBook Air and storage-bumped Mac mini models, as well as new Powerbeats earphones, so check out the video above and read on for all of our coverage on those topics and more.

New iPad Pro Announced With A12Z Bionic Chip, Magic Keyboard With Trackpad, LiDAR Scanner, Ultra Wide Camera, and More

March is a common month for new Apple products and this year has proven to be no exception. While the COVID-19 pandemic may have prevented it from hosting a media event, Apple this week introduced new iPad Pro models with a slightly faster A12Z Bionic chip, an Ultra Wide camera for 0.5x zoom, a LiDAR sensor for enhanced augmented reality, and more.

Apple_new-ipad-pro-keyboard_03182020_big.jpg.large_2x.jpg

Apple also announced that a new Magic Keyboard case with backlit keys and a built-in trackpad will be available in May for 2018 and later iPad Pro models, turning the iPad Pro into a true Microsoft Surface competitor. To accommodate this, iPadOS 13.4 will be gaining trackpad support for all modern iPad models, with the software update set to be released March 24, and we've put together a video showing what that trackpad support will look like.

The new iPad Pro models reportedly also feature a U1 chip for Ultra Wideband support and 6GB of RAM.

New MacBook Air Announced With Magic Keyboard, Up to 2x Faster Performance, and Lower $999 Starting Price

Apple this week updated its MacBook Air lineup with faster 10th-generation Intel Core processors and graphics, a scissor switch Magic Keyboard, a lower starting price of $999, and more.

macbookair2020.jpg

The new base model MacBook Air has a starting price of $999 with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM in the United States, which is $100 less for double the storage compared to the previous generation base model. Early reviews have praised the new keyboard, improved performance, and lower starting price.

Apple also announced that standard configurations of the Mac mini now come with double the storage capacity. The $799 configuration now comes with 256GB, while the $1,099 configuration features 512GB.

Apple Announces Updated Powerbeats Earbuds With H1 Chip, 15-Hour Battery Life and $150 Price Tag

Apple this week introduced new Powerbeats, available for $149.95 in black, white, and red.

powerbeats_2020_thumb.jpg

The new Powerbeats feature the same Apple-designed H1 chip as the Powerbeats Pro and AirPods Pro, enabling hands-free "Hey Siri" voice commands, faster pairing with iOS devices, and more. The new Powerbeats also have up to 15 hours of battery life and a similar design as the Powerbeats Pro, but with a wire between each earpiece.

Apple released additional accessories this week, including iPhone cases, iPad cases, and Apple Watch bands in new spring colors.

Video: Recap of New iPad Pro, New MacBook Air, and More

On our YouTube channel, we shared a recap of all of Apple's announcements this week, including new iPad Pro and MacBook Air models and more.


We've also put together some tidbits about the devices, including the new iPad Pro supporting Wi-Fi 6 and the new MacBook Air supporting up to a 6K external display, including Apple's Pro Display XDR.

Apple Stores Now Closed Until Further Notice Amid COVID-19

Apple has announced that all of its retail stores outside of the Greater China region are closed "until further notice" due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

apple-store-closures-indefinite-banner-website.jpg

Apple also said it is making a substantial donation to COVID-19 relief efforts in Italy, with the funds set to help first responders, medical personnel, and volunteers working to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country, which has the most confirmed cases in Europe.

Follow our COVID-19 roundup as Apple continues to respond to the pandemic.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Article Link: Top Stories: New iPad Pro, MacBook Air, Powerbeats, and More
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2020/03/21/top-stories-ipad-pro-macbook-air/
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How does the Powerbeats Earbuds fit in someone's ear who wears glasses?

And how much is the audio-video delay, compared to totally wired headphones, to watch videos and play games?
 
That iPad keyboard reminds me of the patent pics I saw a while back, that people assumed were for a touchscreen iMac.

I wonder if Apple would have the courage to transform the iMac this way (while offering it alongside the current iMac).

Or rename the upcoming iMac the Macintosh, and create a Surface Studio-like iOS-based iMac now that it FINALLY has trackpad support.

Imagine an iMac you can DRAW ON.

This would conveniently keep the naming-to-OS convention. Macs & iDevices.
 
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Darth Tulhu said:
That iPad keyboard reminds me of the patent pics I saw a while back, that people assumed were for a touchscreen iMac.

I wonder if Apple would have the courage to transform the iMac this way (while offering it alongside the current iMac).

Or rename the upcoming iMac the Macintosh, and create a Surface Studio-like iOS-based iMac now that it FINALLY has trackpad support.

Imagine an iMac you can DRAW ON.

This would conveniently keep the naming-to-OS convention. Macs & iDevices.
Click to expand...
I would love that and buy one instantly.

The floating hinge on the iPP magic keyboard reminds me of the lampshade iMac and the Kensington Surface Studio-like Surface Pro hinge dock.

TBH, I see Apple making a larger iPP and this style magic keyboard before making anything like the Surface Studio.
 
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kazmac said:
I would love that and buy one instantly.

The floating hinge on the iPP magic keyboard reminds me of the lampshade iMac and the Kensington Surface Studio-like Surface Pro hinge dock.

TBH, I see Apple making a larger iPP and this style magic keyboard before making anything like the Surface Studio.
Click to expand...

Agreed. A 17" iPad Pro would probably drain my pockets immediately.

But then again, I don't draw, so a Mac is more my speed, really.

P.D. I'm heading to Hong Kong, via Hawaii. No one will stop me. Sadly, I'm never to return.
 
No tvOS or new ATV news or rumors???
[automerge]1584803262[/automerge]
Palliser said:
Nice video, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say “a new Mac mini” it really was just a storage bump.
Click to expand...
If we never had it before, it is new.
 
Darth Tulhu said:
That iPad keyboard reminds me of the patent pics I saw a while back, that people assumed were for a touchscreen iMac.

I wonder if Apple would have the courage to transform the iMac this way (while offering it alongside the current iMac).

Or rename the upcoming iMac the Macintosh, and create a Surface Studio-like iOS-based iMac now that it FINALLY has trackpad support.

Imagine an iMac you can DRAW ON.

This would conveniently keep the naming-to-OS convention. Macs & iDevices.
Click to expand...
Any Mac that is iOS based and not macOS based is a failure for Apple and for users.
 
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roland.g said:
Maybe MR can hire Marques Brownlee for these vids. We need a little less vanilla. No offense Dan.
Click to expand...

I don't see what the big hype is with MKBHD. He offers nothing insightful which is more important than the bling production set and gear. Just because he records with a $80K camera doesn't make the content $80K.
 
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Was really hoping to see an updated Apple TV - maybe this coming week. Timing would be perfect given this extended stay at home. My current one is slowly fading.
 
Darth Tulhu said:
Why and how exactly?

And that's besides my point. I want Apple to sell iOS-based devices ALONGSIDE macOS ones, like they do now.

What's wrong with that?
Click to expand...
Because Apple’s 13 year old Springboard UI for iOS is old and tired and has not transitioned into something that makes sense for current mobile needs. That paradigm is extended and slightly evolved onto iPadOS but is also still outdated. Bringing that to the Mac in its current form is a monumental mistake. At that point you will have bad architecture ported to another system. Innovate the design before you transition. I’m not saying that having touch based iOS based on a Mac is bad, but I am saying in its current form it is. If you are going to truly innovate and Apple is quite overdue, doing so in a way that makes sense for a transition to touch based Macs/iOS based Macs makes sense. Be forward thinking. However the last releases of iOS are iterative and continue to be minimal feature improvements on a mature yet stale design system. Unfortunately I am quite concerned. Steve would not let this have happened. Tim doesn’t truly care and as a result Craig and his team can sit back and churn out mediocre annual updates. The leadership doesn’t get it. And that is why Apple is destined to be ultimately flawed. They will still be the market leader and because of that they have no real reason to push themselves.
 
I get saving the AirTags announcement for a media event to hype them up, but what about the new Apple TV? I'm ready to buy it myself; there could not be a better time to release it, unless they don't have enough supply?
 
Apple still doesn't address the main issues:
- MacBook Air is still a soldered and glued use it and throw it away after you're done article. As long as Apple doesn't create repairable and upgradeable devices again Apple is NOT environmentally friendly.

- The iPad Pro still has FaceId only - in Corona times this is a heavy fail, FaceId doesn't work when you're wearing a mask. TouchId should celebrate a comeback - I hate to remove my face mask constantly when I need to use my iPhone / iPad.
 
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