Apple to Debut New iPads and Macs Next Week
Apple will upgrade its Mac computers and iPad tablets next week, after the gadgets slipped into the towering shadow of the iPhone.
On Tuesday, Apple will take the stage in Brooklyn, New York, to unveil new Mac computers and iPad tablets. The theme of the event is "making," and it will take place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music -- both clues to how Apple plans to reignite sales of the products.
The main news on Tuesday will be revamped iPad Pros with Face ID and a new charging port, a new laptop destined to replace the aging MacBook Air, and a new Mac mini geared toward professional users, according to reports.
Here's what Apple is planning for the new iPad Pro, according to reports:
- Nearly edge-to-edge screens with slimmer bezels
- A USB-C connector for charging and syncing data
- Face ID will be used for unlocking the new iPad, and the Home button and fingerprint scanner will be removed.
- Face ID will enable Animojis on iPads
- The screens will be less expensive LCD panels, rather than the OLED screens
- The iPad's external look will include more squared-off sides like the iPhone 5, 5S, and SE from a few years ago.
- A faster processor that's a variant of the A12 Bionic chip recently added to the iPhone XS and iPhone XR.
- A custom Apple graphics chip, the first time this would be included in an iPad.
- An updated Apple Pencil
Here's what the company is preparing for the Mac line, according to reports. Some or all of these products could debut at Tuesday's event.
- A new entry-level laptop to replace the aging MacBook Air -- it will have a higher-resolution 13-inch screen, as well as slimmer bezels around the display.
- An update to the Mac mini, adding new processors and features for professional users.
- Apple?s also working on refreshed iMacs, iMac Pros, and 12-inch MacBooks with faster processors.