Apple Announces new iPad Pro, Mac mini, Macbook Air
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| Apple Announces new iPad Pro, Mac mini, Macbook Air | |
| Number | 662 |
| Broadcast Date | OCTOBER 30, 2018 |
| Episode Length | 6:07 |
| Hosts | Sarah Lane |
Uber announces monthly Ride Pass subscription, Nintendo’s Switch has outsold the GameCube, Sony reports strong profit outlook.
Headlines
- At its event in New York Tuesday, Apple announced a redesigned iPad Pro with slimmer bezels, Face ID, a USB-C port, and two screen sizes: 11-inch and 12.9-inch. The new iPad Pro starts at $799 for the 11-inch and $999 for the 12.9-inch. Both sizes have an A12X Bionic chip with an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU, which leads to 35 percent faster single-core performance and 90 percent faster for multi-core tasks. No headphone jack, and no home button. Preorders begin today and it ships November 7th.
- Apple also announced the Second-generation Apple Pencil, which can now attach magnetically to the new iPad Pro, and recharge using the Pro’s revised inductive charging connector. Swipe and tap gestures can be sensed on the tube’s sides to adjust the on-screen thickness of the stylus’s tip. The Pencil 2 sells for $129. A new Smart Keyboard Folio that attaches to the iPad Pro now sells for $179 (11-inch) or $199 (12.9-inch). Apple's also introducing “a new USB-C to SD Card Reader and USB-C to 3.5 mm Headphone Jack Adapter” to go along with the iPad Pro.
- Apple also announced a new Mac Mini, now available in space gray and made from 100% recycled aluminum. The new device features the latest gen six core processor, up to 64GB of RAM and up to 2TB of solid state storage. Ports include four Thunderbolt 3s, an HDMI and USB-A. The low-end version features 8GB of RAM and starts at $799. Pre-orders start today, shipping on November 7.
- Apple also announced a new MacBook Air for the first time in three years with a Retina display, 50 percent thinner bezels in a design similar to the standard MacBook, and upgraded components. It has a 13.3-inch screen, two USB-C ports, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It also weighs just 2.75 pounds, which is lighter than the previous MacBook Air. The new Air has Touch ID, is powered by the same T2 chip in last year’s MacBook Pro and iMac Pro models, an 8th Gen Intel dual-core CPU with integrated graphics, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to a 1.5TB SSD. The USB-C / Thunderbolt ports can power an external 5K display. The base model with 8GB RAM, a 1.6GHz Core i5, and a 128GB SSD — is on sale starting today for $1,199 and like the new mini, it's made from 100% recycled aluminum.
- iOS 12.1 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch is available, with new features including Group FaceTime for up to 32 people, dual SIM support, real time Depth Control for Portrait mode, and new emoji. iOS 12.1 is also expected to address the “beauty-gate” issue that affected the front-facing camera on iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.
- The Nintendo Switch has outsold the GameCube in lifetime sales. Nintendo sold 3.19 million units in the last quarter, bringing the Switch's total install base to 22.86 million, compared to the GameCube's 21.74 million in its six-year run. The Switch eclipsed the Wii U back in January. In its latest earnings report, Nintendo reported revenue of 221 billion yen (roughly $1.96 billion), up from 220 billion yen (roughly $1.95 billion) during the same quarter last year. Operating profit reached 30.9 billion yen (roughly $274 million), up from 23.8 billion yen (roughly $211 million) in the second quarter of 2017.
- Sony raised its annual profit outlook by 30 percent to a record level after a strong second-quarter, due to popular game titles and growing demand for its online gaming services. Sony now expects annual operating profit of 870 billion yen ($7.7 billion), above market expectations of 796 billion yen. The gaming business will be the biggest profit driver generating 310 billion yen. In its second-quarter, Sony's operating income climbed 17 percent to 239.5 billion yen, and profit for its gaming division was up 65 percent. Demand for Sony’s image sensors stayed healthy, and the company aims to invest 600 billion yen in imaging sensors over the three years through March 2021, up by 20 percent from its previous goal.
- Google announced the Waze Audio Player which now supports Pandora, Deezer, iHeartRadio, NPR One, Scribd, Stitcher, and TuneIn, as well as Spotify which was its first audio integration. Controls within Waze include the ability to play/pause or switch tracks, and songs and other audio will play alongside Waze directions and alerts, with primary directions still visible at the top even when the music panel is open. The Waze Audio Player is launching today to the global Beta Community, with a public launch worldwide in the coming weeks. On the Android app, all services, except Deezer are available. On iOS, Pandora, NPR and TuneIn won't be available until the end of the year.
- Uber announced Ride Pass in Los Angeles, Austin, Orlando, Denver and Miami. For $14.99 a month — or $24.99 a month in LA — riders get flat rates on all the UberX and UberPool trips they take within that month. The rates are based on historical data and promise 15 percent discounts on overall monthly travel. Ride Pass fares won’t be subject to weather, traffic, or surge pricing. Also no limit on the number of rides customers can take each month. Uber drivers get the same earnings based on time and distance, with Uber covering the difference.
Links
| Preceded by: "IBM to buy Red Hat" |
Apple Announces new iPad Pro, Mac mini, Macbook Air |
Followed by: "UK and Canada Jointly Summon Zuckerberg" |