This has been one of the most awaited events of the year. Needless to say, we were quite anxious about what new announcements Apple would make.
Since the start of the pandemic, we have seen all events go virtual and this was no exception. The event was scheduled to start at 2000hrs EAT. 45mins before it started, there were more than fifty thousand people waiting in line, which shot to more than half a million as the event started.
Apple Card Family
Apple CEO, Tim Cook, started the event with the first product of the day which was not a hardware release but an upgrade of the already existing Apple Card. With this upgrade, spouses or partners can now share their credit line without affecting each other’s credit score.
Podcasts
The second announcement was also not a physical product but an introduction of Premium Subscriptions on Podcasts with 170 regions (countries) being covered. I personally think this is the largest region that a product has been introduced to at one time.
Purple iPhone
Just 8 mins into the event, the first hardware announcement was made, the iPhone 12 in the color Purple. Quite different from what we had seen in the last few years where Apple have often launched the PRODUCT RED in spring. But here comes Purple and it does look good. Nothing was new in terms of specifications from the previously released iPhone 12 devices.
AirTag
Considering the 3 announcements had not introduced anything new I kept wondering if this was a recycling event but I suppose I spoke too soon. 10 mins into the event the most rumored device was introduced the AirTag.
Just as it sounds, a tag is an identifying mark. One can attach it to any of their Apple gadgets hence tagging them. The AirTag will help you track all your devices from wherever you are through the Find My Network feature. We already have other models in the market such as Tiles and Adero among others. The AirTag comes with a Find My Network feature similar to the Find My iPhone and will be sold in one piece or a pack of 4.
Apple Tv
Apple TV was the next product announced 15 mins into the virtual event. It has been 3 years since the current model of the Apple TV series has been upgraded. What first caught my eye was the color-changing ability that came with the new Apple TV and also the A12 ionic chip processor (This chip was first used in the XS/Xs Max and Xr series).
The remote also got a new look with the Siri button being well positioned on the side and with loose scroll buttons similar to those of the iPod Nano. Apple is now very conscious of production wastage hence this Apple TV casing is 100% recycled Aluminum.
New iMac line up
21 minutes into the event, the most unexpected move, the introduction of the iMac 
2021 version with an M1 chip.
Last year we saw Apple move to their own M1 silicone processor from the previously used Intel processors on the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air and as most reviews on the speed, battery life, and many other features we can only imagine how it will perform on the iMac.
Apple has also reintroduced the older iMac colors and it will now be available in different colors namely green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver.
This iMac also comes with a 2-meter magnetic cable and a new Power Adapter that has an Ethernet port hence giving your desk a cleaner look with no many cables laying around. With this new iMac look, they got rid of the USB 3.0 ports and now only have the Type C ports with two of them being thunderbolt ports.
The display has changed with the older 21.5 inches iMac now fitting a 24 inches display with less bezels, the earphone jack has moved to the left side of the iMac as the new machines are thinner.
On the Audio part, this iMac comes with 6 speakers that support Dolby Atmos. This we have to experience to give a review. The other interesting feature is that you now can download the iPhone/ iPad apps on the iMac thus have a smooth workflow.
Accessories
With iMac comes different accessories. In the past, accessories have been the least upgraded but with yesterday’s event, we had 3 changes. The Magic Mouse and Trackpad now come in different colors similar to the iMac namely green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. We however didn’t see the black magic mouse and wonder if its production will continue. Well, let us wait and see.
The only Accessory that had a major improvement is the Magic Keyboard with the Security update. We now have the Touch ID on the keyboard even the ones with NUMLOCK.
iPad Pro
Last but not least product is the new iPad Pro with an M1 chip, as I write this paragraph I might favor the iPad as I have seen major changes happening on this device since the introduction of Pro in the year 2017.
The introduction of M1 in the iPad is a game changer for those people who use the iPad for editing. The display now comes in 11 inches and 12.9 inches as their predecessors from 2020.
For gamers, this iPad now supports the Xbox and PlayStation controller and with the Apple Arcade now in place, the iPad gaming is now a notch higher.
The display of the iPad has 1000nits and 1600nits at the highest peak, The 12.9 inches comes with an XDR Retina display.
The most exciting part is the Thunderbolt port which makes it easy to transfer data in and out of the iPad especially when dealing with large files.
The storage part was not left behind with now more files expected to be handled by the iPad there is now the highest storage at 2TB.
