Apple's spring event recap: Old iPhone SE - brand new Mac Studio!
Apple's first event of 2022 is over! Under the motto "Peek Performance", the Apple team, led by Tim Cook, presented a new iPhone, a new iPad, and a brand new Mac Studio. On this page, we summarize everything that could be seen at Apple's spring event in 2022.
Apple held its first event in 2022 under the "Peek Performance" slogan. We expected a first look at the Apple View - the first smart glasses. However, this did not happen, and instead, we were able to admire a new iPhone in the live stream on March 8.
In addition to a new iPad Air, the main focus was on a new Mac, which is primarily aimed at professional users. This is because the performance clearly surpasses that of the already fast MacBook Pro models. Are you interested in a specific topic? Then click directly to the right product:
- iPhone SE 2022
- iPad Air in the 5th generation
- Mac Studio with Studio Display
- Apple TV+ with new content
Chronologically, however, we start with the iPhone SE 2022, which Apple introduced first after announcements for AppleTV+.
iPhone SE 2022: What's new - what stays the same
In addition to two new colors for the iPhone 13 - two shades of green, each exclusive to Pro and standard models - there's a new iPhone SE! Here, the iPhone SE 2022 offers a 4.7-inch display that comes with large display bezels, just like when it was introduced in 2016 with the iPhone 7 (which was largely based on 2014's iPhone 6).
This offers the advantage that Apple still relies on Touch ID in the home button. The Retina display is protected by the "toughest glass" and Apple protects its phone against water and dust according to the IP67 specification.
The iPhone SE 2022 relies on Apple's fastest mobile SoC, the A15 Bionic, which is used in the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. A particularly strong processor in a smartphone that is launched for $429. The new mobile standard 5G is now also installed in the cheapest iPhone.
In terms of camera technology, Apple (unfortunately) still relies on a single camera on the back. In return, the new software tricks of the iPhone 13 series, such as the photographic styles, are on board. Furthermore, the smartphone benefits from the better ISP of the processor.
Midnight, Starlight and red as part of the Project Red program, are the new available colors for the affordable iPhone SE from March 18, 2022.
- Read more: Apple unveils iPhone SE 2022
iPad Air gets upgraded to M1 SoC
Apple has unveiled the fifth-generation iPad Air as its second hardware update. The new tablet now sports the M1 SoC, which was previously only used in the 2021 iPad Pro and MacBooks. The performance is supposed to be 60 percent higher than the predecessor, which relied on the A14 Bionic. Besides the higher performance, there is now also optional 5G connectivity in the iPad Air.
The display still relies on Liquid Retina (LED/LCD), shines with a maximum of 500 nits, and supports the P3 color space. Unfortunately, we still have to do without OLED or Mini-LED, but the 2nd generation Apple Pencil is still compatible with the iPad Air. While we are on the subject of moving pictures: The front camera of the iPad Air in the 5th generation finally supports Center Stage, because an ultra-wide-angle lens is used. That was to be expected since even the basic iPad from 2021 supports this feature.
You have to choose between the colors Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, and Green. The price starts at $599 with 64 gigabytes of storage space and Wi-Fi. Pre-orderers can start right away on Friday. As with the iPhone, official sales will start on March 18.
New Mac Studio with M1 Ultra SoC + Studio Display
The fourth item on Tim Cook's menu was Apple's computers. After a brief bragging session about the performance of the M1, M1 Pro and M1 Max SoCs, Apple unveiled the M1 Ultra. A new chip that for the first time takes advantage of a feature that was hidden in the M1 Max. The "Ultra Fusion" technology enables Apple to connect two M1 Max and thus double the performance. The trick is that software recognizes the chip as a single processor (similar to chiplets). Therefore, it is not necessary to change the software.
This SoC is used in the Mac Studio - a brand new member of the Mac family. The design looks a bit like a tall Mac Mini, measuring 7.7 inches wide and 3.8 inches high. Most of the space is taken up by two fans, which cool the underlying hardware. They are supposed to be barely audible even in quiet environments.
The port variety looks pretty good by Apple standards! On the back, there are four Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 10 Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack. Wirelessly, the PC supports WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5. At the front, there are two USB-C ports with 10 gigabits per second as well as Thunderbolt 4 and an SD card slot. You can connect a maximum of four Mac Studio monitors and an 8K TV.
Apple achieves a milestone with the unified storage of the SoC. Theoretically, up to 128 gigabytes of video memory are possible, which no other graphics card can do so far. The SSD also manages 7.4 gigabytes per second and can be configured with up to 8 terabytes. Overall, the Mac Studio with M1 Ultra is said to be 80 percent faster than the MacBook Pro with the most powerful SoC to date.
The Studio starts at $1999 with M1 Max, with M1 Ultra it starts at $3999, and the end of the line is reached at 9199 Euros. Yep!
Studio Display
Along with the Mac Studio, there's also a "Studio Display," which this time comes with an integrated stand. The 5K Retina Display measures 27 inches, supports 10-bit content and automatically adjusts the colors via True Tone. If you use the display on your Mac, you can also use Center Stage for the first time, because Apple installs its well-known ultra-wide-angle front camera at the top of the display.
In order to additionally control the six speakers in the display, the manufacturer uses an A13 Bionic SoC in the display. This allows the device to play Spatial Audio, among other things. On the back, you'll find three USB-C ports with 10 Gigabit as well as a Thunderbolt port that can charge your MacBook with 98 watts. By daisy-chaining, this allows you to connect three Studio Displays to your MacBook Pro.
The new Studio Display will cost you at least $1599 in the US. The optional nano-texture glass costs an extra $300.
Apple's services: New content on Apple TV+ and more
New content has been announced for the in-house streaming service Apple TV+. The cast includes Zac Efron, Samuel L. Jackson, Denzel Washington, Ethan Hawke, Dua Lipa, Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell. The films are already listed on Apple's homepage.
Also exciting for the US market are the secured licenses for Friday Night Baseball, which includes two baseball games every Friday.
Which announcement piqued your interest the most? Share your opinions in the comments below!
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