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Right, right, right you lucky people - it’s October, it’s 2018, and we’ve just seen some new stuff from Apple thanks to the brand deciding we don’t have enough iDevices in our lives.
This is our live blog (in case you’re somehow confused where you are), and we live in the auditorium to share exactly what was happening and keep you delightfully abreast of all the latest news of the MacBook Air 2018, Mac mini 2018 and iPad Pro 2018.
Apple hosted the event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House in New York (which is a lot smaller than some of its other venues, and has far less power than the plush surroundings of the Steve Jobs Theater at the Apple Campus).
We were in the room and below you can read through everything has it happened.
Apple October 2018 launch live blog
All times in Eastern Standard Time (ET)
11.28 - Oh, yeah. That really was it. Lana Del Rey sang some nice songs and Tim is saying goodbye. That’s it from me then, I’m off to go try out some new iPad and Macs for the very first time.
See you next time, which is probably going to be all the way in 2019!
11.18 - Think Tim is wrapping up now. We’ve got a musical performance from… wait, who is it? Tim is really getting this going by leading up to something… WHO IS IT?
Lana Del Rey. That’s who. I might not live blog this bit. Prepare for some songs…
11.14 - Tim is back, talking iOS 12, saying it’s been installed on more devices than any version in history. 60% of iOS devices running iOS 12… within a month? And there’s 12.1 shipping today with Group FaceTime, eSim support, and new emojis to express yourself with new face shapes.
‘The best iOS version… ever.’ Well, Tim, I’d hope so. If it wasn’t I’d wonder what was up.
[IMG alt="3twFBeHXrvJj63FbGD7MGf" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3twFBeHXrvJj63FbGD7MGf.jpg[/IMG]
11.11 - We’re watching a new video on the iPad now - but how much is it going to cost and when can you get it?
Still watching the video - everything has been enhanced on the Pro, but that’s making me feel the cost is going to engulf some people.
Onto the sustainability message now - but no, we’re talking about the cost - it’s $799 at the cheapest 64GB storage size.
There’s also 256GB, 512GB and 1TB, and it starts at $999. And there’s an LTE option as well, and you can order from today and buy them from November 7.
Oh, the iPad Pro 10.5 is going to be on sale still for $649 - that’s going to be a big option for some.
[IMG alt="jwjSUjNYjbhN5SrLh2fTJ8" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jwjSUjNYjbhN5SrLh2fTJ8.jpg[/IMG]
11.06 - It’s clear that this new iPad Pro is very, very powerful. But whether it’s something the average consumer will ever use is up for debate. Then again, it’s like the MacBook and MacBook Pro decision consumers have.
11.02 - Now Jamie Myrold from Adobe is on stage to talk, well, Adobe. We’re seeing full Photoshop on the iPad. It doesn’t look that good to be honest. But then again I’ve never been great at Photoshop, so it might just be that I’m getting lost on what’s happening…
[IMG alt="u2PBWuEFkYCgKwiURCxt65" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/u2PBWuEFkYCgKwiURCxt65.jpg[/IMG]
There are dozens of layers in this photo, and it’s 3GB in size and it’s moving at speed. Although we’ve seen this demo already in the recent Adobe show, but doing it on an iPad is another demonstration from Apple about the blurring lines between this and the notebook.
11.00 - Seeing a demo of the new high resolution NBA 2K gaming, the developer saying it rivals consoles for the very first time.
Showing how the players now have sweat on their brows being added in. Yuck.
10.58 - It’s a 7MP front-facing camera. Talking about apps now, saying it’s ‘as fast as the fastest PC’, which is interesting. Also running at 120fps, faster than a console… hmmm.
10.55 - There’s a new Pencil that’s been redesigned, so it attaches magnetically and charges wirelessly - which is so much better than the weird antenna attachment - and if you double tap the screen it’ll open straight into Notes, and you can tap the Pencil to switch modes.
There’s a new Smart Keyboard Folio, and it protects the front and back, and has two tilts for your lap or desktop.
[IMG alt="dXTutrNHcQZ8vRkiZnL9CB" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dXTutrNHcQZ8vRkiZnL9CB.jpg[/IMG]
It’ll connect to external monitors too, making this something you can use everywhere, according to Apple. There’s a real feel that this is something that Apple wants people to use over the traditional notebook model.
There’s a wonder and tweeter pairs in each speaker to make it sound better, and a 12MP camera on the back too. Apparently not able to do portrait mode on the front though wiht the TrueDepth camara.
[IMG alt="M3R3GyLnavS9NEdKTL5ckk" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/M3R3GyLnavS9NEdKTL5ckk.jpg[/IMG]
10.53 - You can even get this thing in up to 1TB storage capacity… that’s going to be expensive, and it’s definitely going to be USB-C. This is a real notebook competitor in Apple’s eyes.
It supports charging out too, so you can charge an iPhone with it too.
10.50 - The multicore processes are 90% faster than previous iPad Pros, and 35% faster in terms of a single core. Basically, Apple couldn’t stick more power into these things. The graphics, apparently, are 1000 times faster than before.
‘Xbox One X graphic performance in a product that’s 95% smaller’.
And all day battery life too.
[IMG alt="vwJQNyrRjFAGssj58FDKLQ" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vwJQNyrRjFAGssj58FDKLQ.jpg[/IMG]
10.47 - There’s 25% less volume than its predecessor, thanks to all the shrinking going on.
There’s a bit ol’ camera bump on the back, and cameras on the front for Face ID too.
‘The most secoure facial authentication in any tablet… or computer’.
There’s the TrueDepth camera in the frame - and you can do it with the iPad in any orientation.
The iPhone X or XS gestures, which came in iOS 12 anyway, is now being used in place of the home button.
This tablet does look pretty decent, in fairness. This is where the iPad should have been ages ago (although Apple was selling enough anyway).
There’s a new A12X Bionic chipset inside… maaaaan, this this is going to be powerful as the A12 in the iPhone was already hugely powerful. It’s a 7 nanometer process, in case you’re wondering. Over 10 billion transistors. Which we are not going to count.
[IMG alt="Pua6YXY4uLVwYR9eMuVDa3" width="690px" height="387px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Pua6YXY4uLVwYR9eMuVDa3.jpg[/IMG]
10.44 - Right, there’s a lot to get through. There’s a smart connector on the bottom (so above the connector). It’s thinner and looks more square like the iPhone 4 - the 'iPad we dreamed about making from the very beginning).
There’s an LCD screen, and rounded the edges for the new ‘Liquid Retina’ display.
There’s a narrow border design. There’s new sizes on offer too - 10.5 is gone, up to 11-inch in the same footprint (so a keyboard connects alongside).
The 12.9-inch display was ‘an incredible experience’… and it stays, with the 12.9-inch display getting a smaller footprint. It’s almost the same size as a piece of paper, apparently.
[IMG alt="v7epk9TWhkjg4nAotGhu9W" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/v7epk9TWhkjg4nAotGhu9W.jpg[/IMG]
10.43 - Tim just mentioned the iPad Mini alongside the Pro… is it not dead, then?
Shocker: Apple is announcing an all-new iPad Pro. It’s going to push 'what you can do on any computer further).
GUYS THE APPLE PENCIL NOW MAGNETISES TO THE SIDE. THE WAIT IS OVER.
10.38 - Tim is back on stage. HIs top and trousers are similar in color, and I thought he’d walked out in a boiler suit. Thought we were getting a demonstration.
He just said that Apple Store employees were the ‘best team on the planet’ and the room went even wilder.
I’ve just worked out who the audience is made up of.
ONTO iPAD PEOPLE.
(as in, onto iPad, people. Not iPad People. There’s not a new breed of hybrid humans coming from Apple.)
10.36 - There will be 60 new sessions, with photo and video labs to show people how to make things work even better than before.
I have to admit, Apple is going all in on making people love the experience of its products better than anyone out there. Every time I see this a small part of me wants to go and learn, and more tech firms should tap that curiosity.
There will be over 70 new forums a year in Apple Stores (basically big screens to sit around) and it’s coming to place like Thailand too. There are so many Apple Stores coming… it’s crazy to think the brand is investing in this so hard.
And all of the retail locations run on renewable energy, apparently.
[IMG alt="u9wLGrwoG3RfZnNSXohDYX" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/u9wLGrwoG3RfZnNSXohDYX.jpg[/IMG]
10.34 - A lot of chat about how people are passionately making things thanks to learning from Apple, whether that’s drawing, music or coding for kids.
Interesting analogy, Angela saying that ‘the architecture is the hardware, the experience the software’ at the Stores. So a new Apple Store is like a new iPhone?
If you’re into the sessions there, the new Apple Store App will give you a lot more detail on what’s happening - that’s good, since when it launched it was too hard to find any information on them at all, like they were a guilty secret.
[IMG alt="Aw24uQRpv5BpF288s53fgG" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Aw24uQRpv5BpF288s53fgG.jpg[/IMG]
10.31 - Right, is that it for Mac? Hope so… it’s now talking about Apple Retail. ‘It’ being Tim Cook, who’s back by the way.
Today at Apple getting some love. The whole room erupted again. WHO IS IN HERE?
Angela Ahrendts is on stage, the head of Apple Retail, and the room went equal-wild to Tim.
[IMG alt="HUbk8xKQKLiCqgLdrQntdf" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HUbk8xKQKLiCqgLdrQntdf.jpg[/IMG]
10.27 - Every Mac Mini will have SSD storage up to 2TB, the T2 chip and a new thermal management system. In terms of ports, Ethernet, four Thunderbolt 3, Two USB and something else that I missed because I accidentally spelled it Thunderboop and had to correct it.
More behind the scenes facts, there. But the beginning spec will be 8GB of RAM, and starts at $799. It can go up to a 6-core i7, 10Gbps Ethernet, and 64GB RAM too.
It’ll be available to order today and the Mac Mini release date is November 7.
The case is made out of the 100% aluminum again - although only 60% recycled plastic.
[IMG alt="2irocfm2gdqWT9rdKTYsTK" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2irocfm2gdqWT9rdKTYsTK.jpg[/IMG]
YES SOMEONE SCREENGRABBED THE FACTS FOR ME.
10.23 - There’s a Space Gray finish for the new Mini - it’s going to have more power, so every device starts with four cores.
It’s also getting six cores as an option. 8th generation CPUs and 60% faster graphics performance, making it five times faster than before.
It’ll go up to 64GB of memory if you need it - 2666MHz and SO-DIMMs.
10.21 - Tim is back - what’s going to be next? The fact we’re in the Mac section says something. I think it’s going to be the Mac Mini…
Does Apple not know how scary it is to grab previews of all these products at once? People get very pokey trying to get pictures.
We’re watching a video of the new Mac Mini landing now… literally. Plenty of small jokes.
[IMG alt="PXrDrcCUj2uKfePvHVTFB9" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PXrDrcCUj2uKfePvHVTFB9.jpg[/IMG]
10.17 - Now we’re ragging on aluminum - Apple’s designed an aluminum alloy that uses excess materials, and every MacBook air will be made from 100% recycled aluminum. People lost their minds over that.
That aluminum is ‘re-engineered down to the atomic level’. OK.
It’ll come with 8GB of memory, and will start at $1199. You’ll be able to order it today and it’ll be on the shelves from November 7.
10.14 - There’s going to be TouchID, a better Force Touch trackpad, better backlit keys, and basically a lot of the features you’ll have seen in recent MacBook Pro launches.
Audio us getting better, with 25% louder speakers, and improved bass (twice as good, apparently) and a three microphone array to make it easy to hear Siri.
[IMG alt="mRRF7no8pLGEiDCJX38MYN" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mRRF7no8pLGEiDCJX38MYN.jpg[/IMG]
There’s two Thunderbolt ports to connect to all kinds of things, and a dual-core i5 CPI, and up to 16GB of 2133MHz memory too.
There’s support for up to 1.5TB SSDs too. But we’re more into the more stable butterfly keys - four times better, in fact. There’s also 13 hours of iTunes move playback too. Note the ‘iTunes’ element there.
The new MacBook Air is 17% smaller too, in terms of volume. Which it should, after all this time, and it’s 10% thinner at 15.6mm too.
[IMG alt="W8o8BGcdBzMdFBWrpPPhq4" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/W8o8BGcdBzMdFBWrpPPhq4.jpg[/IMG]
10.12 - We’re hearing about the new device - with a display that goes right to the edge of the enclosure and features a 13.3-inch display, with four times the resolution with over 4 million pixels.
10.10 - I literally can only see half of what’s happening behind this camera.
10:07 - AAAAAAAAAND we’re getting a new Macbook Air.
Just a load of chat now about why the Air is the best thing ever made and how Steve took it out of an envelope.
But it’s time for a new MacBook Air. The room just went wild at hearing that.
He is really pumping the crowd right now. ‘What we all want in a MacBook Air… a RETINA DISPLAY!’
I swear someone just fainted at hearing that.
10:04 - We’re now hearing about how much people love the Mac. And how well people make so many great things with it.
According to Tim, 51% of Mac users are new customers, with 76% in China. That’s a 100 million active user install base. But does it mean that’s good for market share?
Behind the scenes Gareth-Chat: there’s a flipping camera right in front of my face. It’s mostly what I can see, allowing you people to have a clear live stream.
Not all heroes wear capes.
10:01 - Everyone has been banging on about there different Apple logo designs for days. See if you can spot my favorite, with the cheeky face.
OK, we’re starting with the Mac. A bit of chat about how much Apple likes New York, and we’re right into the meat of this thing today.
Man, I would love it if this whole thing was 10 minutes long.
[IMG alt="xXCopVufmdUaRVR2YmmYBV" width="689px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xXCopVufmdUaRVR2YmmYBV.jpg[/IMG]
10:00 - It’s game time - Tim Cook is on stage and everyone is going BONKERS. Seriously, who is in this room? His entire extended family? It’s going on for ages! Does he have sweets?
9:50 - We’re all ready for it to kick off now. Hold on to your hats…
9:25 - We’re now in and sat down at the Apple event. What you can see above is where Tim Cook will be standing in around half an hour’s time. The excitement is building in here.
[IMG alt="FZM6u9MGCACKcfgPhSXkBG" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FZM6u9MGCACKcfgPhSXkBG.jpg[/IMG]
9:04 - We’re inside! It’s warmer here, and getting increasingly busy…
8:53 - The crowd is growing for the event, which is only just over an hour away! Will we see a new iPad Pro? Perhaps some MacBooks or a refreshed Mac mini? Not long to wait to find out!
[IMG alt="gaq6FepYVgh7RjgUyGNJQ" width="375px" height="500px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gaq6FepYVgh7RjgUyGNJQ.jpg[/IMG]
8:36 - Here’s a glimpse of our Senior Editor of Mobile & Buying Guides, Matt Swider, post-burrito and looking excited for the Apple Event.
[IMG alt="6XrjT2vevfXUTc2ttAstqg" width="690px" height="386px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6XrjT2vevfXUTc2ttAstqg.jpg[/IMG]
8:26 - Look where we are! We’re outside where Apple will be holding the event, and it’s cold. Very cold. But, Apple have kindly given us breakfast burritos to keep us warm.
7:55 - Tim Cook is awake… well, it’s more than likely he has been up and at 'em for the last few hours but he has now tweeted. Below you can see an image of the event hall in New York.
As always, there’s no clear messaging in his image or tweet that suggests what exactly we’ll see in the next few hours. There’s no fooling us though Tim, we know it’s set to be iPads and MacBooks.
6:30 - It’s worth reminding you now that you can watch the launch later through a variety of livestreams from Apple. You can use Safari, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox and even Twitter to watch the launch.
Here’s our guide on how to watch the Apple launch, but be sure to keep this live blog open too so you can read alongside while you’re watching it.
6:20 - OK, we’re up and ready to go. This is being written from the UK, but our US team is going to be out of bed very soon to shower, and more importantly eat, ahead of today’s big launch.
Continue reading…
This is our live blog (in case you’re somehow confused where you are), and we live in the auditorium to share exactly what was happening and keep you delightfully abreast of all the latest news of the MacBook Air 2018, Mac mini 2018 and iPad Pro 2018.
Apple hosted the event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House in New York (which is a lot smaller than some of its other venues, and has far less power than the plush surroundings of the Steve Jobs Theater at the Apple Campus).
We were in the room and below you can read through everything has it happened.
Apple October 2018 launch live blog
All times in Eastern Standard Time (ET)
11.28 - Oh, yeah. That really was it. Lana Del Rey sang some nice songs and Tim is saying goodbye. That’s it from me then, I’m off to go try out some new iPad and Macs for the very first time.
See you next time, which is probably going to be all the way in 2019!
11.18 - Think Tim is wrapping up now. We’ve got a musical performance from… wait, who is it? Tim is really getting this going by leading up to something… WHO IS IT?
Lana Del Rey. That’s who. I might not live blog this bit. Prepare for some songs…
11.14 - Tim is back, talking iOS 12, saying it’s been installed on more devices than any version in history. 60% of iOS devices running iOS 12… within a month? And there’s 12.1 shipping today with Group FaceTime, eSim support, and new emojis to express yourself with new face shapes.
‘The best iOS version… ever.’ Well, Tim, I’d hope so. If it wasn’t I’d wonder what was up.
[IMG alt="3twFBeHXrvJj63FbGD7MGf" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3twFBeHXrvJj63FbGD7MGf.jpg[/IMG]
11.11 - We’re watching a new video on the iPad now - but how much is it going to cost and when can you get it?
Still watching the video - everything has been enhanced on the Pro, but that’s making me feel the cost is going to engulf some people.
Onto the sustainability message now - but no, we’re talking about the cost - it’s $799 at the cheapest 64GB storage size.
There’s also 256GB, 512GB and 1TB, and it starts at $999. And there’s an LTE option as well, and you can order from today and buy them from November 7.
Oh, the iPad Pro 10.5 is going to be on sale still for $649 - that’s going to be a big option for some.
[IMG alt="jwjSUjNYjbhN5SrLh2fTJ8" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jwjSUjNYjbhN5SrLh2fTJ8.jpg[/IMG]
11.06 - It’s clear that this new iPad Pro is very, very powerful. But whether it’s something the average consumer will ever use is up for debate. Then again, it’s like the MacBook and MacBook Pro decision consumers have.
11.02 - Now Jamie Myrold from Adobe is on stage to talk, well, Adobe. We’re seeing full Photoshop on the iPad. It doesn’t look that good to be honest. But then again I’ve never been great at Photoshop, so it might just be that I’m getting lost on what’s happening…
[IMG alt="u2PBWuEFkYCgKwiURCxt65" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/u2PBWuEFkYCgKwiURCxt65.jpg[/IMG]
There are dozens of layers in this photo, and it’s 3GB in size and it’s moving at speed. Although we’ve seen this demo already in the recent Adobe show, but doing it on an iPad is another demonstration from Apple about the blurring lines between this and the notebook.
11.00 - Seeing a demo of the new high resolution NBA 2K gaming, the developer saying it rivals consoles for the very first time.
Showing how the players now have sweat on their brows being added in. Yuck.
10.58 - It’s a 7MP front-facing camera. Talking about apps now, saying it’s ‘as fast as the fastest PC’, which is interesting. Also running at 120fps, faster than a console… hmmm.
10.55 - There’s a new Pencil that’s been redesigned, so it attaches magnetically and charges wirelessly - which is so much better than the weird antenna attachment - and if you double tap the screen it’ll open straight into Notes, and you can tap the Pencil to switch modes.
There’s a new Smart Keyboard Folio, and it protects the front and back, and has two tilts for your lap or desktop.
[IMG alt="dXTutrNHcQZ8vRkiZnL9CB" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dXTutrNHcQZ8vRkiZnL9CB.jpg[/IMG]
It’ll connect to external monitors too, making this something you can use everywhere, according to Apple. There’s a real feel that this is something that Apple wants people to use over the traditional notebook model.
There’s a wonder and tweeter pairs in each speaker to make it sound better, and a 12MP camera on the back too. Apparently not able to do portrait mode on the front though wiht the TrueDepth camara.
[IMG alt="M3R3GyLnavS9NEdKTL5ckk" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/M3R3GyLnavS9NEdKTL5ckk.jpg[/IMG]
10.53 - You can even get this thing in up to 1TB storage capacity… that’s going to be expensive, and it’s definitely going to be USB-C. This is a real notebook competitor in Apple’s eyes.
It supports charging out too, so you can charge an iPhone with it too.
10.50 - The multicore processes are 90% faster than previous iPad Pros, and 35% faster in terms of a single core. Basically, Apple couldn’t stick more power into these things. The graphics, apparently, are 1000 times faster than before.
‘Xbox One X graphic performance in a product that’s 95% smaller’.
And all day battery life too.
[IMG alt="vwJQNyrRjFAGssj58FDKLQ" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vwJQNyrRjFAGssj58FDKLQ.jpg[/IMG]
10.47 - There’s 25% less volume than its predecessor, thanks to all the shrinking going on.
There’s a bit ol’ camera bump on the back, and cameras on the front for Face ID too.
‘The most secoure facial authentication in any tablet… or computer’.
There’s the TrueDepth camera in the frame - and you can do it with the iPad in any orientation.
The iPhone X or XS gestures, which came in iOS 12 anyway, is now being used in place of the home button.
This tablet does look pretty decent, in fairness. This is where the iPad should have been ages ago (although Apple was selling enough anyway).
There’s a new A12X Bionic chipset inside… maaaaan, this this is going to be powerful as the A12 in the iPhone was already hugely powerful. It’s a 7 nanometer process, in case you’re wondering. Over 10 billion transistors. Which we are not going to count.
[IMG alt="Pua6YXY4uLVwYR9eMuVDa3" width="690px" height="387px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Pua6YXY4uLVwYR9eMuVDa3.jpg[/IMG]
10.44 - Right, there’s a lot to get through. There’s a smart connector on the bottom (so above the connector). It’s thinner and looks more square like the iPhone 4 - the 'iPad we dreamed about making from the very beginning).
There’s an LCD screen, and rounded the edges for the new ‘Liquid Retina’ display.
There’s a narrow border design. There’s new sizes on offer too - 10.5 is gone, up to 11-inch in the same footprint (so a keyboard connects alongside).
The 12.9-inch display was ‘an incredible experience’… and it stays, with the 12.9-inch display getting a smaller footprint. It’s almost the same size as a piece of paper, apparently.
[IMG alt="v7epk9TWhkjg4nAotGhu9W" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/v7epk9TWhkjg4nAotGhu9W.jpg[/IMG]
10.43 - Tim just mentioned the iPad Mini alongside the Pro… is it not dead, then?
Shocker: Apple is announcing an all-new iPad Pro. It’s going to push 'what you can do on any computer further).
GUYS THE APPLE PENCIL NOW MAGNETISES TO THE SIDE. THE WAIT IS OVER.
10.38 - Tim is back on stage. HIs top and trousers are similar in color, and I thought he’d walked out in a boiler suit. Thought we were getting a demonstration.
He just said that Apple Store employees were the ‘best team on the planet’ and the room went even wilder.
I’ve just worked out who the audience is made up of.
ONTO iPAD PEOPLE.
(as in, onto iPad, people. Not iPad People. There’s not a new breed of hybrid humans coming from Apple.)
10.36 - There will be 60 new sessions, with photo and video labs to show people how to make things work even better than before.
I have to admit, Apple is going all in on making people love the experience of its products better than anyone out there. Every time I see this a small part of me wants to go and learn, and more tech firms should tap that curiosity.
There will be over 70 new forums a year in Apple Stores (basically big screens to sit around) and it’s coming to place like Thailand too. There are so many Apple Stores coming… it’s crazy to think the brand is investing in this so hard.
And all of the retail locations run on renewable energy, apparently.
[IMG alt="u9wLGrwoG3RfZnNSXohDYX" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/u9wLGrwoG3RfZnNSXohDYX.jpg[/IMG]
10.34 - A lot of chat about how people are passionately making things thanks to learning from Apple, whether that’s drawing, music or coding for kids.
Interesting analogy, Angela saying that ‘the architecture is the hardware, the experience the software’ at the Stores. So a new Apple Store is like a new iPhone?
If you’re into the sessions there, the new Apple Store App will give you a lot more detail on what’s happening - that’s good, since when it launched it was too hard to find any information on them at all, like they were a guilty secret.
[IMG alt="Aw24uQRpv5BpF288s53fgG" width="690px" height="388px"]https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Aw24uQRpv5BpF288s53fgG.jpg[/IMG]
10.31 - Right, is that it for Mac? Hope so… it’s now talking about Apple Retail. ‘It’ being Tim Cook, who’s back by the way.
Today at Apple getting some love. The whole room erupted again. WHO IS IN HERE?
Angela Ahrendts is on stage, the head of Apple Retail, and the room went equal-wild to Tim.
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10.27 - Every Mac Mini will have SSD storage up to 2TB, the T2 chip and a new thermal management system. In terms of ports, Ethernet, four Thunderbolt 3, Two USB and something else that I missed because I accidentally spelled it Thunderboop and had to correct it.
More behind the scenes facts, there. But the beginning spec will be 8GB of RAM, and starts at $799. It can go up to a 6-core i7, 10Gbps Ethernet, and 64GB RAM too.
It’ll be available to order today and the Mac Mini release date is November 7.
The case is made out of the 100% aluminum again - although only 60% recycled plastic.
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YES SOMEONE SCREENGRABBED THE FACTS FOR ME.
10.23 - There’s a Space Gray finish for the new Mini - it’s going to have more power, so every device starts with four cores.
It’s also getting six cores as an option. 8th generation CPUs and 60% faster graphics performance, making it five times faster than before.
It’ll go up to 64GB of memory if you need it - 2666MHz and SO-DIMMs.
10.21 - Tim is back - what’s going to be next? The fact we’re in the Mac section says something. I think it’s going to be the Mac Mini…
Does Apple not know how scary it is to grab previews of all these products at once? People get very pokey trying to get pictures.
We’re watching a video of the new Mac Mini landing now… literally. Plenty of small jokes.
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10.17 - Now we’re ragging on aluminum - Apple’s designed an aluminum alloy that uses excess materials, and every MacBook air will be made from 100% recycled aluminum. People lost their minds over that.
That aluminum is ‘re-engineered down to the atomic level’. OK.
It’ll come with 8GB of memory, and will start at $1199. You’ll be able to order it today and it’ll be on the shelves from November 7.
10.14 - There’s going to be TouchID, a better Force Touch trackpad, better backlit keys, and basically a lot of the features you’ll have seen in recent MacBook Pro launches.
Audio us getting better, with 25% louder speakers, and improved bass (twice as good, apparently) and a three microphone array to make it easy to hear Siri.
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There’s two Thunderbolt ports to connect to all kinds of things, and a dual-core i5 CPI, and up to 16GB of 2133MHz memory too.
There’s support for up to 1.5TB SSDs too. But we’re more into the more stable butterfly keys - four times better, in fact. There’s also 13 hours of iTunes move playback too. Note the ‘iTunes’ element there.
The new MacBook Air is 17% smaller too, in terms of volume. Which it should, after all this time, and it’s 10% thinner at 15.6mm too.
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10.12 - We’re hearing about the new device - with a display that goes right to the edge of the enclosure and features a 13.3-inch display, with four times the resolution with over 4 million pixels.
10.10 - I literally can only see half of what’s happening behind this camera.
10:07 - AAAAAAAAAND we’re getting a new Macbook Air.
Just a load of chat now about why the Air is the best thing ever made and how Steve took it out of an envelope.
But it’s time for a new MacBook Air. The room just went wild at hearing that.
He is really pumping the crowd right now. ‘What we all want in a MacBook Air… a RETINA DISPLAY!’
I swear someone just fainted at hearing that.
10:04 - We’re now hearing about how much people love the Mac. And how well people make so many great things with it.
According to Tim, 51% of Mac users are new customers, with 76% in China. That’s a 100 million active user install base. But does it mean that’s good for market share?
Behind the scenes Gareth-Chat: there’s a flipping camera right in front of my face. It’s mostly what I can see, allowing you people to have a clear live stream.
Not all heroes wear capes.
10:01 - Everyone has been banging on about there different Apple logo designs for days. See if you can spot my favorite, with the cheeky face.
OK, we’re starting with the Mac. A bit of chat about how much Apple likes New York, and we’re right into the meat of this thing today.
Man, I would love it if this whole thing was 10 minutes long.
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10:00 - It’s game time - Tim Cook is on stage and everyone is going BONKERS. Seriously, who is in this room? His entire extended family? It’s going on for ages! Does he have sweets?
9:50 - We’re all ready for it to kick off now. Hold on to your hats…
9:25 - We’re now in and sat down at the Apple event. What you can see above is where Tim Cook will be standing in around half an hour’s time. The excitement is building in here.
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9:04 - We’re inside! It’s warmer here, and getting increasingly busy…
8:53 - The crowd is growing for the event, which is only just over an hour away! Will we see a new iPad Pro? Perhaps some MacBooks or a refreshed Mac mini? Not long to wait to find out!
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8:36 - Here’s a glimpse of our Senior Editor of Mobile & Buying Guides, Matt Swider, post-burrito and looking excited for the Apple Event.
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8:26 - Look where we are! We’re outside where Apple will be holding the event, and it’s cold. Very cold. But, Apple have kindly given us breakfast burritos to keep us warm.
7:55 - Tim Cook is awake… well, it’s more than likely he has been up and at 'em for the last few hours but he has now tweeted. Below you can see an image of the event hall in New York.
As always, there’s no clear messaging in his image or tweet that suggests what exactly we’ll see in the next few hours. There’s no fooling us though Tim, we know it’s set to be iPads and MacBooks.
6:30 - It’s worth reminding you now that you can watch the launch later through a variety of livestreams from Apple. You can use Safari, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox and even Twitter to watch the launch.
Here’s our guide on how to watch the Apple launch, but be sure to keep this live blog open too so you can read alongside while you’re watching it.
6:20 - OK, we’re up and ready to go. This is being written from the UK, but our US team is going to be out of bed very soon to shower, and more importantly eat, ahead of today’s big launch.
Continue reading…