7 New Apple Products Unveiled At WWDC 2017
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While Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC 2017) is centered around software developers, the company didn't pass up the chance to tout a lot of new hardware during this year's keynote. Apple executives announced a slew of products -- including new iMacs, an updated MacBook Pro and MacBook, a new size for the iPad Pro and the HomePod smart speaker -- during Monday's opening-day keynote. The company also unveiled details about iOS 11 and the next version of macOS during the event, in San Jose, Calif.
Click through to get the details on Apple's product announcements from Monday's keynote at WWDC 2017.
iMac Pro
Apple introduced a brand-new model for the iMac, the iMac Pro, which is focused on offering strong performance. The iMac Pro will include a 27-inch 5K display and a space grey finish on the body. For CPU, the iMac Pro will feature Intel Xeon processors -- with 8-core, 10-core or 18-core options -- for what Apple is terming "workstation-class performance." For GPU, the iMac Pro will include AMD's new Radeon Vega graphics. The new device will also be configurable with a huge amount of memory (up to 128GB) and storage (up to 1TB), as well as four Thunderbolt 3/USB-C ports. The starting configuration (8-core Xeon processor, 32GB memory, 1TB store) will be priced at $4,999, and will be available in December.
iMac
Apple also announced a number of upgrades to existing iMacs. All models will get a brighter display, at 500 nits, which is 43 percent brighter than existing models. The models will also be moving up to seventh-generation Intel processors (aka, Kaby Lake). More RAM options will now be offered -- up to 32GB for the 21.5-inch models and 64GB for the 27-inch, double the existing maximums. And the new iMacs will be getting faster storage and two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports.
In addition, new graphics will be a major focus of the iMac refreshes. The 21.5-inch non-Retina model will offer Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, while the 21.5-inch Retina model will offer AMD Radeon Pro 555 and 560. Meanwhile, the 27-inch iMac will be configurable with Radeon Pro 570, 575 or 580.
The 21.5-inch non-Retina iMac will have a starting price of $1,099, while the Retina model will start at $1,299 (down from $1,499 previously). The 27-inch iMac will have a starting price of $1,799. Apple said the refreshed iMacs are available now.
MacBook Pro And MacBook
Apple made a quick mention of updates to the MacBook Pro and 12-inch MacBook during the WWDC 2017 keynote. The MacBook Pro update is particularly notable, since Apple had just debuted an overhauled model in the fall. Just a few things have changed with the latest updates, though. The biggest difference is that the MacBook Pro and MacBook will now come with Intel's seventh-gen processors. Apple is also adding faster storage to the notebooks, and faster standard graphics for the 15-inch MacBook Pro.
Apple is lowering the starting price of the 13-inch MacBook Pro model without Touch Bar to $1,299 from $1,499. Otherwise, the pricing is staying the same -- $1,799 for the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, $2,399 for the 15-inch MacBook Pro and $1,299 for the MacBook. Apple said the updated MacBook Pros and MacBook are available now.
iPad Pro
Apple had gone more than a year without updating the iPad Pro, which has come in 9.7-inch and 12.9-inch sizes. During the WWDC keynote, the company introduced a new 10.5-inch model to replace the 9.7-inch model in the lineup. However, Apple has minimized the bezels around the display, so the overall size of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro is actually on par with the size of the 9.7-inch edition (and the tablet still weighs just a pound).
Both the 10.5- and 12.9-inch iPad Pros will come with a faster processor, the A10X, touted as 40 percent faster than the A9X -- while graphics performance will get a 40 percent boost as well. Battery life will hold steady at 10 hours on a charge, and the two models will now start out with 64GB of memory.
Apple said the 10.5-inch iPad Pro will start at $649 (up from $599 for the 9.7-inch model), while the 12.9-inch model will keep the same starting price of $799. Ordering begins today and the tablets will begin shipping next week, the company said.
iOS 11
Apple offered a look at the next version of its mobile operating system, iOS. The company said iOS 11 will include a redesigned control center (pictured) that puts all control center features onto a single page. The iOS 11 update will also bring a redesigned app drawer at the bottom of iMessage (to give easier access to other apps) and a number of new features for Siri, such as a new female voice, a male voice, and the ability for Siri to translate statements into other languages (Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish, to start). Apple said iOS 11 will be available in the fall.
macOS High Sierra
There will also be notable updates coming to macOS, which will be called High Sierra in its next version. Apple said that changes in High Sierra will include the introduction of the Apple File System to the Mac (for faster file copying, better responsiveness and crash protection). The new macOS version will also improve graphics performance with the introduction of Metal 2, while a number of apps will get upgrades, such as the addition of autoplay blocking and prevention of tracking in Safari. Apple said macOS High Sierra will launch in the fall, and will be available in public beta later this month.
HomePod
Apple announced one more brand-new hardware product during WWDC 2017, a voice-controlled smart speaker called HomePod. Apple is aiming to differentiate the device from Amazon Echo and Google Home by putting more of an emphasis on music. HomePod will include a 4-inch woofer and seven tweeters, as well as features to eliminate distortion. The speaker will also include Apple's A8 processor (the "biggest brain ever in a speaker," Apple executive Phil Schiller said). Another differentiator is that it will include built-in spatial awareness, which will automatically detect the spaces in a room and automatically adjust the audio. Not surprisingly, the emphasis is on using the speaker in tandem with an Apple Music subscription, Apple executives said.
HomePod will feature the Siri virtual assistant, which will wake up to the phrase "Hey Siri." The speaker will also be able to offer up voice requests for the sorts of things that Amazon's and Google's smart speakers excel at -- such as news, weather, traffic and podcasts, as well as unit conversion and setting reminders and alarms. Apple said the HomePod will be priced at $349, and will be available in the U.S. in December in two colors: white and space grey.