The cat is out of the bag, the first Apple innovations of this year are presented, including those that we did not expect at the beginning of 2022.
As always, there was a lot of speculation in the run-up to the first Apple Keynote 2022. Most experts agreed: fans can look forward to the iPhone SE 3, the fifth-generation iPad Air and a new addition to the Mac line. In particular, Apple's new entry-level smartphone dominated as the main novelty of this presentation. However, after the presentation on the evening of March 8, 2022, we know that the cheap iPhone was definitely not the peak as many assumed. Instead, another Apple innovation clearly stole the show from the smartphone! Yes, no one expected Tim Cook to have this ace up his sleeve, but let's start at the beginning.
When the California tech giant's CEO greeted the Apple Park audience at the first Apple Keynote of the year, he made it abundantly clear that we have a lot to look forward to. Without much ado, he tackled the Apple event and the topic of Apple TV+. The list of original productions was like a parade of stars before Cook got to the actual news: Apple and Major League Baseball are now offering "Friday Night Baseball." Well, certainly not all such important news for the Slovenian market - but all the really important ones followed!
Full Apple Keynote 2022
iPhone and iPhone SE 3 novelties
Contrary to previous events and tradition, the presentation began with the iPhone. It's unusual for Tim Cook to keep the smartphone news until the end - almost as the crowning keynote. The range of iPhone 13 and 13 Pro has been expanded with a new color version. In 2022, it's not purple, but green - called "alpine green" on Pro models with a matte finish. The third generation iPhone SE is completely new. There were no surprises at this year's first Apple Keynote. As expected in advance, the technology giant from Cupertino equips its cheapest smartphone with the A15 Bionic chip, also relies on 5G and updates the wide-angle camera with 12 megapixels.
Buyers can look forward to camera features such as Photo Styles, Deep Fusion, and Portrait Mode, among others. In addition, according to Apple, it uses "the strongest glass on the front and back of the smartphone — the same glass used on the back of the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 models." But that's not all: "iPhone SE has a longer battery life than the previous generation and older 4.7-inch models," promises Apple. The iPhone SE 3 will be available from Friday 18 March - you can pre-order it from 11 March. Price: With storage capacities of 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB, the new entry-level smartphone will be available in midnight, polar star and (PRODUCT)RED colors from 519 euros. With this, Apple hopes to finally shake up the middle class and challenge market leader Samsung for the top spot in this segment as well. So its model Samsung A52 5G.
The iPad Air makes a leap in performance
Similarly, there is little surprising in the second real innovation of the evening: the fifth generation iPad Air is "stronger" and better than ever before. The reason is the M1 chip, which also does its job in the iPad Pro. In this context, Apple is talking about next-level performance, which is said to underline the motto from the invitation to the Apple Keynote ("Our Idea of Performance").
The iPad Air would thus turn into a "mobile gaming platform". 5G is also now available, as is a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle front-facing camera with Center Stage. Called Follow Mode uses machine learning to adjust the camera when you use video apps like FaceTime. "As you move, tracking mode keeps you and others in the picture," explains Apple. Like the iPhone SE 3, the new iPad Air can be (pre)ordered from March 11th at the Apple Store and will be available to customers from March 18th. It is available in five colors (space gray, polar star, rose, purple and blue) and costs as a Wi-Fi model from 679 euros. The Wi-Fi + Cellular models start at 849 euros in Germany (amazon.de).
A 4,600-euro expensive product that carries the new M1 Ultra processor – Mac Studio
Now for the absolute highlight of the Apple Keynote. If all the assumptions have been unsurprising so far, we come to the most surprising part. While all iPhone innovations were presented in just seven minutes, Tim Cook and his colleagues devoted more than half an hour to the Mac topic. And first of all, the new chip. The M1 Ultra is said to outshine everything that has come before it, and is touted by Apple as “the world's most powerful PC chip”. The chip is used in the new Mac Studio, a compact desktop computer similar to the Mac Mini. Here, groundbreaking performance meets revolutionary design: “With a footprint of less than 20 cm square and a height of just 9.4 cm, Mac Studio takes up very little space and fits perfectly on most screens,” says Apple.
In addition, the computer is "incredibly quiet even under maximum load". The Mac Studio is available from €2,299, but the most capable version with a 20-core CPU, the new M1 Ultra chip and 1 TB of SSD storage is available at a whopping €4,599. In return, you somehow get a top-of-the-line computer that more than lives up to Apple's performance promises. It can also be pre-ordered now and will be available at retailers from March 18, 2022. In addition to the desktop computer, Apple has also added a proper Studio Display – a 27-inch 5K Retina display with an A13 Bionic chip and the same camera used in the iPad. What it means: 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, including tracking mode.
An absolutely great display for your Mac. Sophisticated: with the right accessories, you can also adjust the height of the screen or mount it on the wall. Studio Display is available from 1,749 euros.
Now the only thing missing is a new Mac Pro that would finally complete the Mac line. But Apple is saving that for its next presentation.
