Apple Event 2021: New iPad, iPad Mini, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro

Here’s what the latest Apple products mean for music creators and fans.

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Apple Event 2021

Image: Apple

Every September, millions tune in to the Apple Event to learn about new product releases from the Cupertino tech giant. This year is no different, with rumours abound of new powerful Apple Silicon MacBooks, iPhone 13, new iPads, AirPods 3 and more.

As music creators and lovers, we’re keen to learn how these new products can enhance the music-making experience.

Here’s what’s new from Apple this year and what it means for music-makers.

New iPad

The latest iPad model is built with the A13 bionic chip, offering 20 per cent faster CPU, GPU and Neural Engine speeds. Apple says this makes the iPad three times as powerful as a Chromebook and six times as powerful as an Android tablet.

Apple iPad 2021

A new 12MP camera and the Neural Network enable Apple to integrate the iPad Pro’s Centre Stage feature into the more affordable range of iPads. Although this is a feature primarily for video calls, it’s also useful in keeping you as the focus on TikTok and Instagram videos and while you’re streaming to your audience.

iPadOS 15 is “immensely capable and easy to use”, according to Apple.

Apple’s latest iPad model is affordable too, with the 64GB model starting at $349 for regular customers and $299 for students, and is available from today.

iPad Mini

iPad Mini
Image: Apple

The new iPad Mini boasts Landscape stereo speakers that emit audio from both ends of the device. You can also now charge and connect it to other devices via a USB-C port, providing 10 times faster data transfers. Its performance is also a big step up from the previous model, with a 40 per cent increase in CPU performance and an 80 per cent increase in GPU performance.

Apple’s smallest tablet now comes in four new colours, purple, pink, Starlight, and Space Gray. It also features the Centre Stage feature found in the new iPad, using a new 12MP ultrawide front camera. The iPad Mini’s enclosure is also made from 100 per cent recycled aluminium.

iPad Mini starts at $499 and is available in 5G cellular and wifi-enabled models.

iPhone 13

iPhone 13

iPhone 13 sports an A15 Bionic chip including a 6-core CPU – which includes four high-performance cores and two energy-efficient cores. This chip is said by Apple to be 50 per cent more powerful than any other phone on the market. It’s also built with an improved GPU and a Neural Engine that can carry out 15.8 trillion operations a second.

As Apple puts it, “A15 is a powerhouse”. This could open up some incredible possibilities in mobile music-making apps. Check out a quick look at the specs below.

iPhone 13 A15 Specs

The iPhone 13 has some impressive video capturing technology, with a new Cinematic mode. This allows for a rack focus effect to shift the focus of a subject during a video. Cinematic mode automatically changes focus in realtime when a person enters the frame or looks away from the camera.

iPhone 13 Mini starts at $699, while iPhone 13 starts at $799. The starting storage capacity is now 128GB and moves up to a whopping 512GB.

iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max

iPhone 13 Pro

iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max appear to have a focus on impressive new computational camera features. The triple-camera design sports the A15 Bionic chip with a five-core GPU, boasting “50 per cent” faster graphics than the nearest competitor, Apple says. It has a 120Hz ProMotion display that can provide 1,000 nits of brightness.

Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow claims that the iPhone 13 Pro and Max may spawn new genres and “change the language of cinema”. These may be bold statements, but it could mean a lot for musicians that are shooting low-budget music videos and visual content.

iPhone 13 Pro Max Specs

iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999, while iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at $1,099. There’s also a new 1TB option for those who need plenty of space. You can order the iPhone 13 Pro and Max from 17 September.

Check back here for regular updates of the Apple Event. 

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