Apple TV Accolades and Friday Night Baseball

Apple kicked off the event by showcasing all the best content on Apple TV+ and patting itself on the back for recent award recognition. These accolades include a Best Picture Academy Award nomination for CODA and three Academy Award nominations for Swan Song.

Apple then revealed that it’ll be adding “Friday Night Baseball” to Apple TV+. This addition will showcase two baseball games every Friday night on the streaming service, both of which are exclusive for Apple TV+ subscribers.

A New Color for the iPhone 13

Before revealing any new products, Apple added two new colors to the iPhone 13 lineup, both green. You can now get the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini in a verdant-looking Green. Those in the market for an iPhone 13 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro Max can now choose an Alpine Green.

Both new colors are available for pre-order from March 11, due to start shipping on March 18.

The iPhone SE Gets a New Processor and 5G

Moving on from the green pastures of the iPhone 13, Apple announced an update to the iPhone SE. This budget-tier iPhone is now on its third iteration, though the iPhone SE 3 looks the same on the outside as the iPhone SE 2.

Despite a matching exterior, the new iPhone SE 3 benefits from the same processor as the top-tier iPhone 13 Pro, improved battery life, and 5G capabilities.

Starting at $429 ($30 more than the iPhone SE 2), you can pre-order the iPhone SE 3 from March 11, due to start shipping on March 18.

For more details, take a look at a full coverage of the iPhone SE 3.

The iPad Air Gets an M1 Chip, 5G, and Center Stage

Following the iPhone SE refresh, Apple announced similar updates to the iPad Air: a better processor and 5G capabilities, this time with the addition of an Ultra Wide front-facing camera adding Center Stage capabilities.

Don’t skip over that processor though, the new iPad Air 5 actually has an M1 chip powering it—this is the same chip that powers the iPad Pro, making the new iPad Air an incredibly tempting purchase.

Prices start at $599, you can pre-order the iPad Air 5 from March 11, due to start shipping on March 18.

For more details, take a look at our full coverage of the iPad Air 5.

The M1 Ultra Fills Out Apple’s M1 Lineup

Although Apple didn’t release the first M2 Apple silicon chip, as many fans were hoping for, it did introduce a new M1 chip to the current lineup: the M1 Ultra. Apple stated that this is the last chip it’s adding to the M1 range—so it can’t be too long until we see an M2.

This M1 Ultra chip is essentially two M1 Max chips strapped together by way of some impressive-sounding technology that was, honestly, quite hard to make heads or tails of. But the bottom line was clear, it delivers unprecedented levels of power and speed.

If you think it sounds like the system-on-a-chip you’ve been waiting for, you’ll need to purchase the new Mac Studio to enjoy it.

The Mac Studio Adds a New Category of Mac

Easily the biggest announcement of the event was the introduction of the Mac Studio, a new category of Mac that sits between the Mac mini and the Mac Pro.

Much like the Mac mini, the Mac Studio is a modular Mac, meaning it doesn’t come with a display, keyboard, or any other peripherals. It’s a little taller than the Mac mini though, and a lot more powerful, packing an M1 Max or M1 Ultra chip, depending on the configuration you go for.

It starts at $1999 for the M1 Max version or £3999 for the M1 Ultra version. Either option is available to pre-order right now, due to start shipping March 18.

A Studio Display

Alongside the Mac Studio, Apple also announced a new desktop monitor, the Studio Display. This 27-inch, 5K retina display packs a 12MP Ultra-Wide camera, six-speaker sound, and an array of three “studio-quality” microphones.

It’s an impressive beast, available with a regular stand, a counter-balancing arm, or a VESA-compatible mount. On the back, you’ll find USB-C connections for extra peripherals and a Thunderbolt 4 port that’s actually capable of fast-charging a 14-inch MacBook Pro.

The Studio Display costs $1,599 and is available to pre-order right now, due to start shipping March 18.

For more details, check out our full coverage of the Mac Studio and Studio Display.

What’s Next for Apple in 2022?

As expected, this is a relatively minor event for Apple and a gentle start to 2022. The biggest announcement here is a new Mac model, targeted at creative professionals. All the other announcements, while very welcome, are relatively minor updates to existing products.

Don’t fret, though, we’re confident Apple has a lot more in store for us for the rest of the year.