Key Highlights from Apple’s Peak Performance Conference 2022
Announced in Apple’s first major Media event of the year was a new iPhone, new Macs, new iPad, and a new professional monitor. Below we will give you a summary of what was announced.
iPhone SE 3
The product most people are probably interested in is the new iPhone SE. It is very similar in size and look like the previous iPhone SE and the iPhone 8 and has the same size 4.7-inch screen.
The good news for some is it still retains touch ID. Despite being like the previous version in appearance, the new SE sports Apple’s A15 Bionic chip. This is the same as is used in iPhone 13, so you’re still getting the same great performance.
The new iPhone SE also gets support for most 5G networks. The iPhone SE is also more likely to survive a fall as it has the same toughened glass of the iPhone 13, and the toughened glass at the back helps it support wireless charging.
The new iPhone SE comes in Midnight, Starlight, and Product Red. It also has a better battery life than the previous version for an average of two hours more talk time.
The iPhone SE will be a very popular option among the vision impaired and blind users because of the touch ID option, improved performance, and improved battery life. It will also be one of Apple’s more affordable models.
iPad Air 5
Apple have announced a 5th Generation iPad Air. It uses the same M1 chip found in the MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and low-spec MacBook Pro. This brings the Air in line with the iPad Pro, which was updated to use the M1 chip in 2021.
Apple claim the M1 will offer up to 60% more performance than the A14 chip found in the previous Air. The other notable changes are the inclusion of an ultrawide front camera, letting the new Air support Apple’s Centre Stage video conferencing feature, and support for 5G cellular networks.
iPad Air comes in a 64gb or 252gb storage option. Your colour choices are Starlight, Blue, Space Grey, Pink, and Purple.
Mac Studio and M1 Ultra
Apple have released a new Mac desktop called Mac Studio. It is a similar shape to the Mac mini but twice as thick. It offers a lot of connectivity options, such as USB, SD cards, and a professional audio jack.
The low-end version uses a chip called the M1 max which is the same as the MacBook Pro. While the high end of the Mac Studio uses a chip called the M1 Ultra which is like two M1 chips stuck together. Thanks to the expanded bandwidth from the two processors, it can support up to 128GB of RAM. This basically means it’s a very powerful machine.
To accompany the new desktop Apple have released a monitor called the Mac Studio Display. This is a very advanced display with an iPhone CPU inside. The 27-inch 5k display boasts extremely accurate colours. The glass has an anti-glare treatment so might suit low vision users and may reduce eye fatigue for this reason.
This display includes speakers, microphones, and a camera, which is where the A13 processor comes in. The Studio Display sports the same ultrawide camera found in modern iPads, finally bringing Centre Stage to the Mac. Centre Stage is great for keeping you in the picture during video calls and with the rise of video conference calls over the last couple of years this feature has become very important.
Having briefly covered the main announcements we from Apple’s Peak Performance Event, we feel that the new iPhone SE will grab the most attention. With its new A15 chip it will benefit from software updates for years to come.