Apple Announcements Recap: New MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, HomePod, and More - MacRumors

Apple made immoderate uncommon January merchandise announcements this week, introducing updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, an updated Mac mini, a second-generation full-size HomePod, and a caller Unity set for the Apple Watch successful solemnisation of Black History Month. Apple besides revealed that iOS 16.3 volition beryllium released to the nationalist adjacent week.

A recap of Apple's announcements is disposable beneath for those looking for a speedy overview of each the caller products introduced this week.

MacBook Pro

The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are disposable with Apple's latest M2 Pro and M2 Max chips for up to 20% faster show and up to 30% faster graphics. The laptops tin beryllium configured with up to 96GB of RAM, compared to a max of 64GB previously. Other caller features and improvements see Wi-Fi 6E, an upgraded HDMI 2.1 larboard with enactment for an 8K outer display, and an other hr of artillery life.

The caller MacBook Pros person the aforesaid plan arsenic the previous-generation models released successful 2021. The laptops tin beryllium pre-ordered present connected Apple's online store, with the archetypal deliveries to customers and in-store availability to statesman Tuesday, January 24. Pricing starts astatine $1,999 for the 14-inch exemplary and astatine $2,499 for the 16-inch model.

Mac mini

Apple besides updated the Mac mini with caller M2 and M2 Pro spot options, resulting successful the final Intel-based Mac mini being discontinued. There are nary plan changes, but the M2 Pro mentation of the Mac mini is equipped with 4 Thunderbolt 4 ports and an HDMI 2.1 port, compared to 2 Thunderbolt 4 ports and an HDMI 2.0 larboard connected the M2 model.

The caller Mac mini tin beryllium pre-ordered present connected Apple's online store, with the M2 exemplary starting astatine a little $599 terms and the M2 Pro exemplary starting astatine $1,299. The archetypal deliveries to customers and in-store availability volition statesman Tuesday, January 24.

HomePod

The second-generation HomePod features a virtually identical plan arsenic the full-size HomePod that was discontinued successful March 2021, including a backlit interaction aboveground and mesh cloth exterior. The talker features a four-inch high-excursion woofer, 5 tweeters, 4 microphones, an S7 spot for computational audio, a U1 spot for handing disconnected euphony from an iPhone, and enactment for Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos. The talker continues to revolve astir Siri and has Matter enactment for controlling HomeKit and different astute location accessories.

The caller HomePod has 2 less tweeters and 2 less microphones compared to the archetypal model, and it weighs somewhat little arsenic a result. A caller sensor successful the HomePod tin measurement somesthesia and humidity successful indoor environments, and this diagnostic has besides been enabled connected the existing HomePod mini with HomePod bundle mentation 16.3.

The caller HomePod tin beryllium pre-ordered present connected Apple's online store for $299, with achromatic and midnight colour options available. In-store availability and deliveries to customers volition statesman Friday, February 3 successful the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and 11 different countries.

Unity Band

Apple this week released a new, special-edition Black Unity Sport Loop for the Apple Watch Series 4 and aboriginal successful solemnisation of Black History Month. Available successful 41mm and 45mm sizes for $49, the set features the connection "Unity" woven into the cloth with red, green, and achromatic yarns that wage homage to the Pan-African flag, according to Apple.

The caller set is disposable to bid connected Apple's online store, and volition beryllium disposable successful prime ‌Apple Store‌ locations opening January 24. Apple is besides releasing a companion Unity-themed iPhone wallpaper and ticker look with iOS 16.3 and watchOS 9.3.

iOS 16.3 Release Timing

In its property merchandise astir the caller Unity band, Apple said a matching Unity wallpaper for the iPhone volition beryllium disposable adjacent week and requires iOS 16.3, which confirms that the bundle update will beryllium released to the nationalist adjacent week.

iOS 16.3 includes a fewer caller features, including an enactment to use a carnal information key arsenic a two-factor authentication enactment for an Apple ID account, global availability of Advanced Data Protection for wider iCloud encryption, and enactment for the new second-generation HomePod. The update besides includes multiple bug fixes.