Apple has done it again — a little more than a month after their Fall Event, they’ve delivered another keynote packed with awesome new stuff. Among the biggest updates are the iPhone 7 Plus camera, which now has portrait mode so we can have those gorgeous blurry backgrounds, its new TV app and — drumroll, please! — a new MacBook.
We know you’re excited about the MacBook, but hold tight, because Apple’s new TV app — ultra imaginatively called “TV” — is pretty cool too. It will bring us subscriptions to services like Starz and HBO, live sports, live news and… Twitter? Well, if you watch football on Saturdays with the fam, you’ll get immediate reactions to those touchdowns in the form of tweets, immediate replays and Periscopes. You’ll also get Bloomberg news and election night coverage from BuzzFeed. The TV app will be available by the end of the year (although since they’re promising election coverage, we bet we’ll be seeing it very soon).
And now for our feature presentation: the MacBook. Apple is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its first notebook (the Powerbook released on October 25, 1991) with a brand-spanking-new design. To give you a better idea of just how far the MacBook has come, what would have taken one year on the original notebook can be accomplished in five seconds on the new MacBook. That’s insane.
Nostalgia aside, here are the awesome new features.
TOUCH BAR/TOUCH ID
This fancy new substitute for the function keys adapts to whatever software you’re using. For example, in Safari you’ll see shortcuts for your favorite websites right on the Touch Bar. You’ll also find the search field, back button and add tab button. Quick type suggestions can be found on the MacBook now, just like on the iPhone. In Messages, the Touch Bar will display emoji (and you can even find them using the familiar categories). It’s also fully customizable, so you can choose what shortcuts you want to display on it.
The new TouchID sensor is next to Touch Bar, on the power button. Apple promises a super-fast reading of your fingerprint, and if more than one person uses your computer, you can even switch users with literally the touch of a finger. More and more sites are integrating Apple Pay, which means you’ll be able to use your fingerprint to buy that hand-knitted sweater you’ve been eyeballing on Etsy, straight from your MacBook.
THUNDERBOLT 3
The MacBook now has four Thunderbolt 3 slots, which use a USB-C style connector. This means no more turning your computer around trying to reach the charger — you can plug it into any of the ports on either side! This makes up for Apple doing away with the MagSafe connector, even though we’ll miss that satisfying click when the magnet connects.
NEW DISPLAY
The new MacBooks have an improved display, and Apple also announced its new LG Ultrafine 5K external display. The monitor connects via a Thunderbolt 3 cable and charges your MacBook at the same time! It’s the ultimate docking station.
Phew! That’s a lot of new and exciting stuff. Apple is retaining their 12″ MacBook, as well as offering a version of the new MacBook without the Touch Bar. The MacBook Air did not get an update, but the new MacBook Pros are thinner anyway.
The 13″ and 15″ Touch Bar models will start at $1799.99 and $2399.99, respectively. You can order the newest MacBooks here today, and then in 2-3 weeks, you just might find a surprise waiting on your doorstep. Because you totally weren’t tracking it the whole time.
(Photos via Apple)