UNLEASHING NEW MACS
Apple rounded out the year on October 18 with
its Unleashed event, showing off new high-
end MacBook Pro models and third-generation
AirPods, as well as some new colors for the
HomePod mini. Apple also introduced a lower-
cost “Voice Plan” for Apple Music, which lets
users pay just $4.99 per month to access all
of their favorite songs using the power of Siri.
But it was the MacBook Pro models that really
stole the show - bringing the power of M
and stepping it up a gear. The new M1 Pro and
M1 Max chips bring Apple’s vision for a world
beyond Intel to life, no doubt sparking the
interest of creatives around the world. Apple
has finally put the Pro back into the MacBook.
Apple’s new MacBook Pro models set a new
standard for computing and prove that the
Cupertino company is once again putting
professional users at the fore, after years of
pandering to consumers with updates centered
on aesthetics. The only way is up for Mac, and
with more on the way in 2022, the future looks
bright for the Cupertino firm. Finally, Apple has
listened to power users, removing some of the
controversial updates like USB-C only charging
and the Touch Bar in favor of tools and hardware
that will actually make a difference to peoples’
lives; true pro machines.
LOWERING THE WALLED GARDEN
Away from new software and hardware
announcements, it would be hard to round out
this year in review without talking about Apple’s
walled garden. The company has infamously
been tough on offering access to its services
outside of Apple devices, and also making it