New 15-Inch MacBook Air, An AR Headset And More: Here’s What Apple Announced During The WWDC Keynote

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Rich Forbes Staff Forbes Vetted Contributor Group Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Melissa Perenson Forbes Staff Forbes Vetted Contributor Group Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Jun 5, 2023, 06:34pm EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Apple hosts press conferences several times per year, but not since June 2007 (when Steve Jobs announced the very first iPhone) and then again in January 2010 (when Apple showcased the original iPad) has there been so much excitement around what the company might introduce.

And today, Apple delivered, capping its WWDC 2023 keynote with the introduction of the Apple Vision Pro headset and what Apple refers to as “spatial computing. ” Apple announced a new MacBook Air model, several powerful new Mac Studio and Mac Pro configurations . .

. [+] and the much-anticipated Apple Vision Pro headset. Illustration: Forbes / Photos, Apple During today’s keynote for WWDC that was hosted by Apple CEO Tim Cook, Vision Pro was announced and shown to the world for the very first time, after years of rumors.

Unfortunately, today’s intro was merely a tease: We have to wait until early next year to purchase this cutting-edge spatial and augmented reality headset. And it won’t come cheap: The Apple Vision Pro will have a hefty $3,499 price tag. This new headset was only the culmination of a slate of announcements aimed at consumers and developers.

Starting today, you can pre-order the new, 15-inch MacBook Air, an upgraded and more powerful Mac Studio computer and the Mac Pro computer that uses Apple’s latest M2 Ultra processor. Read on for the details on what’s been announced and how you can pre-order. And in the future, we can look forward to the Fall release of the MacOS Sonoma, iOS 17, iPadOS 17 and Apple Watch 10 operating systems that will breathe new life into existing Macs, iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches respectively, and at the same time introduce new functionality to Apple computers and devices that will be announced and released later this year.

This includes advancements to Apple tvOS (which gains FaceTime support), AirPods Pro (which get adaptive audio) and CarPlay (which adds SharePlay). Look for these future software updates to bring new capabilities to Apple’s already robust and existing products. If you’re a true Apple fan, there’s lots to look forward to in the rest of 2023 and 2024.

Apple’s hardware, software and services will provide exciting new ways for humans to interact with technology, while merging the real-world with the digital world in ways that have never before been possible—even in science fiction. Apple MacBook Air 15-Inch A New Twist On The Thinnest And Lightest Apple Laptop Apple Apple MacBook Air 15-Inch Pre-Order From Apple Available starting right now for pre-order and shipping on June 13, the new Apple MacBook Air 15-inch laptop computer comes in four casing colors—midnight, starlight, space gray and silver. It uses the powerful Apple M2 processor and features an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for storage.

It has a starting price of $1,299. Add $200 to double the storage to 512GB. Measuring a mere 11.

5 millimeters thick, this 3. 3-pound laptop includes a headphone jack and a bright Liquid Retina display. It uses six speakers to produce stereo sound with spatial audio.

You also get two Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 USB-C ports, a Magic Keyboard with TouchID, plus a Force Touch trackpad. Two impressive features of this new laptop are its up to 18-hour battery life—same as on the 13-inch model—and completely silent operation. The MacBook Air 15-Inch will support the new MacOS Sonoma operating system when it is released.

The new OS was tipped today to add some impressive new features, including a new level of personalization that includes interactive widgets on the desktop. Apple reports that the MacBook Air 15-Inch is 1. 4 times faster than the MacBook Air that runs using the M1 processor and 12 times faster than the older MacBook Air that relied on an Intel-based processor.

This new MacBook Air joins Apple’s existing and currently available MacBook Air 13-inch that runs using the M1 chip (with a starting price of $999) and the MacBook Air 13-inch that runs using the M2 chip (now with a starting price of $1,099). You can pre-order the MacBook Air 15-inch directly from the Apple website, although it’s expected to be available via Amazon, Best Buy and other popular online retailers shortly. Apple Mac Studio A New, Powerful Desktop Mac Apple Apple Mac Studio Pre-Order From Apple There are two version of the new Mac Studio available for pre-order starting today and that will begin shipping on June 16.

The first costs $2,000, and it packs the Apple M2 Max processor, which takes full advantage of a 12-core CPU, 30-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine. The base model comes with 32GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for storage. You also get two USB Type-C ports (up to 10Gbps) and one SDXC card slot on the front, plus four Thunderbolt 4/USB Type-C (up to 40Gbps) ports, two USB Type-A ports (up to 5Gbps), one HDMI port, a 10 gigabit ethernet port and a 3.

5mm headphone jack on the back. But if all that computing power isn’t enough, there’s a new $3,999 Mac Studio that with Apple’s M2 Ultra processor. It uses a 24-core CPU, 60-core GPU and 32-core Neural Engine.

The basic configuration of this computer comes with 64GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD for storage. You also get two Thunderbolt 4/USB Type-C ports (up to 40Gbps) and one SDXC card slot on the front, and the same generous complement of ports on the back as the M2 Max version. The Mac Studio does not come with a keyboard, mouse or monitor.

Apple Mac Pro Even More Computing Power Apple Apple Mac Pro Pre-Order From Apple With a starting price of $6,999 (for the tower version), the newly announced Mac Pro is available for pre-order starting today and will begin shipping on June 13. You can custom configure it on Apple’s website. It represents the most powerful Mac ever released—and it’s centered around the Apple M2 Ultra processor.

Two of the best things about this new computer are that it contains six expansion slots and is available with either a tower or rack mount enclosure (which has a starting price of $7,499). The Mac Pro’s Apple M2 Ultra chip uses a 24-core CPU and 60-core GPU (configurable up to 76 cores), and it has 64GB of memory (configurable up to 192GB). The baseline version has a 1TB SSD, but 2TB, 4TB and 8TB are all upgrades.

The computer supports up to eight displays and has processing power that video editors, programmers and content creators, for example, have been craving. The new Mac Pro comes equipped with six Thunderbolt 4 ports, two 10Gb ethernet ports, one 3. 5mm headphone jack, two USB Type-A (up to 5Gbps) ports and two HDMI ports on the back, plus an additional two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the top.

It works seamlessly with the Mac Pro Display XDR (sold separately). The keyboard and mouse are also sold separately. Apple Vision Pro A New Kind Of Computer Apple Apple Vision Pro Learn More At Apple Expected in early 2024, the new Apple Vision Pro headset will let you interact with apps and content with your eyes, hands and voice in a way that’s no longer limited by traditional input devices and displays.

Instead, the Vision Pro uses what Apple refers to as “spatial computing,” to provide a three-dimensional interface with apps and experiences that take shape in the world around you—with the Home View superimposed over the user’s real-world view. Apple Vision Pro is far more than a glorified gaming system than what we’ve seen in previous VR headsets released by Meta and Sony, for example. And it goes deeper than other head-mounted displays we’ve seen before, with more refined design and interaction and a familiar, unified interface.

Apple bills this is an entirely new computing platform for productivity, communication, and entertainment, enabling collaboration and usage in ways that have never before been possible. Based on the snippet we saw, that’s true, largely because of the promise of Apple’s hardware and software integration. We saw magic happen with the iPhone before.

Can it happen with the Apple Vision Pro? Only time will tell. Apple Vision Pro will remain fully synced with your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Macs via iCloud. Users can remain present in their real-world space or become entirely immersed in a virtual world that’s supported by cutting-edge 4K visuals and spatial audio.

Everything you see virtually through the Video Pro headset is created using MicroLED displays that use 23 million pixels across two panels that are each the size of a postage stamp. The device runs on Apple’s M2 processor combined with the brand new R1 chip (which is a real-world sensor processor). Built into the headset are 12 cameras, 5 sensors, and 6 microphones.

Apple spoke about providing robust privacy and security features, starting with OpticID, which scans your eyeball, as opposed to your face or fingerprint. When plugged in, you can use Vision Pro all day. It also runs on a portable battery, for up to two-hours (the battery pack fits in a pocket).

Apple boasted that it filed more than 5,000 patents for new technologies during the development of Apple Vision Pro. Starting the day of its release will support more than 100 Apple Arcade games, all iPhone and iPad apps, Disney+ content and a wide range of new apps developed by Apple and third-parties specifically for this new platform. Apple’s strategy is sound and proven: That the Vision Pro runs iPhone and iPad apps echoes how the iPad got its jumpstart over Android tablets early on.

Even if the apps aren’t optimized for the device, it will launch with an existing app ecosystem. Intrigued? Excited? Start saving now, because Apple Vision Pro is not cheap. The starting price is a whopping $3,499.

However, one thing is for sure. When you place Apple Vision Pro on your head, you will have access to a computing tool the likes of which have never before been available and that will create new ways to interact and communication in the real and virtual world. MORE FROM FORBES VETTED The 13 Best Father’s Day Gardening Gifts That He’ll Use Year-Round By Alexandra Jones Contributor The 9 Best Kids Water Bottles To Keep Everyone Hydrated And Cool By Korin Miller Contributor Why Trust Forbes Vetted The Forbes Vetted tech team strives to offer accurate and trustworthy product assessments that are the result of intensive research and hands-on testing.

Our writers and editors have years of experience writing about a broad range of consumer electronics and have the background and expertise to help you make the best buying decisions possible. Jason R. Rich Melissa Perenson Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.