Apple held its annual October event on October 18, 2022. As expected, the company announced updates to several of its product lines, including the MacBook Pro, iPad, and HomePod. Here is a detailed recap of everything Apple announced at the October 2022 event.
MacBook Pro
The star of the October event was the MacBook Pro. Apple unveiled completely redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models featuring the new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips.
Key MacBook Pro updates
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New M2 Pro and M2 Max chips – The highlight is the new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. They deliver up to 12-core CPUs and up to 38-core GPUs for astonishing performance. The M2 Pro is up to 6x faster than the M1 Pro while the M2 Max is up to 8x faster than the M1 Max.
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Enhanced displays – The displays now support extreme dynamic range (XDR) for better contrast and colors. The 14-inch model has a 3024×1964 resolution display while the 16-inch model has a 3456×2234 resolution display. Both have up to 600 nits sustained brightness and 1600 nits peak HDR brightness.
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Upgraded connectivity – The new MacBook Pro models feature Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and support for 8K displays. There are also upgraded Thunderbolt 4 ports with support for DisplayPort.
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Improved battery life – Thanks to the efficiency of the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, Apple claims the new MacBook Pro models offer the longest battery life ever on a MacBook Pro – up to 22 hours of video playback.
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1080p FaceTime HD camera – The built-in webcam has been upgraded to 1080p resolution for sharper video calls.
MacBook Pro pricing and availability
The redesigned MacBook Pro models will be available starting next week. Here are the prices:
- 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1999
- 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2499
The new models can be configured with up to 96GB of RAM and 8TB of SSD storage. Custom configuration will push the pricing even higher.
New iPad and iPad Pro
In addition to the MacBook Pro, Apple also unveiled a completely redesigned 10th generation iPad along with updates to the iPad Pro line.
10th generation iPad
The entry-level 10th generation iPad has been completely redesigned featuring several firsts for the non-Pro iPad lineup:
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A14 Bionic chip – Upgraded from the A13 in the previous gen, bringing more performance.
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USB-C connectivity – Switches from Lightning to USB-C for faster wired connectivity. Supports 10Gbps data transfer.
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New Magic Keyboard Folio – Optional accessory for comfortable typing.
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5G connectivity – Available in a 5G model for the first time.
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Horizontal camera placement – Front camera is now landscape oriented for better video calls.
The 10th gen iPad starts at $449 and is available to order now.
iPad Pro updates
For the iPad Pro, Apple brought the M2 chip to deliver desktop-class performance. Other updates include:
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Support for Wi-Fi 6E – Up to 2x faster wireless connectivity.
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ProRes video capture – Up to 4K 30fps ProRes video recording now supported.
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Apple Pencil hover – iPad Pro can now detect the Apple Pencil up to 12mm above the display, allowing for new hover interactions.
The updated 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models are now available starting at $799 and $1099 respectively. Custom configs with cellular and more storage increase the pricing.
HomePod with Siri intelligence
Rounding out Apple’s October event announcements was the release of the new full-size HomePod with upgraded Siri capabilities.
Key features and updates of the new HomePod:
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S7 chip – Apple’s S7 chip brings advanced computational audio for detailed sound quality.
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Multi-voice recognition – Can distinguish voices of different family members and personalize responses.
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Temperature/humidity sensor – Can sense ambient temperature and humidity for automations.
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Handoff support – Seamlessly switch audio from iPhone to HomePod with Handoff.
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New touch surface – Wave or touch the top of the HomePod to control music playback.
The new HomePod will be available starting in November for $299. Apple is also keeping the HomePod mini in the lineup at $99.
Wrapping up
To summarize Apple’s October 2022 event, we saw significant updates to the MacBook Pro, iPad, and HomePod product lines. The powerful new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips in the latest MacBook Pro along with the new 10th generation iPad and M2-powered iPad Pro signify Apple’s continued push to bring desktop-class performance and capabilities to its mobile devices. Meanwhile, the new intelligent HomePod aims to enhance the smart home experience through Siri.
It was an action-packed event with many exciting announcements as Apple continues to leverage its custom silicon and integrate its technologies across products for a more seamless experience. The new products announced promise to be game-changers and have set the stage for Apple heading into the holiday season.
