Apple Inc. announced on Tuesday a range of new computers, a
paid podcasting service and devices for finding lost items, signaling the
continued expansion of its once-simple product line into more and more corners
of customers' lives.
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The new $30 AirTags, tiny devices that can be attached to
items such as keys and wallets to locate them when they are lost, were
applauded by analysts as a likely hot-seller that would also keep the company's
more than 1 billion customers locked into its products.
A new iPad Pro tablet, featuring the same Apple-designed
processor that powers the company's more recent Mac computers, has keyboard and
trackpad options that help make it a full-blown alternative to traditional
laptops and desktops.
And a refresh of the Mac desktop line boasts seven color
options, harkening back to the famous candy-colored Macs that helped Steve Jobs
revive the company in the 1990s.
The announcements show how the iPhone maker is accelerating
the expansion of its product portfolio and working to keep customers committed
to its family of devices even as government scrutiny of the power and reach of
major technology firms intensifies.
Most of the product introductions had been telegraphed
before the presentation, which had no major surprises. Shares of Apple were
down 1.3 percent, slightly more than the 1 percent drop in the
Nasdaq index.
The new iMacs, which start at $1,299, feature a higher
quality front-facing camera and microphone, responding to complaints from
consumers during the pandemic that the computer's cameras had not kept pace
with iPhones and iPads during an era of pervasive video calls.
"Apple cameras in their computers have been terrible,
frankly. They finally have a reasonable camera in the iMac," said Bob
O'Donnell, head of TECHnalysis Research, who added that the new colors were
likely to stand out in a market dominated by black, white and silver machines.
"For right now, it feels fresh and new."
The new iPad Pros, starting at $799, use the same M1 chip as
Apple's other computers, rather than the beefed-up version of iPhone chips
found in previous models. The tablets also have additional ports for connecting
monitors and 5G connectivity, while featuring a higher-quality display than the
company's laptops.
Analysts said that when combined with Apple's keyboard and
trackpad accessories, the new iPad Pro models could be a compelling replacement
for a laptop, especially for content creators or business travelers. But those
accessories also push the price to nearly $1,100 — more than Apple's cheapest
laptop, the $1,000 MacBook Air.
Ben Bajarin, principal analyst for consumer market
intelligence at Creative Strategies, said the devices are not likely to be
volume sellers but will target the niche of consumers who value versatility.
"If you want to go the gamut from mobile production,
content consumption and or creativity, that’s the device that does it,” he
said.
Apple also announced podcast subscription services that will
compete with rival Spotify Technology SA, a move to regain ground in a market
it popularized years ago but never made money from.
Apple shares have risen nearly 95 percent over the past
year, faster than the 63 percent rise in the Nasdaq Composite Index, thanks to
a record $274.5 billion in sales for fiscal 2020 as consumers stocked up on
electronics during the pandemic.
The AirTags announcement could result in a new round of
complaints to lawmakers that Apple is hurting smaller rivals. Tile, a private
company that has sold a competing tracker for nearly a decade, last year
testified before the US House of Representatives that Apple's App Store rules
had made it harder to use Tile's products and will be called before the US
Senate to testify on Wednesday.
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