On Monday, Apple held their annual October hardware event. This year the event mostly focused on Mac. But they also announced updates to the AirPods and HomePod.

Music

Apple started off the event by talking about music. The first thing they announced was an additional Apple Music tier called Voice. The Voice plan includes the entire Apple Music library but can only be accessed via Siri for $4.99. They also announced that HomePod will be available in three new colors.

AirPods

The final and biggest announcement that Apple made in the music category was category was AirPods 3. AirPods 3. AirPods 3 will have all the features that the AirPods Pro do except Active Noise Cancellation, Transparency mode and, pressure equalization. They also gain a new design that’s more similar to the design of the Pros except they don’t have the rubber eartips. Additionally cases for the entire AirPods earbud lineup now can charge through MagSafe. .

Mac

As with any Apple event where new Macs recently, Apple showed off the newest, most innovative and likely best (at least consumer) processors yet. They also showed off new MacBook Pros.

M1 Pro & M1 Max

First off in the Mac section of the presentation they went in depth about the new pro tier processors. This year they announced multiple (Mac) processors at the same event for the first time: calling them M1 Pro and M1 Max. Here are the specs of each:

MacBook Pro

Now for the feature product of the event, Apple announced new MacBook Pros. They will come in two size options – 14-inch & 16-inch¹. I/O wise the new MacBook Pro gets back most of what the MacBook Pro lost in 2016 including MagSafe (which now supports fast charging). I forgot to mention that the display will support Apple’s ProMotion (VRR).

Availability

• AirPods 3 are available to preorder now and release on October 26 for $179
• The new MacBook Pro models with M1 Pro and M1 Max are available to order today on apple.com/store and in the Apple Store app. They will begin arriving to customers and will be in select Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers starting Tuesday, October 26. The new 14-inch MacBook Pro model starts at $1,999 (US), and $1,849 (US) for education; the 16-inch MacBook Pro model starts at $2,499 (US), and $2,299 (US) for education. Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options, and accessories are available at apple.com/mac.
• macOS Monterey will be available as a free software update on Monday, October 25.
• HomePod mini will be available in yellow, orange, and blue, in addition to white and space gray, for $99 (US) from apple.com/store, in the Apple Store app, and at Apple Store locations. HomePod mini will also be available through Apple Authorized Resellers and select carriers (prices may vary).