Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) recently held an event wherein they introduced their redesigned MacBook Pro laptops. This new laptops replace the previous “Air” line but are also comparably lighter and thinner.
Apple’s press event just followed shortly after Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) unveiled their updated “Surface Book” which is a combination of laptop and tablet. The multi-billion dollar rival also introduced a new desktop called the “Surface Studio” which is very similar to their iMacs. This model features a touch-sensitive display and a dial that allows 3D creation.
Going back to Apple’s laptops, the new MacBook Pros come in 13-inch and 15-inch displays. It has a “touch bar” feature which is a touch-sensitive array of graphics that is found at the top of the keyboard. These units also come with fingerprint sensors. Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster, who has an ‘Overweight’ rating/$155 price target on Apple stock – AAPL closed down 0.66% at $113.72 on Friday – wrote in a research note to investors that the new MacBook Pros are “a solid evolution in [Apple]’s pro line of laptops,” noting that “Touch Bar is a unique addition to the Macbook Pro that even more closely aligns Macs with the iOS suite, which we believe strengthens the overall product halo.” Munster also said that while the Mac’s will be ~10% of revenue in FY17″, the new gear probably won’t “meaningfully move the needle.”
Meanwhile, the third model which has a 13-inch screen does not come with a “touch bar.” It does have a slimmer profile of 0.6 inches thick and 3 pounds which is similar to MacBook and MacBook Air.
Prices for Apple’s new laptops start at $1,499 for the 13-inch laptop without the “touch bar.” The 13-inch MacBook with “touch bar” is priced at $1,799 and the 15-inch unit is sold at $2,399.
Apart from their MacBook Pros, Apple also announced other “usability enhancements” of their software. This included “Live Listen” which helps hearing aids to function better. With “Live Listen”, you can use your iPhones as microphones and the sound gets louder when you place the phone closer to the speaker. They also mentioned something called “Switch Control” which allows users to use joysticks instead of relying on traditional mouse and keyboard.
In the Apple event, CEO Tim Cook took center stage to do a roundup about their upcoming products as well as reports on the company’s status. He mentioned that after Apple’s iOS 10 was launched, roughly around 60 percent of customers have already installed it. Cook also said that there are currently about 8,000 Apple TV apps which is an impressive increase from last year’s 1,000.
Apple also partnered with other video providers in order to give their customers a better entertainment experience. They announced a new cross-platform app which is called TV. The new app allows their users to track their favorite TV shows and movies using the Apple TV platform.
Unfortunately, Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) isn’t part of this new feature. Apple did not explain the reason why and did not offer any answers if there would be future negotiations.
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