Apple’s One More Thing event: The announcements that matter
5 min readTable of Contents
(Pocket-lint) – Apple held a “One More Thing” event on 10 November 2020, when introduced the first Macs that run on Apple Silicon.
It’s worth noting that “one more thing” is a phrase Apple uses when it’s unveiling major product announcements. The company used it when it announced the 10th-anniversary iPhone X in 2017, for instance. So, people expected the November showcase to be big. At WWDC 2020, Apple announced plans to switch Macs from Intel processors to its own hardware. Apple, therefore, of course, announced ARM-based Macs as well as MacOS 11 Big Sur.
Apple’s AirTagsandover-ear AirPods were also heavily rumoured. But they never materialized. Here is a roundup of everything announced at the event.
When was Apple’s event?
Apple’s event took place Tuesday 10 November 2020 at 10am PDT.
How to watch Apple’s event online
You can re-watch the event right here, as we have embedded the video above.
Alternatively, you can watch it on your Apple TV, through the Apple Events app from the App Store for Apple TV, or you can stream from your iOS device via AirPlay. Just ensure it’s a second-generation Apple TV, with the latest Apple TV software or tvOS.
What happened at Apple’s event
First of all, most people suspected this event was coming. The company held an iPhone-specific event last month and another the month before that for the latest Apple Watch and iPads. But Apple previously said it would debut ARM-based Macs later this year. So it wasn’t clear when that would be – until now.
Apple announces M1, the first Silicon chip for Macs
During a “One More Thing” virtual event on 10 November 2020, Apple announced the first Apple Silicon processor for the Mac. It’s called the M1.
To be clear, this is Apple’s long-awaited move from Intel processors. The company has been rumoured to be working toward this transition for years. Now, it’s official. Apple said the M1 chip is the first in a family of Apple Silicon chips. It has an eight-core CPU, with four high-performance cores. Apple described it as “the world’s fastest CPU core”. The other four high-efficiency cores use one-tenth of the power, helping M1 deliver the best CPU performance per watt.
MacBook Air is the first beneficiary of M1 processor
Apple’s new MacBook Air is here – complete with the new Apple M1, its newApple Silicon ARM-based processor.
The MacBook Air is now more like a iPad than ever and will be able to run iOS and iPad apps using macOS 11 Big Sur. There’s no fan, so it’s silent, with around 15/18 hours of battery life. There’s also support for USB 4 and Thunderbolt 3.Again it has a 13-inch screen (slightly improved), better webcam and again it clocks in from $999/£999. However, the design is pretty much the same – we had expected at least some tweaks.
Apple Mac mini M1 brings new power to the desktop
Apple isn’t holding back with the launch of its newMac processor, the M1, announcing a new version of the Mac mini powered by the company’s new M1 processor, alongside new versions of theMacBook AirandMacbook Pro. Promising 3x CPU performance and 6x faster graphics, the new Mac mini will come in the same desk-friendly form factor as previously, but will now be packing the new Apple Silicon processor.
Apple Silicon Macs will run iOS apps
Apple’s first Macs running onSilicon chipshave been revealed with a MacBook Air, Mac Mini and MacBook Pro all in the line up and all able to run any iOS app. A reportfrom 9to5Macpreviously claimed that while any iOS app can be downloaded and installed on the Silicon Macs however, some big app developers like Google and Facebook may not offer their apps through the Mac App Store.
Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro is powered by M1
During a “One More Thing” virtual event on 10 November 2020, Apple announced a new 13-inch MacBook Pro featuring its M1 Apple Silicon chip.
In June, Apple revealed plans to begin using its own custom processors in Macs, and now, it’s announcing those Macs and promising industry-leading performance per watt. Apple said the M1 chip is the first in a family ofApple Silicon chips. The 5-nanometer chip supports Thunderbolt and USB 4, has an eight-core CPU, and boasts the “world’s fastest integrated graphics” with a 16-core Neural Engine that can process 11 trillion operations per second.
Apple macOS Big Sur ready to install
Apple has confirmed that it will be rolling out its latest macOS update,macOS Big Sur, on Thursday 12 November for not only current MacBook and Mac users, but also in time for three new Mac models powered byApple’s new M1 processorthat are going on sale on 17 November. The new operating system will usher in a number of new changes, including being optimised for the new Apple M1 processor announced at its “One more thing” event on the 10 November.
What Apple didn’t announce
AirPods Studio
There is a small mountain of evidence to suggest Apple is developing a pair of high-end, wireless over-ear headphones that will be released shortly.
The over-ear headphones won’t be Beats headphones. Instead, they’ll be Apple-branded and may be called AirPods X or AirPods Studio. There’s been leaked iOS 14 code, reports from well-known Apple watchers, and even a Target listing all suggesting these headphones are real and coming soon. Most recently, Apple reportedly directed all its stores to stop carrying third-party headphones. Perhaps it’s yet another sign that Apple plans to expand the AirPods lineup.
AirTags
Apple is supposedly working on new products to rival Tile, a popular hardware tracker that attaches to items in order to locate them over Bluetooth or crowdsourcing. Similarly, Apple’s trackers, thought to be called AirTags, will allow users to locate lost or stolen items. The existence of these devices has been widely reported on by the media and leakers since last year. They’re expected to look like circular discs and should feature Apple’s ultra-wideband tech.
They’ll likely use the standard iOS Find My app, along with crowdsourcing, to precisely locate your devices, even in a room.
Writing by Maggie Tillman.
