While 2020 forced Apple to change the way it works with many employees working from home for most of the year, Apple still managed to release a long list of new products over the past 12 months, with the most of the devices in its range have been updated and new software.
In our latest YouTube video, we rounded up our top five products of 2020. While there was a lot to choose from, there were several standout features such as the M1 Macs, the iPhone 12 series, the iPad Air, the AirPods Max, and the Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro.
Magic keyboard
It may seem like forever, but in March 2020, Apple debuted new iPad Pro models with updated camera technology that includes a LiDAR scanner for the first time, and alongside the new iPad Pro models, Apple introduced the Magic Keyboard.
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Apple previously had a Smart Keyboard for its iPads, but the Magic Keyboard is the best Apple-designed iPad keyboard to date. It has a scissor-mechanism keyboard similar to the one used for Apple’s Macs, and for the first time ever, there’s a trackpad.
The trackpad makes the iPad more laptop-like than ever, and Apple’s iPads are now compatible with mice too. The Magic Keyboard also has a handy floating design that allows the screen to be adjusted, and it even works well in a lap.
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On the downside, it’s priced from $ 300, which is incredibly expensive for a keyboard, and it doesn’t fold back, so you can’t use it as a standard case if you don’t need the keyboard.
iPad Air
The iPad Air, introduced in September 2020, is Apple’s first device with a full screen display and Touch ID, with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the power button.
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It also got a faster A14 chip before the A14 chip came to the iPhone 12 uitb (although Apple eventually released the serieiPad Air and the iPhone 12 series at the same time), and it’s available in a range of fresh colors not previously used for a IPad.
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Compared to the previous generation iPad Air models, it got a iPad Pro style display with slimmed-down bezels, and with its A14 chip, Touch ID and redesign, it’s a solid deal for its starting price of $ 599.
iPhone 12
Apple released four new iPhones this year, including a 5.4-inch iPhone mini, the smallest iPhone in many years, designed for smaller device enthusiasts, and the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max, the largest iPhone to date to.
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All new iPhones have a fresh iPad Pro-style design with square edges that mark a departure from the rounded edges we’ve seen in the iPhone lineup since the iPhone 6.
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The iPhones all have OLED screens, even on the bottom, and have A14 chips that are incredibly fast. They all have great cameras, but the iPhone 12 Pro Max has the best camera setup, although both Pro models have the same LiDAR scanner that was first introduced in the iPad Pro.
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IPhone 12 models are also equipped with a ring with magnets inside, making them compatible with a new technology called MagSafe, which is used for attaching chargers and magnetic accessories. With MagSafe, iPhones can wirelessly charge up to 15W, an improvement over the previous 7.5W charging maximum.
M1 Macs
At WWDC in June, Apple confirmed it was working on its own Apple Silicon Arm-based chips, and in November the first Apple Silicon Macs were unveiled with “M1” chips. The M1 Macs are without a doubt the most exciting new products that Apple has brought into the Mac line-up in recent years.
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No one knew exactly what to expect from the M1 Macs prior to launch, but Apple surprised everyone with outright incredible performance. When it comes to single-core CPU speeds, the M1 Macs beat all other Macs on the market, and in terms of multi-core performance, they’re on par with some of Apple’s more expensive desktop machines.
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Apple has put its M1 chip into the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini, and despite the speed gains introduced with these chips, these are the low end Macs, with even more powerful chips expected for the 16-inch MacBook Pro, iMac and other machines in 2021.
AirPods Max
We didn’t expect the AirPods Max until 2021, but Apple introduced them as a surprise in December. The AirPods Max are Apple’s first over-ear headphones and at $ 549 they turned out to be more expensive than anyone expected.
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The AirPods Max feature aluminum ear cups, mesh ear cushions and a mesh headband, and while their premium construction makes them heavier than many other headphones available on the market, most people find them comfortable.
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AirPods Max have all the features you’d expect from AirPods, such as fast pairing, fast device switching, and long range, plus active noise cancellation, adaptive EQ and spatial audio. They sound great, as they should for $ 549, and the battery life is decent after 20 hours.
The only real downside is the Smart Case, which has a curious design, offers no protection and is generally seen as one of the worst cases that come with a set of premium headphones.
Packing up
What’s on your list of top five Apple products of 2020? Let us know in the comments.
We expect many more new devices in 2021, including additional (and more powerful) M1 Macs, AirTags, an Apple TV, new software and the iPhone 13 series. You can keep an eye out for what’s rumored to launch in our guide to upcoming Apple products, and we’ll be providing an in-depth look at later this week.