New Devices

On 18 October Apple (AAPL) at a presentation called Unleashed announced its new high-performance MacBook Pro laptops, a new generation of AirPods headphones and unveiled the HomePod Mini smart speaker in a variety of colours.

Apple also launched a new subscription plan for Apple Music at half the normal price of $4.99 a month, but the version is designed for music searching exclusively with Siri. Apple shares were up 1.18 per cent on Monday, with a 23.13 per cent rise in the last 12 months.

New MacBook Pro

This year's new MacBook Pro has received a complete overhaul, given that their last major redesign took place in 2016.

A key feature of Apple's new flagship laptops is the proprietary M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, as Apple aims to outperform Intel's highest-performing products (INTC).

According to the company, the Apple M1 Pro has a 10-core CPU that is 70 per cent faster than its predecessor M1 chip, as well as a 16-core graphics processor.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro will be priced from $1999, while the 16-inch model will cost $2499. Both models are already available for pre-order and will go on sale next Tuesday, October 26.

AirPods 2021

The third-generation AirPods have a new design close to the AirPods Pro, with no rubber earpieces. Apple's new headphones support spatial sound thanks to sensors, have more powerful bass than previous models, and are rated at six hours of battery life for listening.

The new AirPods cost $179 and will hit shop shelves next week. Apple's entry-level AirPods are now available at a discounted price of $129.

Apple has also introduced a new HomePod Mini speaker in a variety of colours for a price of $99.

The powerful MacBook Pro laptops are strategically important to the company because programmers can only create iPhone apps on Macs.

How the new devices will affect Apple

Mac laptops have been one of the biggest segments in Apple's sales for years. The computer line brought in almost $30 billion, or about 10 per cent of sales, last fiscal year. Mac market share was also up, with Apple owning about 9% of the global PC market in the third quarter, with shipments up 10% from a year earlier, according to IDC. That made Apple the second-largest PC market leader behind Dell Technologies (DELL).