It’s easy to forget that the world—in fact—does not revolve around Apple. The multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Cupertino, CA did a great job of packing its yearly announcement so tightly with new iPhones, Apple Watches, and fledgling Vision Pro AR/VR headsets, that it’s hard not to constantly be tuned into the drone of their latest tech unveilings.
Still, as we wrap up Apple’s 2024 ‘Let Loose’ event which did see some pretty major announcements, we’re left with our heads spinning a little bit as to what exactly Apple unveiled, and which new products actually matter for those of us who work in film and video.
So, in case you missed the news earlier this week, or would simply like a nice recap of all the major updates, let’s look at everything important that Apple announced at their Let Loose event this week.
Apple Announces iPad Pro and iPad Air
The first big news, which might be notable for film and video folk, is Apple’s announcement of a new iPad Air and iPad Pro. And while these might be marginally helpful for video production purposes (you can turn iPads into monitors though) these Apple tablet devices might be better served for using Final Cut Pro for iPad, which is another new Apple update itself.
Apple 13″ iPad Pro M4 Chip (Standard Glass, 1TB, Wi-Fi Only, Silver)
Maximizing versatility and portability, the silver 13″ Apple iPad Pro delivers exceptional performance with a powerful M4 Chip that features a 10-Core CPU, a 10-Core GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and a 16-core neural engine for AI workloads.
Apple 13″ iPad Air M2 Chip (256GB, Wi-Fi Only, Purple)
Now with the M2 chip, the Apple 13″ iPad Air delivers optimal performance and advanced AI capabilities. The front-facing Ultra Wide 12MP camera with Center Stage is now located on the landscape edge of the iPad Air, making it ideal for video calls, especially if there’s more than one person in the field of view.
Apple’s AI-Ready M4 Chip
The bigger news for the iPad Pro though isn’t just that it’s been unveiled and it exists, it’s more about the chip inside of it. The M4 chip comes less than six months after Apple just unveiled its M3 chips, which has many questioning why Apple is pushing it out so soon.
As we’ve discussed in a further exploration, the answer is most undoubtedly “because of AI” as Apple gears up to potentially add this AI-ready chip to newer products here in the near future.
Apple Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard
Apple also announced a new Apple Pencil Pro which now supports haptic feedback and nifty squeeze gesture controls that should allow for it to be an even more useful tool for creation and design. Apple also unveiled a new Magic Keyboard for iPads that is supposed to feel similar to using a MacBook with a new aluminum palm rest, a larger trackpad, and an updated function row.
Apple Pencil Pro
Take notes and enhance your creative side with the Apple Pencil Pro. It provides you with advanced features to take your experience to new heights.
Apple Magic Keyboard for 13″ iPad Pro M4
Combining protective elements with laptop-like utility, the Apple Magic Keyboard provides 13″ iPad Pro M4 owners with an additional layer of safety while offering responsive and tactile functions to their experience.
Apple’s Final Cut Camera App
Perhaps taking a page from Blackmagic Design and their Blackmagic Camera app (which has actually been used to produce Apple events in the past), Apple has released its own Final Cut Camera app which is set to work in conjunction with Final Cut Pro’s multicam feature.
The Final Cut Camera app will act as a hub for multiple devices to link back to, which should create a better way to cut between multiple cameras instantly. You can read more about the Apple Final Cut Camera app here.
Final Cut Pro Updates to Compete with Premiere
Speaking of Final Cut Pro, Apple has also announced several innovative updates to their NLE software with version 10.8 for Mac and iPad 2 at the 2024 Apple Event. The big news here is that Final Cut Pro is set to receive new updates to enhance Light and Color, Smooth Slo-Mo, and other text-based timeline functions making the program ready for an AI makeover—and to better compete with Premiere Pro.
You can read more about the Final Cut Pro updates here.
Logic Pro Updates
Apple also announced some notable updates for Logic Pro 2, which is set to get some new AI-powered tools to make songwriting, beat-making, producing, and mixing much easier. If you’re curious about these audio-world updates, check out our full article on the Logic Pro updates here.
Author: Jourdan Aldredge
This article comes from No Film School and can be read on the original site.
