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New AirPods didn't make the cut at Apple's big event - here's what else Apple left out
New AirPods didn't make the cut at Apple's big event - here's what else Apple left out
Troy WolvertonOct 31, 2018, 00:15 IST
Tim Cook at the European Union's privacy conference in Brussels.Yves Herman/Reuters
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If you were hoping that Apple would unveil an updated version of its popular AirPod headphones at its press event on Tuesday, you were out of luck.
The company used the event to refresh its lineup of iPad Pro tablets and to finally update its aging Mac Mini desktop and MacBook Air computers. But despite rumors and reports circulating before the event, it didn't launch a new set of AirPods.
And that wasn't all that the company left out. Although Apple has held two press events in the last two months to showcase updates and show off new products, it's left a slew of notable gadgets in its lineup untouched or unannounced.
That's a good indication that those products won't come out this year. Apple generally holds no more than two fall press events and sometimes only one. Whatever significant products it planned to launch this year almost certainly would have been announced at one of those two events - though Apple could, of course, still have some surprises up its sleeve.
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Here are some of the Apple products we're still pining for:
To activate Apple's Siri assistant on the current version, users have double tap the side of one of the ear pods. In the next version of AirPods, users will reportedly be able to activate the assistant by just saying, "Hey Siri."
Apple is also reportedly working on a waterproof version of the headphones.
AirPower.
Announced: September 2017
Apple unveiled AirPower, a mat that is designed to wirelessly recharge up to three devices at once, last year. Originally, the company said it would launch AirPower sometime this year. But Apple has said little about the device since first unveiling it.
Apple upgraded the internal components of the iMac last year and introduced the new high-powered — and extremely pricey — iMac Pro model last December. But it hasn't given the all-in-one desktop a thorough design overhaul in five years.
Reports, rumors, and speculation have suggested that Apple is planning on doing just that. Frequently in-the-know Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that the new iMacs will have improved displays. They also could include Apple's FaceID facial recognition technology, and almost certainly would come with upgraded chips, likely Intel's latest.
MacBook update.
Replacement for: Current MacBook
Last updated: June 2017
With the unveiling Tuesday of a new MacBook Air, Apple's MacBook looks even more overpriced, underpowered, and lacking in features than it did before. There haven't been a lot of rumors Apple upgrading its consumer laptop, but if it chose to do so, it need look no further than the MacBook Air.
That computer has two USB-C ports; the MacBook only has one. It also has a larger screen and a faster processor than the MacBook, and a TouchID fingerprint sensor, which the MacBook doesn't have. And the MacBook Air starts at $1,200, which is $100 less than the cheapest MacBook, although the latter does come with a larger flash drive.
