Apple Inc. unveiled new products Tuesday including a subscription podcast service that deepens its competition with Spotify Technology SA as well as upgrades to its iPad and iMac hardware lines.
The Wall Street Journal reports the announcements, during Apple’s first product event of the year, also included new wireless tags that enable iPhone users to track gadgets, competing with the similar product from Tile Inc. That company and Spotify have been among the most prominent corporate critics of the tech giant, claiming it uses its strength to compete unfairly, which Apple denies.
The rollout featured a further expansion of the company’s in-house-designed processor chips to the iMac desktop computer. The chip change was part of a full iMac redesign—the first significant redesign of Apple’s popular desktop since 2012. Apple also said it is bringing its new chips to the high-end iPad Pro, which comes with a brighter screen and speedy fifth-generation, or 5G, connectivity.
The latest iPad Pro will be available to order April 30. The device starts at $799, while the larger version with its brighter screen will begin at $1,099. The iMac, which will be offered in a variety of colors, begins at $1,299. Apple’s new M1 chip will allow the desktop to be much slimmer, according to the company.
The development of a paid subscription option within Apple’s podcast app comes with a revamp of that app.
It underscores a core strategy that Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has been championing since well before the pandemic, one focused on building out the company’s digital services to fuel growth and keep consumers even more closely tied with Apple’s ecosystem. The tech giant’s services division generated almost $16 billion in sales in the quarter that ended in December, an almost 25% increase from the same period the previous year.
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