October 2021 Apple Event

By MacRumors Staff on October 19, 2021

Apple's "Unleashed" event was a virtual media event held on Monday, October 18, 2021, where the company unveiled redesigned MacBook Pro models, third-generation AirPods, and new colors for the HomePod mini.

Other news included a minor update for the AirPods Pro to add MagSafe compatibility to the charging case, release date announcements for macOS Monterey, iOS 15.1, and watchOS 8.1, and a new low-cost "Voice Plan" for Apple Music.

October 2021 Apple Event How Tos

How to Watch the 'Unleashed' MacBook Pro Apple Event on October 18

Thursday October 14, 2021 4:33 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Apple's second fall event is coming up and is set to take place on Monday, October 18 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. As with Apple's last several events, "Unleashed" will be digital only and streamed online. It is expected to focus on the MacBook Pro models, which many Apple fans are eagerly awaiting. This how to offers details on how you can watch the event and when it will take place in your...

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October 2021 Apple Event Guides

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What to Expect From October 18 'Unleashed' Apple Event: New MacBook Pros, AirPods 3 and More

Friday October 15, 2021 2:10 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Apple's first fall event of 2021 focused on the iPhone and the Apple Watch, but the second, set to be held on Monday, October 18, is expected to be Mac-centric. The upcoming event will see the debut of the highly anticipated 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, plus we could also get refreshed AirPods and a new Mac mini. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. This guide...

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October 2021 Apple Event Articles

M1 Max Chip May Have More Raw GPU Performance Than a PlayStation 5

Tuesday October 19, 2021 4:03 am PDT by Sami Fathi

Apple is making impressive and eye-catching claims about the performance of its new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, and on paper, the highest-end ‌M1 Max‌ chip actually has more raw GPU performance than Sony's PlayStation 5. The ‌M1 Max‌ chip can be configured to include up to a 32-core GPU, a gigantic leap compared to the 8-core GPU option offered in the M1 chip. Apple says that the ‌M1 Max‌ chip...

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Third-Gen AirPods Offer Only 5 Hours' Listening Time With Spatial Audio Enabled

Tuesday October 19, 2021 2:50 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple on Monday announced third-generation AirPods, featuring an updated design, improved sound quality, and an extra hour of battery life compared to the second-generation AirPods, which offer five hours of listening time. However, what Apple didn't make very explicit in its marketing is that to get six hours out of its latest earphones, spatial audio must be disabled. As noted in Apple's fi...

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16-inch MacBook Pro With M1 Max Chip Is Marginally Heavier Than Same Model Configured With M1 Pro

Tuesday October 19, 2021 2:25 am PDT by Sami Fathi

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro can be configured with either the M1 Pro or M1 Max chips. The ‌M1 Max‌ chip is the highest-end Apple silicon chip available, and alongside the added performance, the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with the ‌M1 Max‌ chip comes with another difference — it's heavier, slightly. As we've already highlighted, the new 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ is heavier and thicker than the...

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Apple's 'Unleashed' Event Now Available on YouTube and Events Website

Tuesday October 19, 2021 2:09 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

For those who missed Apple's "Unleashed" event on Monday, the full 50-minute long keynote can be watched on both YouTube and through Apple's Events webpage. Apple also debuted several new videos during the event, which have also been uploaded to YouTube separately. Both the new MacBook Pro models and the ‌AirPods‌ 3 are available for pre-order now, and are set to...

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Apple Offering Up to $1,000 of Trade-in Value for M1 MacBooks Towards Purchase of New MacBook Pros

Tuesday October 19, 2021 1:58 am PDT by Sami Fathi

Apple is offering customers up to $1,000 of trade-in value for the M1 MacBook Pro and ‌M1‌ MacBook Air, giving customers who purchased the first round of Apple silicon Macs an incentive to upgrade to the new, more powerful MacBook Pros. The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are no jokes when it comes to price. The 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ starts at $1,999, with the highest-end 16-inch ‌MacBoo...

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Everything Announced at the Apple Event in Just 7 Minutes

Monday October 18, 2021 7:55 pm PDT by Juli Clover

Apple today held its second fall event, which focused on the MacBook Pro and the AirPods. Apple introduced new 14 and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models with a total design overhaul featuring MagSafe, no Touch Bar, HDMI port and SD card slot, and a mini-LED display that features a notch. Apple also debuted new super powerful M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, which join the existing M1 chip. Subscribe to the ...

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Third-Generation AirPods Require iOS 13, Drop Support for Older iPhones, iPads, and iPods

Monday October 18, 2021 2:12 pm PDT by Sami Fathi

The new third-generation AirPods drop support for older iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch models previously supported by the second-generation AirPods. According to Apple's specifications page for the new AirPods, the third-generation AirPods do not support the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and the iPhone 5s. They also drop support for the iPad mini 2 and iPad mini 3 alongside the sixth-generation...

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macOS Hides the Notch on New MacBook Pro in Full-Screen Mode

Monday October 18, 2021 1:49 pm PDT by Sami Fathi

The new MacBook Pros, for the first time in a Mac, feature a notch. While some have been quick to criticize Apple's design choice, it turns out that the notch may not be entirely visible in day-to-day use when using apps in full screen, as when macOS apps are in full-screen mode, it essentially disappears. According to Apple's marketing material, when macOS apps are in full-screen mode,...

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New 16-Inch MacBook Pro is Thicker and Heavier Than Previous Generation

Monday October 18, 2021 1:03 pm PDT by Sami Fathi

Apple today announced completely redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that in the case of the 16-inch model is unsurprisingly thicker and heavier than the previous generation. Apple announced a new 14-inch model that replaced the high-end Intel 13-inch MacBook Pros. Given the larger screen, it's not fair to compare the two models. What is fair game, however, is to take a look at ...

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Apple Removes References to Original HomePod From Website, Months After Discontinuation

Monday October 18, 2021 12:07 pm PDT by Sami Fathi

Apple has removed all references to the original, full-sized HomePod from its website, months after officially discontinuing the smart speaker that struggled to reach mainstream adoption. The removal of references to the original ‌HomePod‌ came as a result of brand new changes to Apple's website. With the new changes, Apple now only highlights the ‌HomePod‌ mini, which now comes in brand new ...

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Apple Restructures Website, Separates AirPods and 'TV & Home' Into Their Own Sections

Monday October 18, 2021 11:40 am PDT by Sami Fathi

As part of a number of new product announcements and updates today, Apple restructured its website to more prominently highlight AirPods as their own product category, while creating "TV & Home," "Only on Apple," and a new "Accessories" tab. The new menu bar looks considerably more crowded than before but highlights Apple's shifting strategy to focus on the AirPods separately from its TV and ...

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New MacBook Pro Features 120Hz ProMotion Display Similar to iPad Pro

Monday October 18, 2021 11:25 am PDT by Sami Fathi

The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models both feature ProMotion technology, allowing the display to run at as high as 120Hz, down to low as 24Hz, similar to the iPad Pro. The iPhone 13 Pro, which brought ProMotion to the iPhone for the first time, supports a refresh rate as low as 10Hz, and as high as 120Hz. The new MacBook Pros include the same display technology as the high-end...

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New MacBook Pro Finally Features a 1080p Webcam Within a Notch

Monday October 18, 2021 11:12 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple today unveiled new MacBook Pro models, and while some customers will be disappointed that there is now a notch at the top of the display, one positive is that both the 14-inch and 16-inch models now feature a 1080p webcam, also known as the FaceTime camera. Tech specs on Apple's website indicate that the 1080p camera is complemented with an advanced image signal processor for improved...

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New MacBook Pro Supports Up to Two External Displays With M1 Pro Chip, Up to Four With M1 Max Chip

Monday October 18, 2021 11:11 am PDT by Sami Fathi

Apple's newly announced high-end chip for the new MacBook Pro, the M1 Max, can support up to three Pro Display XDRs and a fourth 4K TV display all at the same time, a significant jump in support compared to the single display support that the M1 chip provided. The M1 Pro chip supports up to two Pro Display XDRs alone, while the higher-end ‌M1 Max‌ chip extends support to an additional Pro...

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Apple Releasing macOS Monterey on October 25

Monday October 18, 2021 10:55 am PDT by Sami Fathi

Following months of developer and public beta testing, Apple today announced that macOS Monterey will officially launch on Monday, October 25. macOS Monterey maintains the same design as macOS Big Sur but includes several enhancements across the system. macOS Monterey consists of a completely redesigned Safari, Shortcuts for the Mac, Quick Note, and Universal Control, which will be coming in ...

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New MacBook Pro Pricing: 14-Inch Model Starts at $1,999 and 16-Inch Model Starts at $2,499

Monday October 18, 2021 10:52 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple today announced that 14-inch MacBook Pro pricing will start at $1,999 ($1,849 for education), while the new 16-inch MacBook Pro will start at $2,499 ($2,299 for education). The new MacBook Pro models were revealed during today's Apple event, and are powered by the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. The new models feature Liquid Retina XDR displays with ProMotion, HDMI ports and SDXC card...

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AirPods Pro Now Available With MagSafe Charging Case for Same $249 Price

Monday October 18, 2021 10:43 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

In addition to introducing third-generation AirPods with a similar design as AirPods Pro, Apple today announced that the AirPods Pro now come with a MagSafe charging case, with pricing remaining set at $249 in the United States. With a MagSafe charging case, the AirPods Pro case can magnetically attach to Apple's MagSafe Charger or MagSafe Duo while wirelessly charging. As expected, Apple ...

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iOS 15.1, watchOS 8.1, and macOS Monterey Available Next Week

Monday October 18, 2021 10:34 am PDT by Joe Rossignol

Apple today announced that iOS 15.1, iPadOS 15.1, watchOS 8.1, tvOS 15.1, and macOS Monterey will all be released as free software updates next week. Apple revealed this timing in a press release for the third-generation AirPods. Apple has since updated its website to confirm that macOS Monterey will be released on Monday, October 25, following over four months of beta testing. macOS...

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Apple Unveils Redesigned MacBook Pro With Notch, Added Ports, ProMotion Mini-LED Display, M1 Pro or M1 Max Chip, and More

Monday October 18, 2021 10:32 am PDT by Hartley Charlton

Apple today announced its long-awaited major redesign for the MacBook Pro, featuring configurations with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chip, a mini-LED display with ProMotion, an HDMI port and SDXC card reader, charging with MagSafe 3, a notch housing a 1080p webcam, and more. The ‌MacBook Pro‌ features a new design and is available with 14.2-inch and 16.2-inch display sizes. The 14.2-inch model is...

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Apple Announces M1 Pro and M1 Max Chips Designed for New MacBook Pro

Monday October 18, 2021 10:22 am PDT by Tim Hardwick

Apple at its "Unleashed" event today announced the M1 Pro and M1 Max processors, two custom-built successor chips to the original M1 Apple silicon chip. The new MacBook Pros are powered by the new chips, which deliver up to 70% faster CPU performance than the ‌M1‌. The ‌M1 Pro‌ features up to 10 CPU cores, with eight high-performance and two energy-efficient cores. In terms of graphics, the ‌...

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