A look back: Apple in 2021

Every year Apple launches new products and at the same time, others are discontinued. Let’s review what Apple had in store for us in 2021.

iPhone

Of course, the iPhone is always one of the most anticipated devices in any given year and it was the case again in 2021. That said, there was no big revolution this time around with the new lines of iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro. As expected, the design came straight from the iPhone 12 with a few changes. In short, the new iPhones are equipped with a faster processor, a better camera system and a longer battery life.

With the release of the new version, Apple removed the iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max from its store but kept the iPhone 12 and 12 mini which are now offered at a discounted price. The iPhone XR was another victim of Apple’s annual cleanup, whereas the iPhone 11 from 2019 and the iPhone SE (2020) are still available.

iPad

Apple made quite a few people happy this year with the design upgrade of the iPad mini now in its 6th generation. Almost 9 years after the launch of the first version in 2012, the iPad mini 6 finally inherits the industrial look that was reserved to the iPad Pro and iPad Air lines. The entry level iPad also got a refresh in 2021 with the release of its 9th generation but the design was the same as its predecessors.

Earlier in the year, during the spring Apple Event, Apple upgraded the pro line with the 11 & 12.9-inch iPad Pros which impressed with the integration of the M1 Apple chip, a processor only used with Macs so far.

The 4th generation of the iPad Air which was released in the end of 2020 was not refreshed but is still availble in the Apple Store.

Apple Watch

The Apple Watch also received its annual refresh in October 2021 with the introduction of the “Series 7”. This new generation brings quite a few upgrades, the most remarkable being the bigger display. According to Apple, the screen area was increased by 20% compared to the Apple Watch SE. Amongst the other notable upgrades, it’s worth mentioning the greater durability thanks to a thicker front crystal, 33% faster charging compared to the Series 6 and a faster chip. The Nike, Hermès and Edition collections also received the Series 7 treatment.

There was no change regarding the choice of case materials. Depending on the collection, the Apple Watch Series 7 is still available in Aluminum, Stainless Steel and Titanium. New colors were introduced though: Starlight and Green.

With the launch of the new generation, the Apple Watch Series 6 was pulled from the store but the Apple Watch SE (2020) and the Apple Watch Series 3 (2017) remain available.

The Macintosh family

It was a busy year for Mac computers too. One of the stars of the Spring Apple Event was the new 24-inch iMac with its crazy thin profile, its selection of 7 vibrant colors and the integration of the Apple M1 chip.

The notebooks were not forgotten though and in October two new MacBook Pros were announced. Though not as dramatic as the new 24-inch iMac, the new Pro models got a design refresh with a few noticeable changes: new 14-inch format, keyboard with no Touch Bar, addition of SDXC, HDMI and MagSafe 3 charging port.

In terms of performance Apple didn’t hold back and now offers its MacBook Pros with two new versions of its in-house M1 chip: the Apple M1 Pro and M1 Pro Max.

It’s worth noting that, on top of the natural retirement of the 21.5-inch iMac from 2019 which was replaced by the new 24-inch version, the iMac Pro, initially launched in 2017, was also discontinued without a successor….

Other products

Regarding the other types of products, let’s mention the release of a brand new kind of device: the AirTag. The AirTag allows tracking of any item it is attached to thanks to the Bluetooth technoloy and the network of Apple products using the “Find My” functionality.

In the Smart Assistant department, Apple replaced the original HomePod from 2018 with a new more compact and more colorfule version: the HomePod mini.