Live blog: Apple’s 2014 iPad, Retina iMac, and (maybe) Apple TV event

Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi speaks during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference at the Moscone West center on June 2, 2014 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Just a month after Apple introduced its bigger iPhones, the company is back with another press event to show off its latest and greatest products.

It appears the company already spilled the beans on an iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 but surely there’s more in the works. Mac OS X Yosemite and its features that further tie the desktop with mobile devices has been simmering for months and should be ready for Apple to distribute. A new Apple TV isn’t out of the question either, particularly if Apple is looking for a hub to bring both smarts and entertainment to your home.

Here’s what was announced:

Apple-event-iPad

Kevin C. Tofel 11:20:31 am

And that’s it. We’re done and off to look at the new products. I’ll be taking a bunch of photos and getting some hands on-time for a follow up. For now then, that’s a wrap and thanks for joining us!

Biz Carson 11:20:14 am

Kevin C. Tofel 11:19:41 am

Nope, we’re getting invited to look at the new products across the hall now. 

Kevin C. Tofel 11:19:23 am

Looks like Tim is wrapping it up, thanking the Apple employees. Unless there’s “one more thing”, my take on Apple TV importance was either ill-timed or just plain wrong.

Biz Carson 11:17:15 am

Kevin C. Tofel 11:17:08 am

He’s talking about how we choose different devices based on what we want to do or where to be. (How about in front of the TV, Tim?)

Kevin C. Tofel 11:16:09 am

Tim is back on stage now. Still no Apple TV mention. Hmm…..

Biz Carson 11:15:51 am

Kevin C. Tofel 11:15:48 am

It also ships starting today. Bring your own 4k monitor. ;)

Kevin C. Tofel 11:15:30 am

Hey, Mac Mini gets an upgrade too! Fourth gen Intel chips, 802.11ac, and more. Starts at $499 now. Nice!

Biz Carson 11:15:04 am

Kevin C. Tofel 11:14:47 am

If I can watch 4K video on it, I might replace my 2009 iMac. Keyword: might.

Kevin C. Tofel 11:14:23 am

It ships today; $700 more than the current iMac 27-inch.

Kevin C. Tofel 11:13:59 am

New iMac starts at $2,499. 

Tom Krazit 11:13:46 am

Kevin C. Tofel 11:13:40 am

Phil is talking about 4K TV prices for comparison. $3k or more he says.

Kevin C. Tofel 11:13:23 am

Here comes the cost…..

Biz Carson 11:13:16 am

Kevin C. Tofel 11:13:16 am

Thunderbolt 2, Fusion Drive (1 TB standard).

Kevin C. Tofel 11:12:42 am

I’m still guessing a price of $2199 to start at minimum. We’ll see. Phil is back, talking about the insides. 3.5 GHz Core i5 to 4 GHz Core i7. 

Kevin C. Tofel 11:11:33 am

Note that if you used the scaled resolution where everything is pixel doubled and clearer, you won’t get more space on the screen to work. If you don’t use scaling you’ll get up to full display resolution but everything will be super small.

Kevin C. Tofel 11:10:07 am

No mention of the 21.5-inch iMac yet, BTW. I suspected that only the larger model would get a retina display panel. We’ll see.

Kevin C. Tofel 11:09:20 am

Now we’re getting a video. Sit tight.

Kevin C. Tofel 11:08:49 am

So this might play in to my thought that Apple adds 4k video streaming to the iTunes Store. Let’s see if that happens in the next hour.

Kevin C. Tofel 11:08:00 am

Apple had to create its own display timing controller for this display.

Kevin C. Tofel 11:07:22 am

7x more pixels than a 1080p display and 67% more pixels than a 4k TV. Still thin though: 5mm at the edges.

Biz Carson 11:06:53 am

Kevin C. Tofel 11:06:38 am

“We call it the Retina 5K display”

Kevin C. Tofel 11:06:26 am

Officially called iMac with Retina Display. 27-inch display 5120 x 2800 resolution or 14.7 million pixels. Double that of the current iMac.

Kevin C. Tofel 11:05:34 am

Yup! Retina iMac. My old eyes are very happy right now.

Kevin C. Tofel 11:05:04 am

Phil is discussing how the Retina Display moved from mobile to desktop. We’re getting a video now. Retina iMac?

Biz Carson 11:04:42 am

Kevin C. Tofel 11:03:59 am

18% year over year growth for Mac vs -1% for the PC industry as a whole.

Kevin C. Tofel 11:03:32 am

Phil is moving on to the Mac now. 

Kevin C. Tofel 11:03:10 am

I’m still surprised that no time was spent on the iPad mini 2. Odd.

Kevin C. Tofel 11:02:49 am

Pre-orders start tomorrow for the new iPads; shipping starts at the end of next week. 

Kevin C. Tofel 11:02:18 am

Last year’s iPads are still for sale; $100 less. Original iPad mini is now $249.

Kevin C. Tofel 11:01:47 am

iPad Mini 3 gets an upgrade too with same pricing as last year and similar storage capacities. Strangely, it was mentioned like an afterthought so I’ll have to get more details.

Kevin C. Tofel 11:01:06 am

6.1 millimeters thin and starting at $499 for the WiFi models; same pricing as last year but like the iPhone 6, the $599 model is 64 GB and $699 gets you 128 GB of storage.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:59:58 am

No mention of the iPad Air 2 resolution so I assume it hasn’t changed (I didn’t expect it would). 

Kevin C. Tofel 10:59:15 am

Replay is free on the App Store and available today, by the way.

Biz Carson 10:58:28 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:57:50 am

This app analyzes your video and creates styles or filters for them intelligently, even applying synchronized music. Impressive.

Biz Carson 10:57:35 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:56:55 am

This is for video creation; something else that has long been the domain of a traditional computer. 

Kevin C. Tofel 10:56:23 am

Now a look at the Replay app.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:56:04 am

This new chip looks great for heavier photo apps. Desktop replacement for some? Maybe; we’re getting closer.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:55:30 am

Poor little Oryx. :(

Kevin C. Tofel 10:55:20 am

In case you need: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryx

Kevin C. Tofel 10:55:14 am

Oh noes! There’s an Oryx in a desert photo. They just erased him!!!

Biz Carson 10:54:59 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:54:18 am

The Pixelmator dev team is on stage now to show their photo editing app improved for the iPad Air 2.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:53:46 am

I really didn’t want to lug an iPad to pay for lunch at McDonald’s anyway. And I know: I need to stop eating lunch at McDonald’s.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:53:02 am

iPad Air 2 works with Apple Pay but not in physical stores; online only, so no NFC inside the tablet.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:52:19 am

And of course, it has Touch ID for unlocking the device or buying items.

Biz Carson 10:51:49 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:51:49 am

802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO up to 866 Mbps throughput. LTE is now up to 150 Mbps and supports 20 LTE bands in the iPad Air 2.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:51:01 am

Slo-mo video is also there: 120fps at 720p. Surprised it’s not 240fps since the chip is clearly capable. New front camera has a larger sensor and f/2.2 aperture.

Biz Carson 10:50:29 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:49:48 am

Seriously, they look on par with the new iPhone 6 photos so far. We’ll be taking our own photos to see for sure, of course. Panorama, Timelapse and Burst Mode are supported on the iPad.

Biz Carson 10:48:47 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:48:41 am

We’re getting a look at some sample photos. They’re unsurprisingly beautiful. ;)

Kevin C. Tofel 10:48:04 am

Camera gets an upgrade too, says Phil, because the iPad is a great viewfinder for images: 8 megapixels, 1.12 micron pixels, f/2.4 aperture, 1080p HD video support.

Biz Carson 10:47:29 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:46:27 am

It sounds like a fairly big jump over last year’s iPad Air so far. 10 hours of battery life. The M8 co-processor includes the new barometer sensor.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:45:45 am

This chip makes the iPad Air 2 12x faster with 180x better GPU performance over the original iPad. 

Biz Carson 10:45:08 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:45:01 am

There’s a new Apple A8x chip. I didn’t think that would happen. 3 billion transistors, 40% faster CPU, 2.5x faster GPU.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:44:20 am

56% less reflective, Phil says.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:44:10 am

Apple removed the air gaps in the display by using an optically bonded glass. Less reflection as well thanks to a new anti-reflective coating.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:43:29 am

iPad Air 2 is less than half as thick as the original iPad. 

Tom Krazit 10:43:06 am

Biz Carson 10:42:57 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:42:51 am

Phil says he’s so excited but he doesn’t sound it just yet. (Someone get Phil more coffee!)

Kevin C. Tofel 10:42:16 am

Looks the same as Tim is holding it up. Of course, there’s a Touch ID sensor on it. Here comes Phil Schiller to tell us more.

Tom Krazit 10:41:55 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:41:41 am

Apple is taking the pencil that it last year used to hide the iPad Air and laser cutting it even thinner. Hello iPad Air 2!

Kevin C. Tofel 10:41:13 am

“How do you make the best tablet in the world better?” Here’s a video…

Kevin C. Tofel 10:40:14 am

There are now 675,000 iPad apps in the App Store. “It’s a huge advantage over our competition.”

Kevin C. Tofel 10:39:24 am

To me, this message says “don’t sweat the slowing iPad sales because they’re still huge and bigger than some PC sales.”

Kevin C. Tofel 10:38:41 am

We’re getting a comparison to PC sales now, which are clearly flat to down. 70M iPads, for example in the last 12 months compared to 57M Lenovo PCs.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:38:02 am

More iPads were sold in the first 4 years (225 million) than any other Apple product in its first 4 years.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:37:36 am

“iPad is transforming the way we learn, work, play and communicate.”

Kevin C. Tofel 10:37:14 am

Tim says the outside of the iPad exemplifies simplicity, but inside it’s very advanced. 

Kevin C. Tofel 10:36:09 am

Tim is back on stage now. Let’s get to the new stuff! “I’d like to talk about iPad.”

Kevin C. Tofel 10:35:45 am

There’s an updated iWork suite available today for free as well. And Craig is done. 

Kevin C. Tofel 10:35:26 am

It’s free as is iOS 8.1, which is available on Monday. Hope the servers can keep up!

Kevin C. Tofel 10:34:55 am

Today! 

Kevin C. Tofel 10:34:40 am

So when can we get Yosemite, Craig?

Biz Carson 10:34:37 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:33:39 am

More demo bits: Phil Schiller just sent Craig an email with an embedded video and Craig is going to AirPlay it from a Mac to an Apple TV, using the Apple Watch to control the playback. The obvious message: Only Apple can put all of this together.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:32:30 am

Call quality is pretty good. Stephen just said to get back to work because all he sees on his wrist is his wrist. Clearly, he wants an Apple Watch early.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:31:45 am

That ought to halt the Apple device leaks. Not.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:31:25 am

Craig and Stephen are chatting on the phone over the Mac now. Funny as you’d expect. Stephen wants a new title: “Supreme Allied Commander of Super Secrecy”

Biz Carson 10:31:01 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:30:26 am

Agreed: lots of self-humor here. Stephen Colbert is the new Apple Chief of Security. ;) Craig just called him from his Mac.

Biz Carson 10:30:03 am

Tom Krazit 10:29:47 am

This event has been a snoozer, but it’s really great to see Craig poking fun at Apple’s cult of secrecy.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:29:38 am

And now he’s switching to Yosemite on a Mac. Boom. There’s the presentation he was working on, right where he left off. 

Kevin C. Tofel 10:28:57 am

It is a very seamless experience and well done. Great for folks that use Apple devices only, of course. ;)

Biz Carson 10:28:45 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:28:00 am

Craig is using an iPhone to fave some photos and now adding them to a Keynote presentation on the handset. He just picked up his iPad and is continuing right where he left off on the presentation. 

Kevin C. Tofel 10:26:56 am

Time for a demo!

Kevin C. Tofel 10:26:43 am

Craig is covering Handoff and Continuity features: Again, more of how Apple devices work best together. Making or receiving calls from a Mac or iPad using an iPhone has worked well for me. It’s nice to not worry about what device you’re using and just get things done.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:25:38 am

Looks like we’re continuing on that theme of devices working together. iCloud Drive ties them all together. AirDrop works great between iOS 8 and Yosemite; I’ve been using it for months and it’s a huge time saver that uses both BT and Wi-Fi to pair/exchange files.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:24:31 am

More recaps on features in Safari, Mail, Keynote and more. Nothing very new here from June. Now Craig is hitting up iCloud Drive: easy folder/tag organization. Works on Mac, iOS and (“even if you’re under duress”) on a Windows PC. OUCH!

Kevin C. Tofel 10:23:11 am

If we’re spending 20 to 30 minutes on recap items, I wonder how long this event will be? Apple typically likes to keep them shorter than 90 minutes but I wonder about this one.

Biz Carson 10:22:48 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:22:29 am

Safari is 6x faster than other browsers when it comes to JavaScript, says Craig. I haven’t seen that much of a difference in my testing but I’ll recheck it against Chrome when Yosemite is generally available (probably very shortly)

Biz Carson 10:21:28 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:21:15 am

The new Spotlight taps maps and other web sources like a universal search on mobile devices. Safari gains more sharing options with extensions, just like iOS 8.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:20:18 am

Over a million public beta testers, says Craig. I’ve been using it for months and it’s pretty slick. 

Kevin C. Tofel 10:19:34 am

Time for OS X. Yosemite!

Kevin C. Tofel 10:19:24 am

On to some iOS 8 improvements based on feedback. iOS 8.1 has Apple Pay and advanced iCloud support. The iCloud bit is going to be a public beta. Hmmm…. that’s surprising.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:18:16 am

Craig says major universities are now incorporating Swift into their Comp Sci curriculum. That’s impressive considering how new it is.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:17:09 am

So far, nothing new here. More about Metal and Swift now. C’mon guys, we saw this last month!

Biz Carson 10:16:51 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:16:11 am

This is a real quick rundown: keyboards, widgets, HealthKit and more. I think the HealthKit aspect is lacking yet; people don’t know how to really get the most out of it and apps aren’t yet updated for it.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:15:26 am

Craig just showed a Klingon keyboard for iOS. Seriously.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:14:52 am

Here’s how to use those extensions, BTW: https://gigaom.com/2014/09/18/how-to-use-extensions-in-ios-8/

Kevin C. Tofel 10:14:21 am

Craig’s recapping iOS 8 now, starting with extensions, which are (admittedly) very welcome on the iPhone and iPad. 

Kevin C. Tofel 10:13:39 am

In iOS 8 install base is at 48% while iOS 7 is at 46%.  Apple typically has higher numbers than this after a new iOS version. But they’re still comparing to Android now, saying only 25% are running Android KitKat after 313 days. I still find that disingenuous as Google Play Services is also part of the equation.

Biz Carson 10:13:35 am

Biz Carson 10:12:33 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:11:53 am

Tim says this is the best product lineup ever thanks to iOS 8 and Yosemite. Here comes Craig Federighi to chat about software now.

Biz Carson 10:11:00 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:10:44 am

Apple’s WatchKit is rolling out in November; that’s the SDK for the Apple Watch so devs can start working on apps. Early 2015 is still the Apple Watch shipping target.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:09:25 am

I wonder if that means an iOS 8 update is coming to iPhones in the next day or so. Tim has quickly changed the topic to Apple Watch now.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:08:39 am

Apple Pay starts this coming Monday – get your credit cards ready!

Biz Carson 10:08:38 am

Biz Carson 10:08:19 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:07:44 am

Another 500 banks have signed up to support for Apple Pay since it was first announced. That’s huge. Without support, mobile payments aren’t going anywhere in the U.S.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:07:04 am

Now it’s time for Apple Pay. Tim is reviewing how it works; same info as last month so far. Apple is making a big deal of how this will be a very private way of paying.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:05:53 am

iPhone 6, 6 Plus will be in 32 countries shortly with China in just a few hours. All three major networks in China: First time ever. This is going to be big for Apple. 

Kevin C. Tofel 10:04:56 am

And there it is: Most first month orders ever for iPhones (by a whole lot, says Tim). 

Biz Carson 10:04:28 am

Kevin C. Tofel 10:04:21 am

Tim is referencing Walt Mossberg’s review: Best smartphone on the market, says Walt.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:03:58 am

He’s following up the video with more iPhone 6 info. “These phones are the best phones we’ve ever created.”

Kevin C. Tofel 10:03:29 am

And Tim Cook is on stage!

Kevin C. Tofel 10:03:03 am

I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that more than 17 million iPhones have been sold (including pre-orders for new regions) by now.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:01:54 am

Starting with a video, per the usual. Highlight is on the big Apple iPhone 6, 6 Plus launch excitement last month. We should hear some numbers on sales and such today, I think.

Kevin C. Tofel 10:01:12 am

And the lights are dimming. I hope there are only 5 previews. Oh wait, this isn’t the movies.

Kevin C. Tofel 9:57:48 am

But if they open the stage up to karaoke, I might give it a go. 

Kevin C. Tofel 9:57:25 am

By the way: I’m *not* expecting a musical guest today. There’s not even room for a solo artist on this stage!

Kevin C. Tofel 9:56:58 am

I think there are more Mac laptops here than at the official Apple Store right now.

Kevin C. Tofel 9:56:13 am

Oh hi Eddie!

Kevin C. Tofel 9:55:07 am

And I neglected to mention in that predictions post that there’s a good chance of 4K video streaming support; if you’re going to upgrade the Apple TV hardware anyway, it makes sense to me. Wouldn’t be surprised to see iTunes add 4K content similar to Amazon and Netflix.

Kevin C. Tofel 9:54:15 am

So we’ll see shortly if Apple TV takes more of a starring role today. My thoughts here: https://gigaom.com/2014/10/15/apple-event-preview-new-ipads-imacs-yes-but-apple-tv-could-shine-in-the-spotlight/

Kevin C. Tofel 9:53:10 am

Seriously, there’s only 20 rows or so of seating in here and a super small stage up front. I see Macs off to the left of the stage, which is typical for demos.

Kevin C. Tofel 9:52:21 am

Kevin C. Tofel 9:49:51 am

And we’re just getting seated inside. This is a cozy little space on Apple’s campus at Building 4 on Infinite Loop. If I had to guess I’d say this room can only hold around 300 folks. 

Tom Krazit 9:34:00 am

Kevin’s waiting more or less patiently in line at Apple’s headquarters, stay tuned.

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