This week there are not many new gadgets launched in the market. However, there are two technology giants who are showing off their latest devices, namely Apple and Google.
Apple introduced the new MacBook Pro and AirPods 3 at the Unleashed event on Monday, October 18, 2021. The day after that, Google also held an event to showcase the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
MacBook Pro
The latest MacBook Pro comes with far more powerful specifications than its predecessor. This premium laptop also comes with an iPhone 13-style notch, and the Touch Bar feature above the keyboard is removed.
MacBook Pro comes in two screen sizes, namely 14 inches and 16 inches. Both are powered by two new chips, namely M1 Pro and M1 Pro Max whose performance is claimed to be 70% faster than the M1 chip. While the M1 Pro has a 16-core GPU, the M1 Max has a 32-core GPU. The M1 Max device only supports up to 64GB of RAM.
The 14-inch MacBook Pro has a screen with a resolution of 3,024 x 1,964 pixels, while the 16-inch model has a resolution of 3,456 x 2,234 pixels. This screen carries mini LED technology, 120Hz refresh rate, and brightness of up to 1,600 nits.
Apple officially released the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro 13 inch. Interestingly, these two devices are the first laptops to be powered by the M1 chipset. Photo: Apple
Apple is trying to bring a screen with super thin bezels on the MacBook Pro. Because of this, the MacBook Pro comes with a notch at the top of the screen to place the webcam.
This notch is the same size as the menu bar. This notch accommodates a camera consisting of four lens elements and supports 1080p resolution.
Although the MacBook Pro is super gahar, its weight is quite light. The 14-inch MacBook Pro weighs 1.6 kg. While the 16-inch version weighs 2.2 kg at most.
Apple has opened pre-orders for its two new laptops. The 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999. While the 16-inch MacBook starts at USD 2,499. The M1 Max version is available as an upgrade, users can add an additional USD 200 for the 24-core GPU and USD400 for the 36-core version.
Apple also introduced the AirPods 3 along with the MacBook Pro at the Unleashed event. This TWS comes with a new design and supports features like Spatial Audio.
The design of the AirPods 3 looks similar to the AirPods Pro, only minus the eartips. The hanging stems are now made shorter, and there are embedded force sensors to control these earbuds.
Apple also installed a new low distortion driver and Adaptive EQ that automatically adjusts and optimizes audio output. The AirPods 3 and its case are also IPX4 certified so they are water and sweat resistant.
AirPods 3 Photo: Apple
AirPods 3 also feature AAC-ELD, a superior speech codec that offers full HD sound quality, providing clear and natural communication for FaceTime calls.
Apple claims the AirPods 3's battery will last up to 6 hours, and the case can charge an additional 30 hours. The AirPods 3 will go on sale in some countries starting next week for $179.
Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro
The day after Apple's celebration, Google also held an event to launch the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. This is Google's first phone to use its own Tensor chip.
The Google Pixel 6 comes with a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. While the Pixel 6 Pro comes with a 6.7-inch QHD+ LTPO pOLED screen with an adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz.
Both are powered by the Google Tensor SoC with 5G SA/NSA support, and feature the Titan 2 security chip. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro ship with Android 12, and Google promises they will both get three years of operating system updates and up to five years of security updates.
Both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have a 50-megapixel main camera with a Samsung GN1 sensor to capture more color, more detail, and 150% more light than the Pixel 5. There's also a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens. The Pixel 6 Pro specifically also has a 48MP telephoto camera with 4x optical zoom and Super Res Zoom allows users to zoom in up to 20x.
Google Pixel 6 Photos: Google dock
Photography remains the flagship of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. This phone is equipped with complementary features such as Night Sight, Portrait Mode, Magic Eraser to remove 'appearance' in photos, Real Tone displays real skin tones and Face Unblur which can remove facial blur to make it sharper.
The Pixel 6 has a 4,614 mAh battery, while the Pixel 6 Pro has a 5,000 mAh battery. Both are equipped with 30W fast charging that can charge the Pixel 6 Pro up to 50% in 30 minutes.
The price of the Google Pixel 6 is USD 599 for the 8GB + 128GB version, and USD 699 for the 8GB + 256GB version.
The price of the Google Pixel 6 Pro is USD 899 for the 12GB + 128GB version, USD 999 for the 12GB + 256GB version and USD 1,099 for the 12GB + 512GB model.
Huawei Nova 9
After being launched in China last September, the Huawei Nova 9 has finally started to expand to other countries. This phone was introduced in Europe this week, and will be launched in Asia Pacific on 28 October.
Huawei Nova 9 has a 6.57-inch screen with curved edges. This phone uses an AMOLED panel and supports a refresh rate of 120 Hz and FHD + resolution.
Huawei Nova 9 Photo: Huawei
Huawei provides Nova 9 with a Snapdragon 778G chipset combined with 8GB of RAM. This phone will come with two variants of internal memory, namely 128GB and 256GB.
There are four rear cameras consisting of a 50 MP main camera, 8 MP ultra-wide camera, 2 MP macro, and 2 MP depth. The front camera is 32 MP and is placed in the punch hole.
The embedded battery has a capacity of 4,300 mAh with 66W fast charging. For security, there is a fingerprint sensor on the screen.