All the "iron" novelties of Apple 2014

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Another year is coming to an end, which means it's time to look back and see what interesting Apple products have pleased their fans with. To some extent, 2014 was a turning point for the Cupertinians. In the lineup of smartphones, Apple has its own "shovel", but along with it, a smaller device was presented. New desktops, which have been tired of waiting, were also able to surprise. And, of course, it was not without updates to the line of the most popular tablets. But first things first.

iPhone 6

The updated version of the smartphone has once again increased in size. The diagonal of the display reached 4.7 inches, which somewhat affected the ease of use with one hand. Nevertheless, Cupertino provided the ability to lower the screen with icons and the working area by double tap on the Home button in order to reach any interface element conveniently. More details about all the changes can be found on the pages of our website in the review of the new smartphone, as well as an alternative opinion about its operation.

In addition, 32 GB devices have disappeared from the lineup. Instead of them, smartphones with 128 GB appeared - wasn't that what many dreamed of?

iPhone 6 Plus

Bigger brother with an even larger display. The reason for the ridicule of Android users, who, at an opportunity, are not averse to reminding that devices based on their favorite platform have been on sale for a long time. In addition to the difference in diagonal (the iPhone 6 Plus has as much as 5.5 inches), the second smartphone has its own distinctive features: optical stabilization of the camera, as well as a slightly redesigned interface, similar to the iPad versions - when you rotate the device, the icons on the desktop rotate, and applications acquire advanced capabilities.

Both smartphones received an NFC chip, which, however, is used exclusively for the Apple Pay payment system, which the company also introduced this year. All this, as well as the operation of the smartphone in general, can be found in our published review.

iPad Air 2

A logical continuation of last year's tablet from Apple. The most important innovation, perhaps, is the presence of a fingerprint sensor - Touch ID. The new version of the tablet has become even thinner (how do they manage?), And the screen is of better quality. For the most part in operation, this is not very noticeable until you begin to compare in detail the current and previous generation.

To the surprise of many, the tablet also received an NFC chip to work with Apple Pay, as well as for the first time increased RAM, which reached 2 GB. Nice tablet update. You can learn more about the iPad Air 2 in our review, where the main points and experience of using the new tablet are highlighted.

iPad mini 3

Most controversial update in the entire Apple product line for 2014. The new tablet is essentially exactly the same as its predecessor, with the only minor exception that it has a Touch ID sensor, as well as a better camera. An ordinary, unremarkable update to a good product. However, disputes about the advisability of buying a new mini 3 instead of mini 2 do not subside until now.

Mac mini

The long-awaited update of the most affordable Mac. Many fans of the company were waiting with bated breath for this update and … were disappointed. In addition to a rather mediocre increase in the "iron" component, new computers from Apple now lack the ability to replace the RAM. In addition, the simplest model still comes with a conventional HDD instead of at least a Fusion Drive. Nevertheless, you can find the results of the new Mac mini in 2014 in our review. As in the case of the iPad mini 3, there were no revolutions, only a planned upgrade.

iMac Retina 5K

While this may not have been a big surprise, the new iMac with 5K resolution still managed to surprise. The monoblock appearance remained practically unchanged, but only the older 27-inch model received such a huge resolution. Of course, such a computer is primarily intended for working with video and photography. Editing videos in 4K resolution and processing photos on such a machine will become even more comfortable. Combined with high performance, the owner of the new iMac will feel like a real king.

Presumably, iMac 21.5 inches with the same resolution will be released only early next year.

MacBook Air and MacBook Pro

Apple has also updated its most popular laptops this year. There is nothing unusual about this upgrade, a completely minor update. Owners of last year's laptop models should not worry, in everyday tasks their computers are in no way inferior to the updated models. Of the interesting things, we can note the read speed of disks, which has slightly decreased compared to 2013 laptops, but the write speed has slightly increased. Nevertheless, it is worth buying updated laptops only for those who do not have them at all, or have models that are 4-5 years old.

Overboard

Of all the products that were left without updates, perhaps the Apple TV is worth mentioning. From Cupertinos have long been expected a global upgrade that will turn their multimedia console almost into a game console. On the other hand, what is needed for this? App Store support and a gamepad - and a start will be made. Will Apple do what users want or go its own way? The question remains unanswered so far.

That the coming year?

Of course, you shouldn't write off the new products that will be presented in 2015 either. We know for sure about the arrival of the Apple Watch, which will be available early next year. Can Apple beat the competition and make a truly great product? We will closely follow the new product and report on all the interesting details before and after the release.

In addition to watches, rumors persist about the development of a new iPad with an even larger screen size and a MacBook Air with a Retina display. Maybe it won't even be two separate devices, but one? Time will show. Let's hope that next year, users' guesses will finally be confirmed or refuted.

And finally, the “mythical” product that will change the perception of television is the Apple TV. Is it being developed as a standalone product, or will it be a reimagining of the Apple TV set-top box? Does it exist in the minds and blueprints of engineers? One can only guess.

Which product of 2014 did you find the most interesting and why? What would you like to see in the coming year? Share your opinion in the comments!