Everything that matters from Apple’s iPad and Mac event in Brooklyn

Apple hosted one of its trademark product keynote events this morning in Brooklyn, N.Y., introducing a new iPad Pro, MacBook Air and Mac mini. Here is the most important news from the show, in roughly chronological order:

The Preamble:

The theme for today’s event is essentially Apple’s “most creative products” — and its products for creative professionals. Apple is holding the event in an opera house, its logo is being drawn in a bunch of different art styles, and today’s introductory videos feel more art-house than Hollywood blockbuster. CEO Tim Cook didn’t do much of a windup — we’re jumping right into the Mac update.

The MacBook Air:

Apple’s Mac business now has 100 million active devices. First up for an update: The MacBook Air, which “truly embraced the notion that less could indeed be more,” per Cook, who says it’s the “most beloved notebook [computer] ever.”

This is a big update, arguably overdue, for one of Apple’s most popular products.

The new MacBook Air has a high-resolution Retina display — addressing its biggest shortcoming — plus two USB-C ports and a headphone jack. The new display has 50 percent narrower borders and 48 percent “more color.” The new Air now supports Touch ID to unlock your Mac or use Apple Pay, a feature Apple previously introduced in the MacBook Pro. It can drive a 5K external display. Apple is pledging 12 hours of battery life in “wireless web browsing.”

The MacBook Air is smaller — 17 percent less volume — and 10 percent thinner, and a bit less than 10 percent lighter, weighing in at 2.75 pounds. It’s made from 100 percent recycled aluminum.

Stephanie Keith / Getty Images

The new MacBook Air starts at $1199, the lowest price for a Retina Mac, but 20 percent more expensive than the old MacBook Air, which recently started at $999. Preorders start today, with availability next week.

The Mac mini:

Apple is also making another long-awaited Mac update, a new Mac mini. “This new Mac mini is an absolute BEAST on the inside,” Apple promises.

This smallish device has had a weird history — Apple goes years between updates — but has a strong niche following, using it as a media center, to power conference room TVs and even in server farms. It will now support quad- and six-core processors, offering 5X faster performance, and up to 64GB of memory — a lot for a small device.

The good news for Mac mini fans: Unlike Apple’s laptops, which have been losing their ports, this Mac still has a bunch of them, including four USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, HDMI, Ethernet, etc. Its aluminum enclosure is now also 100 percent recycled. It starts at $799, with preorders starting today and shipments on Nov. 7.

The iPad Pro:

“Imagine a piece of glass that transforms instantly into anything you want it to be.” That’s how Tim Cook kicks off the iPad section of today’s event, following a retail update from exec Angela Ahrendts.

The new iPad Pro is a big cosmetic and functional update: Its screen now goes far to the edge, including rounded corners and Face ID, using similar technology as the new iPhone XR. It comes in 11-inch and 12.9-inch sizes, with the larger device having 25 percent less volume than its predecessor.

The new iPad Pros use new Apple chips, the A12X. “Single-core performance” — many simple tasks — are up to 35 percent faster than the last iPad Pro, and more sophisticated multi-core tasks are up to 90 percent faster. Graphics performance is up to 2X faster.

As rumored, the new iPad Pro is moving over to USB-C — away from Apple’s Lightning port — as its main connection point. This can power a 5K display or let you charge your iPhone from your iPad. The second-generation Apple Pencil stylus attaches magnetically and charges wirelessly. The new keyboard case does not include a trackpad.

Stephanie Keith / Getty Images

The 11-inch iPad Pro starts at $799; the 12.9-inch starts at $999. Both models start preorders today and ship on Nov. 7.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?

Most news outlets make their money through advertising or subscriptions. But when it comes to what we’re trying to do at Vox, there are a couple of big issues with relying on ads and subscriptions to keep the lights on:

First, advertising dollars go up and down with the economy. We often only know a few months out what our advertising revenue will be, which makes it hard to plan ahead.

Second, we’re not in the subscriptions business. Vox is here to help everyone understand the complex issues shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. And we can’t do that if we have a paywall.

So even though advertising is still our biggest source of revenue, we also seek grants and reader support. (And no matter how our work is funded, we have strict guidelines on editorial independence.)

If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today? Any amount helps.

One-Time Monthly Annual

$5/month

$10/month

$25/month

$50/month

Other

$

Yes, I'll give $5/month

Yes, I'll give $5/month

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via