Apple is making changes to the MacBook Air -- it now has an upgraded keyboard. More good news, an iPad Pro with trackpad support is also in store for fans of the Cupertino tech giant.
In spite of closing down a lot of its stores in many locations across the globe and advising workers to stay at home, Apple managed to achieve something amidst the ongoing health crisis. There are now two new updated products, but for those who spend a lot of time typing, the MacBook Air with a Magic Keyboard is definitely a reason to rejoice.
Apple first incorporated the Magic Keyboard on the MacBook Pro, which got a lot of people wondering if the upgrade would ever arrive in other MacBooks. CNET had asked Phil Schiller, head of the company's marketing, at the time, but he didn't hint on anything that would keep our hopes up. So yes, most people believed the feature is one of those you get when you go premium.
It's a good thing Apple decided to give the MacBook Air the Magic Keyboard. Now a lot more people can enjoy the scissor-based feature. Not that $999 is cheap enough, but it's certainly more affordable than going for a MacBook Pro that's worth a whopping $2,400.
MacBook Air laptops used to have the slimmer-profile butterfly keyboard, which was first introduced in the 12-inch MacBook around five years back. It didn't have a lot of fans, to say the least. Many users complained that its tactile sensation was not pleasing at all and some letters were doubled when you typed. Apple said it would make improvements, now in its third generation, and what's more exciting is that the company is offering a replacement program.
Meanwhile, the new iPad Pro also comes with a Magic Keyboard accessory, which includes backlit scissor keys like the Macbook, and a trackpad. The trackpad's cursor is round to follow the shape of a fingertip, according to Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, Craig Federighi.
Federighi demoed the new features in a video, showing what the trackpad can do. It has the ability to support three-finger gestures, including swiping up and holding to enter multitasking, swiping across to switch between apps, and swiping up to go home.
You can now order the new MacBook Air and iPad Pro, and if you're lucky enough to find an Apple Store that's still open, both products will be available in stores next week.
