Top 3 of 2021
Apple’s iMac, MacBook Pro, & iPad mini handily take the podium as my top three products of 2021.
See also: ‘Meh’ of 2021
How is it already the end of 2021?! It feels like it was only yesterday that I was gleefully unboxing my AirPods Max. Yet, somehow, I've taken another 942-million kilometre trip around the sun, barely registering that anything happened!
Despite having no memory of the past year, Apple was busy in 2021, bringing us a range of new Apple products. March saw the introduction of the first redesigned Apple Silicon Mac: the 23.5" M1 iMac, along with updates to the iPad Pro, Apple TV 4K (new remote!), and the much leaked and long rumoured unveiling of AirTags. Then it was quiet until September when we saw the next burst of products, beginning with a completely redesigned iPad mini, iPad 9th Generation, Apple Watch Series 7, and the iPhone 13 & 13 Pro. And finally, in a much anticipated mid-October event, Apple launched the AirPods 3 & a completely re-engineered Apple Silicon MacBook Pro. Of course, amongst all that, there was also the launch of new HomePod mini colours, tons of new accessory colours, the launch of a magnificent Apple Polishing Cloth, and a hotly divisive MagSafe battery pack. And finally, there were tons of changes announced around Apple opening up repairs to individuals, changes to the App Store, and new enterprise programs. But for this entry, I'll keep it simple and focus on my top three product releases over the past 12-months.
iMac
Apple brings colour, personality, & M1 to its iconic Mac.
The iMac announced on April 20, 2021, gave us our first look at a Mac completely designed for Apple Silicon. It was incomprehensibly thin (in fact, at 11.5mm, it is thinner than the original iPhone), came in six vibrant colours (and Silver), featured an upgraded 1080p camera, and was powered by the same M1-chip that debuted the previous fall.
Whereas the M1 Macs announced in 2020 recycled the chassis of their intel counterparts, this Mac was the first to marry hardware and silicon in a ground-up design. It has many instantly recognizable traits of the previous iMac (chin, floating display) but with a level of fit and finish that appears expressly intended to make these computers feel more fun, aesthetic, and personal than ever before. The lineup of new colours pays homage to the 1999 iMac G3 and looks fantastic as either an accent piece or blended into the rooms where they are placed. The level of coordination - from unique colour-matched UI to colour-matched braided cables and accessories - add to the harmonious design of these products.
And under the hood is the familiar M1-chip powering a gorgeous 23.5-inch display and providing phenomenal performance across a broad range of tasks. This computer is suitable for some incredibly demanding workflows and is truly exceptional for day-to-day use for most users. Terrific speakers, a very capable webcam, and TouchID help round out this fantastic all-in-one.
The M1 iMac brought fun back to the Mac, something we haven't seen in decades. It instantly became my computer of choice throughout 2021, the centrepiece of our office/guestroom.
iPad mini
An intimate & adorable tablet packing a ferocious A15.
How exactly the iPad mini made it onto this coveted Top 3 list evades rational reasoning. First off, this is the first iPad mini we've seen in 2.5 years and the first redesign of the iPad mini since... well... ever! So the new mini gets a few extra points for finally ending a quarter-decade-long drought with its revival along and redesign. Next, there's just something irresistible about an iPad mini that I can't adequately put into words. Despite software and dimensional similarities to a device like the iPhone, I use & treat my iPad mini entirely different than my iPhone. In short, it's a more personal device, one where I can slowly enjoy a book or news article or easily watch content with someone I'm close to. In contrast, the iPhone feels more closed off and private in its usage. This relationship with the mini significantly defines my admiration and positive affinity with this iPad.
From a feature perspective, Apple swung for the fences with this update. I'm glad that Apple isn't skimping on the mini (6th generation), viewing it as a premium product worthy of the latest features. The iPad mini finally gets the design language of the latest Air & Pro models, features the latest & greatest A15 chip, and adds features over the iPad Air 4 like CenterStage, a rear flash, and 5G connectivity. It's a very premium experience in an adorable little tablet.
MacBook Pro
In October, years of pent-up anticipation were unleashed when Apple finally announced the completely redesigned MacBook Pro, reconciling the past and beginning an incredible new era for the Mac portables.
Apple did the tech community dirty when it redesigned the MacBook Pro in 2016: It eliminated ports, added the TouchBar, crippled the keyboard, and nuked the thermals by prioritizing thinness above all else. This period is a black mark in Apple's history, with Cupertino appearing entirely out of sync with what people want their pro machines to do. This wasn't a "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." scenario; this was the tech community requiring one thing and being given something else entirely.
In October 2021, Apple came through with a laptop that simultaneously reconciled the past and nodded towards the future. Inside was our first look at the M1X... I mean... M1 Pro & Max chips; remarkable not only for their performance but also for their efficiency. Apple is indeed doing more with less, offering industry-leading performance per watt & sustained performance on battery. This machine can, for most people, match the utility of an iMac Pro or MacPro at a fraction of the cost.
Externally, Apple has capitulated that pros want ports and returned SD, HDMI, and MagSafe to the chassis. Like the 'Trash Can' Mac of 2013, Apple swung too far towards aesthetics with the 2016 MacBook Pro. This 2021 MacBook Pro serves as a course correction that shows deference towards utility as much as form. On top of this throwback-future form mashup, Apple included one of the most stunning displays I've ever used on a computer. It's brighter, more vibrant, and offers better contrast than that rivals the Pro Display XDR, though it might arguably be better with its microLED & 120 Hz ProMotion panel. I have nothing to say about the notch; it's a nonissue that disappeared from my line of sight within minutes of using the new Mac.
Apple has better bifurcated its lineup with the MacBook Pro to define Pro and consumer laptops. It is an exceptionally powerful machine, with upgrades to the display, speaker system, keyboard, and camera that make it the best notebook I've ever used.
In Sum
Despite the Mac being THE platform that makes iOS happen, the unstoppable success of the iPhone has left innovation on the Mac feeling left on the backburner. But alas, the transition to Apple Silicon has put Macs front and center for the first time in years. I'd argue that now is the most exciting period for the Mac in Decades. Beautiful redesigns, clarity about the expectations between Pro & consumer devices, and industry-leading performance; people say you can't have it all, but the Mac feels like an exception to that rule.
On the iOS front, the new mini is the dream team of features I've wanted for years: beautiful redesign, premium fit and finish, and all in a package that's downright adorable (or at least as adorable as an anodized aluminum slab of metal and glass can get). It's not the tablet for everyone, but for those whose setup includes a mini, it might end up being their favourite iPad to date.
