Apple holds its first product event of the year

Apple sped through a range of new product announcements during its hour-long event Tuesday. Here's everything it unveiled:

One thing Apple executives didn't mention during the event: Russia's war in Ukraine. Apple last week suspended all product sales in Russia amid the conflict.

Apple unveiled a new desktop computer that will use its M1 Max and M1 Ultra, the Mac Studio and Studio Display.

Thanks to Apple's in-house chips, the Mac Studio has a strikingly small form factor — just 7.7 inches by 3.7 inches. It will also be quieter, faster and more energy efficient than other high-end Macs. The Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra is expected to be 90% faster than the company's powerful 16-core Mac Pro. The Mac Studio with M1 Max will have up to 64 GB of unified memory, and, with the M1 Ultra, it will have up to 128 GB of memory.

The Mac Studio comes with four thunderbolt ports, two USB-A ports, ethernet and HDMI ports and a pro audio jack on the back. The front of the device will feature an SD card reader and either USB-C or thunderbolt ports on the front, depending on the model.

The Studio Display comes with a 27-inch screen and a 5K retina display. It also boasts a 12 megapixel camera that supports Apple's Center Stage feature for improved video calls, as well as spatial audio capabilities.

The Mac Studio with M1 Max will start at $1,999; with M1 Ultra, the device will start at $3,999. The Mac Studio Display will start at $1,599. All can be pre-ordered today, and will be available March 18.

For nearly an hour on Tuesday, Apple executives ticked off a long list of product updates, but they never acknowledged the difficult backdrop for the event: the war in Ukraine.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has put public pressure on the tech sector and business community in general to take action. Apple's decision to proceed with its event amid the conflict also received some pushback on social media.

CEO Tim Cook has been known to reference major news during Apple events, but he stayed silent on the conflict Tuesday. As one tech journalist from the Wall Street Journal pointed out on Twitter, however, Cook appeared to be wearing a blue shirt with a yellow Apple Watch band -- the colors of Ukraine's national flag.

Last week, Apple said it was taking some steps in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine -- such as suspending sales in Russia and barring state-run RT News and Sputnik News from being downloaded on its App Store outside of Russia. Ukrainian officials, however, have urged Cook and Apple to do more. 

Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the “new, even more amazing, iPad Air” at Tuesday’s event. The upgraded device features Apple’s M1 chip, the same in-house processor used in the iPad Pro. The new iPad also features 5G capabilities and a revamped front-facing camera.

The new iPad Air is available for pre-order starting Friday and will be available in stores on March 18. The price starts at $599.

Apple's in-house, M1 chips have improved the speed and performance of its devices. Now, the company is adding a new chip to the lineup.

It already has the M1, M1 Pro and M1 Max — the new chip will be named M1 Ultra.

The M1 Ultra will make some Mac desktops faster, more powerful and more power efficient. The new chip has 114 million transistors (seven times more than the M1), 128 GB of unified memory for big workloads, and is nearly eight times faster than the M1.

Apple unveiled the third iteration of its iPhone SE, with a powerful A15 processor, a new camera system, 5G connectivity and better battery life.

While the device promises all the bells and whistles that come with the SE model, the bump up to 5G comes with a price change. The device will cost $429 — $30 more than the previous model.

Along with 5G accessibility, Apple’s A15 processor is a big addition. It's the same chip found in its higher-end iPhone 13 models. The overall design, however, remains the same, including the home button with Touch ID.

The company also showed off several graphics comparing the 4.7-inch SE to the iPhone 8 model, likely in a bid to get people who haven’t upgraded in awhile to do so.

Colors include midnight (black), starlight (white) and red. Pre-orders start today and the device starts shipping on March 18.

Just in time for spring, Apple is adding two new shades of green to its iPhone 13 lineup. 

The iPhone 13 will now be available in a bold new green and the iPhone 13 Pro will come in an alpine green. The devices start shipping on March 18.

Last year, the company unveiled a new purple iPhone color at its spring event.

CEO Tim Cook kicked off Apple's first event of the year by announcing that Friday night baseball will be coming to Apple TV+.

Each Friday, two Major League Baseball games will be streamed exclusively on Apple TV+, Cook said.

Cook also previewed some new content coming to Apple TV+ and reviewed some of its existing popular content, including the film Coda, which has been nominated for the Oscar in Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor.

The focus of Apple's event today will be on performance. That likely means faster chips, more devices with 5G connectivity and more powerful cameras. 

Apple's rumored 5G iPhone SE is the most-anticipated device expected at today's event.

What to expect: The updated SE is expected to have an A15 Bionic chip, a camera that shoots 4K video, and will drop the classic notch usually found at the top. But the real headline grabber will be 5G.

Who's it for? Although the SE line launched in 2017 -- and was updated in 2020 -- the third iteration could be the ultimate draw for customers by giving them access to faster 5G wireless networks at a more affordable price point ($399). It will also likely appeal to first-time buyers, as well as those looking to switch from Android and people who prefer smaller screens. 

A new iPad: The iPad Air is also said to be getting a refresh. The rumor mill is pointing to the same A15 processor as the new iPhone SE as well as 5G connectivity and a new front-facing camera.