Apple to announce iPhone Xs in less than 48 hours

Just like last year, 12th September will see Apple announce the 2018 iPhones, along with other major product updates in the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in Cupertino. I am in Cupertino this week, and I will be sure to run down to Apple Park after the keynote and see if I can spot anyone interesting.

We know Apple has lots of major product updates in the pipeline, but it's still up in the air as to what gets unveiled at this event. Tim Cook seems to have mostly succeeded in his pledge to 'double down on secrecy', seeing as we have seen relatively little in the way of leaks, and rumours are still very much conflicted on a daily basis. A few leaks and tidbits have broken through, however, so let's go through what we can expect to see on Wednesday.

iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max

The main product to be announced this year will of course be the iPhone Xs, following on from the massive success of last year’s iPhone X. We know a few things about this product. Firstly, it’s coming in 2 display sizes; 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch. 9to5 Mac shared leaked marketing images of these devices a week or so ago, confirming that the device will be available for the first time in a gold finish. 9to5 Mac also seemingly confirmed the device names as iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max, but without citing sources. Other rumoured names have included (the new) iPhone X (2018/2nd-gen). iPhone Xs makes sense, given consumers are familiar with the iPhone’s history of ’S’ revisions, however this runs the risk of deterring potential buyers, as in the past, the ’S’ phones have always been considered lesser to the main numeric release, a factor that supposedly attributed to the iPhone 6s being one of the least successful Apple flagship launches to date.  The ‘Max’ branding is replacing the ‘Plus’ moniker used since 2014. ‘Max’ sounds fresh and really pushes the point that this is the largest iPhone ever. Features-wise, we know very little about these devices beyond the screen sizes and new colour. The A12 [insert name here] CPU is a given, along with improved cameras and potentially a second-generation Face ID module.  Apple Pencil support for Xs Max was supposedly in the works before Apple abandoned plans for the feature. Both models are expected to be available in Space Grey, Silver and Gold with storage options of 64GB, 256GB and 512GB. Rumoured starting prices are $899 and $1049 for iPhone Xs and Xs Max respectively.

iPhone 9

I’m calling it the iPhone 9, because up until a few days ago, this was the name consistently given to this ‘budget’ iPhone. Now it is looking more likely that this phone will be called iPhone Xc or even iPhone Xr. This iPhone will come equipped with a 6.1-inch edge-to-edge LCD display with thicker bezels than the iPhone X and Xs. This is to stop light leakage around the edges of the display from the LCD panel, a problem not present in the OLED iPhone X and Xs. There will be no home button, there will be Face ID, and of course, a notch. The glass back of the device will look similar to that of iPhone 8 to allow for wireless charging, and the edges of the phone will be anodised aluminium, again, just like iPhone 8.  To further reduce costs, the device will feature a single-lens iSight camera, likely an improved version of the current camera found on the 4.7-inch iPhone 8. This means no optical zoom or Portrait Mode for this iPhone. In China at least, it is expected to have dual-SIM support. This rumour is mighty hazy and no-one seems to be sure what’s going on with this one. Code found in iOS 12 does suggest a secondary iPhone SIM tray, or could this be reference to an embedded Apple SIM? Just as iPhone 5c came in many colours in 2013, this ‘iPhone Xc’ is rumoured to do the same.  All devices will have a black front, with rumoured enclosure colours including: black, white, blue, taupe, yellow and orange. A red dummy unit has also leaked but Apple would most likely hold off to release a Product RED version in the Spring as it has done since 2017. This device is expected to feature an A12 [insert name here] CPU, just like its more premium cousins. We can expect the iPhone 9 to launch slightly later than iPhone Xs due to manufacturing issues regarding the LCD display and light leakage. I’d expect it to be similar in timeframe to the iPhone X last year, launching in November following the iPhone 8, which was released in September.

Apple Watch Series 4

Apple Watch Series 4 is where things get really interesting. A few months ago it was reported that this year’s Watch would be getting larger screens whilst retaining the same physical device size. This rumour had very little supporting evidence, but it was one that did not go away. Along with iPhone Xs, 9to5 Mac uncovered a promo image of the Series 4 in what appears to be a new gold stainless steel finish.  The display on this thing is huge, leaving the device’s physical size up to debate. It certainly looks considerably larger, maybe thinner, but hopefully the same size band channels. The new watch face shown in the image certainly takes advantage of the extra screen space, showing 9 complications at once. We can also see from the image a new opening on the enclosure, below the Digital Crown. It sure does look like an additional or repositioned microphone, but it could be a new sensor of some kind. The Watch is rumoured once again to be gaining additional health sensors this year. The Crown itself no longer has a massive red dot (which I always really like) on it, rather a more subtle red ring around the edge, denoting a cellular-enabled model. Apple only registered 6 Apple Watch model numbers this year, as opposed to the usual 8, indicating all Series 4 models will be GPS + Cellular models as standard. I suspect the GPS-only Series 3 will drop down in price and replace the Series 1. Presumably, the Series 4 will be powered by the S4 chip and pricing should be similar to the current lineup.

AirPower

We still haven’t seen the release of AirPower, but it’s still 2018 and Apple could still fulfil their vague promise of a release date. I strongly suspect we will see keynote-time dedicated for a rehash of AirPower, with pricing and availability outlined. Rumoured pricing for the charging mat is between $149 and $199, with availability hopefully alongside the new iPhone models.

AirPods 2

New AirPods were rumoured for last year, and they’re also rumoured for 2019, but some believe we will see an update pair of Apple earbuds at this event. We’ve already seen the separate wireless charging case for use with AirPower, but chances are this will come with all second-generation AirPods. “Hey Siri” support is consistently rumoured for these new AirPods, along with improved sweat/water resistance and even noise cancellation. There are many reports of some of these features being on ‘AirPods 2’, whilst some will be reserved for ‘AirPods Pro’, to be released alongside or slightly after the former. 

Possible, but unlikely.

The iPad Pro is definitely getting a major update any day now, presumably this Fall. Whilst an iPhone keynote would be a great spotlight to launch radically new iPad Pros with Face ID, there might not be enough time to do so, even when it is a ‘minor’ iPhone year. There is also an all new, low cost 13-inch Mac laptop launching imminently, again, probably this Fall. This will also require major screen time at a keynote. There is also a major redesign of the Mac mini ready to debut. Both of these Macs are to usher in a new era for the Mac, to be continued with the new Mac Pro in 2019. I’d expect an October event for all of these along with macOS Mojave availability and refreshes to the iMac and 12-inch MacBook lines. 

Anything that does get announced in this keynote (with the exception of iPhone 9) will most likely begin preorders on Friday 14th September and go on sale the following Friday, 21st September.

The rumours of 3 iPhone X-like devices have been present going all the way back to January and we still know very little about what exactly will be shown off at this keynote. All will be revealed on Wednesday, and I shall be looking to purchase most of the devices announced. Anything I do purchase shall be unboxed on iCollectApple.

:))

Blueinkcode turns 1

Exactly one year ago today, blueinkcode.com went live and the first article was published; Apple to announce iPhone X in less than 48 hours. Here we are one year later, and the site is still going, with many more unique daily visitors than I expected, and just 48 hours away from the unveiling of the 2018 iPhone lineup. The September keynote marks the beginning of the ‘Apple year’ and fortunately the site’s anniversary ties in nicely with this. 

Here’s to the next 12 months, and maybe this time next year we’ll have a new Mac Pro.

:))

The Future of Mac Notebooks

Almost 2 years ago, when Apple introduced the 2016 MacBook Pro, the price of the MacBook Pro line significantly increased. In the past, you could buy an entry-level MacBook Pro for £999, then suddenly they retailed for £1749. Apple pushed up the price and are keeping it up high because they want people to see this device as a professional tool. These devices are for the kind of professionals who buy iMac Pro, not for the masses, hence the high price tag. This is in stark contrast from the situation of the past 8 or so years where the 13-inch MacBook Pro has been the go-to, default Apple laptop (and maybe any laptop for that matter). So when consumers see the high price, they get confused, especially if they are upgrading from a previous model that, when purchased, was a much lower price. They (the consumer) begin to think Apple have lost their way, fuelled by the non-tech media spreading a narrative of Apple being ‘doomed’. People are looking at the high end of Mac portables in the wrong way. It’s not 2011 anymore, it’s the Cook-era, and in this era the MacBook Pro is for high-end professionals.
 
So, you’re an average consumer, maybe your needs are pretty simple; you want something more capable than an iPad Pro (what’s a computer? Right?!), but you’re not a high-end professional prepared to spend almost £2,000 on a laptop. It’s time to start looking at the lower end of Mac laptops. This is where things start to go south. The sweet-spot price point for these computers has always been around the £1000 mark. Any lower is great - provided quality is not compromised, any higher is getting a little eye-watering for someone who just wants a laptop running macOS. Luckily, there is a Mac currently sitting at this price point, as it has been for a number of years; MacBook Air. 

MacBook Air starts at £949 and would be a great value computer - if it were about £300 cheaper. The screen is non-Retina, using a display that looks like it’s about 8 years old - because it is. Apple should be ashamed of themselves for shipping this display on a device at any price point, let alone the £1000 bracket. High-end PC manufacturers would be crazy to include such a low-res display with poor colours and viewing angles in 2018. Apple get away with it because they’re Apple, and they shouldn’t. Internally, the MacBook Air is acceptable. Last refreshed in early 2017, the difference over the previous 2015 model is incredibly minor so you’re effectively getting a 3 year old machine for your money. Having said this, the performance will be more than suitable for basic users. But what if you want something a little better, or a little well, newer? 

Well for £1249 you can buy the 13-inch MacBook Pro (2 Thunderbolt 3 Ports). First introduced in 2016 - then refreshed in 2017, this model has no Touch Bar (hence the colloquial name ‘MacBook Escape’ due to the presence of a physical escape key), and only 2 Thunderbolt /USB-C ports as opposed to 4 (hence Apple’s aforementioned official name). When originally introduced, Apple described this machine as an option for potential MacBook Air customers, because internally, the specs are on a par with what a modern MacBook Air should be. So it’s called MacBook Pro, but it’s not a MacBook Pro. It’s at this point I begin to feel sorry for prospective Mac buyers - it’s just confusing. 

It only gets worse. For the same price as MacBook Escape (or more depending on spec), you can have something smaller and less powerful than MacBook Air - the 12-inch MacBook. Lovingly known amongst Apple fans as ‘MacBook Adorable’, this 12-inch notebook is everything MacBook Air should be in 2018. It’s even thinner, even lighter, and above all it’s equipped with a Retina display. The only problem is it costs £300 more than a MacBook Air, and starts at the same price as the MacBook Escape. So you could have something that looks like a MacBook Pro and has MacBook Pro written on the box for the same price as something that’s effectively an overpriced, modern MacBook Air. I’m getting confused just writing this and I deal with these computers on a daily basis. 

There is a new hope however. It’s been rumoured for a while but it looks like Q4 2018 will see the introduction of a MacBook Air ‘successor’. Rumours have been very conflicted, but it seems for certain it will be a 13-inch, Retina Mac portable. What form this Mac will take is pretty much unknown at this point. Will it be a 2018 MacBook Air? Will be a 13-inch MacBook alongside a refreshed 12-inch model? Will it replace the 12-inch altogether? No one seems sure. Personally, I think the current MacBook Air will be discontinued, along with the MacBook Escape. The MacBook Escape was notably absent from Apple’s 2018 MacBook Pro refresh and it’s starting to look like a strategy that didn’t work out. However, it is possible that this new machine is just a refreshed MacBook Escape rebranded as ’13-inch MacBook’ rather than MacBook Pro.

What will happen to the 12-inch MacBook Adorable is another question altogether . Back in 2015 it seemed as if it would be the MacBook Air replacement, but the Intel M-series CPUs still haven’t got cheap enough to manufacture hence the high starting price of MacBook. Apple could take an alternative approach, such as renaming it to MacBook mini and only sell the 512GB option to justify the high price and the fact at £1549 it costs more than the bigger, better laptop *cough* iPad mini 4 *cough*.  It could also remain stagnant for the next 18 months, until Apple decide to use it as a platform for launching the first ARM-based Mac equipped with their own A-series processors. 

In my eyes, the perfect solution is to drop everything besides the 13-inch and 15-inch Touch Bar MacBook Pros, and to sell them alongside this mysterious, new, affordable 13-inch laptop. This wouldn’t be very characteristic of Tim Cook’s Apple so I’m not holding out hope. 

Regardless of Apple’s intended strategy and previous motives, the notebook lineup has ended up in a mess. At the top, MacBook Pro is in good shape, but the consumer line needs fixing, and this new mystery Mac should help to bring balance to the force. 

This post wasn’t designed to criticise the products themselves (except for the non-Retina screen on MacBook Air), rather critique the lineup as a whole and see if I could make any sense of what is coming next for Mac notebooks.

:))

The 2018 MacBook Pro

On Thursday Apple released refreshed MacBook Pro models, seemingly out of nowhere. 13 months after the last release, the 2018 models feature more changes than expected, and overall they are a very solid upgrade:

• New eighth-generation Intel Core processors. The 15-inch model is up to 70% faster than the 2017 model, and the 13-inch is up to twice as fast.

• The 15-inch MacBook Pro can now be ordered with up to a 2.9GHz six-core Core i9 processor. 

•  The 13-inch MacBook Pro (finally) includes quad-core processors, up to 2.7GHz.

• The 15-inch MacBook Pro (again, finally) has the option for up to 32GB of RAM. Phil Schiller had previously said that 32GB of RAM would be too power-hungry for the MacBook Pro, so this has been made possible thanks to a 10% increase in battery capacity. The overall battery life remains the same, however.

• On the 15-inch model, AMD’s Radeon Pro graphics cards now come with 4GB of GDDR5 memory as standard, while 13-inch models now have 128MB of embedded DRAM, compared to 64MB on 2017 models. Besides this, the graphics remain unchanged. 

• Both 2018 models now feature an upgraded Apple T2 chip, versus an Apple T1 chip in the 2017 models. The T2 chip, borrowed from iMac Pro, integrates several previously separate components, including the system management controller, image signal processor, audio controller, and SSD controller.  It also allows “Hey Siri” to come to the Mac for the first time.

• Maximum storage options have been doubled, with up to a massive 4TB SSD on the 15-inch and up to a 2TB SSD on the 13-inch.

• In a surprise move, these new MacBook Pros now feature True Tone displays - and this includes the Touch Bar display - on both models. True Tone, originally introduced on the 9.7-inch iPad Pro in 2016, and brought to iPhone 8 and X last year, automatically adjusts the white balance to match the colour temperature of the light around you for a more natural viewing experience.  When connected to a 2018 MacBook Pro, True Tone can also adjust the Apple Thunderbolt Display, the LG UltraFine 5K Display, and the LG UltraFine 4K display. 

• An “improved third-generation butterfly keyboard for quieter typing”. It is unclear whether or not this new keyboard has solved the issues that plagued the previous generation butterfly keyboards, but Apple claims that this was not a consideration when designing this keyboard - Dieter Bohn of The Verge writes: “In fact, company representatives strenuously insisted that the keyboard issues have only affected a tiny, tiny fraction of its user base…” - so time will tell as to whether or not this keyboard will be an improvement.

• 2018 MacBook Pros feature Bluetooth 5.0, compared to 4.2 on the 2017 models. 

Besides the still-incredibly-high price (a maxed out 15-inch costs £6209 from Apple), this MacBook addresses much of the criticism faced by the previous models. It is also encouraging to see both annual and considerable upgrades to the line, further reinforcing Apple’s recommitment to the Mac

There were no updates to the non-Touch Bar models, with the 2017 versions still on sale. Apple also finally axed the 2015 15-inch model, indicating a full commitment to the post-2016 design, and with that, the Touch Bar.

:))

Apple begins Keyboard Service Program for MacBook and MacBook Pro

From Apple:

"Apple has determined that a small percentage of the keyboards in certain MacBook and MacBook Pro models may exhibit one or more of the following behaviors:

•  Letters or characters repeat unexpectedly

•  Letters or characters do not appear

•  Key(s) feel "sticky" or do not respond in a consistent manner

Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will service eligible MacBook and MacBook Pro keyboards, free of charge. The type of service will be determined after the keyboard is examined and may involve the replacement of one or more keys or the whole keyboard.

The program covers eligible MacBook and MacBook Pro models for 4 years after the first retail sale of the unit."

---

If you have an Early 2015 MacBook or newer, a 2016 MacBook Pro or newer, and you run into a keyboard fault then you may be eligible for this repair extension programme.

All I can say about this; good. It’s sad that Apple has a REP for a product which is currently on sale and has not been revised to address the issue. You could buy a brand new MacBook Pro right now and after a week of use (or less) you could run into this issue.

Out of warranty costs for this repair can cost upward of £500 in the U.K. as in some instances, the whole top case of the MacBook needs replacing.

This current keyboard was developed at the height of Apple’s ‘laziness’ regarding Mac production, and it’s just a flawed design. I strongly believe, however, that the Mac is now in a positive place on Apple’s roadmap, with iMac Pro and Mojave being examples of this. Let’s not forget what 2019 will bring, such as UIKit/AppKit cross functionality and the Mac Pro. Apple is accepting and fixing the Mac mistakes made in the past, and this REP is just another example of this.

Or maybe I’m just too much of an optimist.

:))

WWDC 2018 Keynote Predictions

With less than 5 hours to go, here are my final predictions for what we will see unveiled at WWDC 2018.

tvOS 12

Who knows what will be added to tvOS this year. Last year all that was announced was that Amazon Prime was launching later in the year. Everything is up for grabs here.

watchOS 5

I’m expecting new APIs for developers such as audio streaming over cellular, opening the game up to 3rd-party apps such as Spotify. New watch faces are a given, and maybe 2018 will be the year of 3rd-party watch faces in watchOS. This is a possibility seeing as a reference to this was found buried in iOS code a while back, and it’s a feature people have been asking for since Apple Watch launched in 2015.

macOS 10.14 Mojave

Performance and stability will be the focus of macOS 10.14, especially on older hardware. A leaked screenshot from a few days ago showed off a system-wide dark mode, the Apple News app making its way to the Mac and a redesigned Xcode 10. There will also be a push towards rejuvenating the Mac App Store, bringing it more in-line with the iOS App Store redesign from last year, and preparing it ahead of cross-platform apps in Fall 2019. 

The name Mojave comes from Apple’s recent trademark filings for the name, and the aforementioned leaked screenshots depicted the OS sporting a desert desktop background. 

As long as macOS gets more stable and reliable, and there is some sign of future development, i.e. the Mac App Store being prepared for new cross-platform apps, then Apple would be sending a strong signal that the Mac is by no means dead. Especially with the fabled 2019 Mac Pro launching next year.

iOS 12

Just like macOS, the focus here will be performance and stability, with most killer features that were due this year being pushed back to 2019. There will be some new introductions however, including improved parental controls, coupled with Apple’s equivalent of Google’s ‘digital wellbeing’ feature; designed to help us spend less time on our devices, a redesigned notification system getting its first major overhaul since iOS 5 in 2011, an always-on minimal OLED lock screen for iPhone X, and of course, ARKit 2.0.

ARKit 2.0 will introduce new features such as support for 2 devices seeing the same object at the same time. Apple is really pushing AR development and Tim Cook loves it. I’m sure this is all in preparation for the AR headset launching in 2020.

iOS 12 will probably appear a bit lacklustre on the surface, but it’s all about slowing development down and making the OS more stable. If you remember when Jony Ive hinted that by September 2019 the iPhone X software experience could be completely different from what it was at launch, I reckon he was referring to the iOS redesign which has now been shelved for next year.

HomePod

HomePod will get updated to iOS 12 too, hopefully bringing improvements and new capabilities to Siri.

Hardware announcements

Hardware announcements will be minimal if any. The new iPad Pro models will not be announced until the Fall.  There will be a refresh to the MacBook line, further showing Apple’s commitment to the Mac. MacBook Pro will get silent keyboard upgrades and a 6-Core i7 model with 32GB RAM. 

Wildcard: This keynote will see the unveiling of the Retina MacBook Air replacement, but it won’t ship until Q3 2018.

:))

Apple announces the best value iPad to date

Apple held its education-centric “Let’s take a field trip” event at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago today. As expected we saw some new hardware announcements, education-focused software, and new educational pricing and incentives. Below is a full rundown of everything unveiled today.

Hardware

The following new hardware products targeted towards students were announced.

The New iPad (again)

Welcome back to 2012 - ‘The New iPad’ is on sale again! Technically speaking, this is the 6th Generation iPad, however, just like last year, its official name is simply ‘iPad’. The Apple Website is touting it as ‘The New iPad’, which makes absolute sense as that’s precisely what it is, and it’s a nice callback to when the first Retina iPad was introduced (the 3rd gen) back in 2012, as this was how that device was marketed. 

The new iPad is a modest yet incredible welcome over the 2017 model, it retains the same form factor including the same non-laminated 9.7” Retina display. No P3 wide colour, True Tone or ProMotion here. It features a processor bump up to the same A10 Fusion chip found in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. This results in 40% faster CPU and 50% faster graphics performance when compared to the previous generation 9.7-inch iPad. LTE speeds have been increased up to 300 Mbps on this device, and if you opt for the Wi-Fi + cellular model, the Apple SIM still comes pre-installed. Unlike the iPad Pro models, however, it is not embedded in the device, so you will have to choose between Apple SIM or your own carrier’s SIM. The new iPad also ditches the old yellow-gold colour option for the new closer-to-rose-gold colour first introduced on the iPhone 8 back in September. 

However, the big news here - as expected - is support for the Apple Pencil (which has received a price drop to £89 in the UK), something that was previously limited to iPad Pro models. This is going to be brilliant for education and really a no-brainer for Apple, especially seeing as the 2018 iPad Pro model will supposedly be so different from their cheaper sibling, the Pencil doesn’t need to remain a Pro selling point. 

Finally, Logitech unveiled the ‘Crayon’ - a digital stylus, similar to Apple Pencil, but almost half the price at $49. It uses the same technology as the Apple Pencil technology to deliver the same sub-pixel precision, low latency, and tilt support. It does not feature the pressure sensors found in Apple Pencil, however. It has been designed specifically alongside the 6th-generation iPad, and will not work with last year’s model. It also remains unclear whether or not it will work with any iPad Pro models. 

I think the crayon is going to be amazing for younger students.

iPad keeps the same price as its predecessor in the US, starting at $329 or $299 for schools. In the UK iPad now starts at £319 - £20 cheaper than the 2017 model. 

Update 28/3/18: It’s no suprise, but it’s been confirmed that the new iPad does not have these additional hardware features found on iPad Pro:

 - Smart Connector

- Optical Image Stabilisation

- 4K video recording

- Second-gen Touch ID

Software

Surprisingly, there was no information shared regarding the iOS 11.3 release date as had been expected, however, there were plenty of software announcements to go around.

iWork Updates

Apple’s iWork apps for iOS got updated today to include Apple Pencil support. This will allow Pages, Numbers and Keynote users to add drawings directly to documents and take advantage of all-new smart annotation features. For example, when using smart annotation, the note anchors to the word or image around it. So as edits are made to the document, such as moving or resizing an image or text box, the pencil annotations move with the content. Teachers will also be able to use Markup directly within iWork to add to students' documents and projects using an iPad and Apple Pencil. 

Schoolwork and Classroom

Apple’s existing Classroom iPad app will be coming to the Mac starting as a beta in June. Classroom allows teachers to interact with the iPads in their classroom as well as monitor what they are doing on them.

Also announced was a new app called Schoolwork, which lets teachers assign schoolwork and tasks and track the progress of their students. The ClassKit API coming in iOS 11.4 will allow 3rd-party apps to integrate with Schoolwork. Schoolwork will be available to teachers starting in June.

Educational incentives

Other than reduced hardware pricing for schools and students, and the new apps mentioned above, there were other new Apple incentives announced for those in education today. 

Everyone Can Create

Everyone Can Create is a free new curriculum that will be part of the ‘Today At Apple’ sessions.

“Everyone Can Create makes it fun and easy for teachers to integrate drawing, music, filmmaking or photography into their existing lesson plans for any subject. The new curriculum joins Apple’s successful Everyone Can Code initiative as one-of-a-kind programs for teachers that keep students excited and engaged.”

The curriculum includes learning resources and teaching guides to help teachers integrate drawing, music, filmmaking or photography into lessons, topics, and classwork. It also features teacher and student guides, lessons, ideas and examples to help teachers bring creativity and new communication skills into existing subjects like English, maths, science and history. 

Free iCloud Storage

Students now get 200GB of free iCloud storage. This is great, but it’s still 5GB for everyone else, which is a shame in 2018. 

Other things that happened today.

New Watch straps and iPhone/iPad cases went on sale in a variety of Spring 2018 colours. These will likely be around until the September Keynote. 

The Space Grey Mac desktop peripherals introduced with iMac Pro are now available to purchase separately from Apple, albeit at a slight premium compared to their standard Silver counterparts. 

:))

iCollectApple - Unboxing: iMac Pro

About a week or so ago I was lucky enough to spend some time with a brand new iMac Pro and took the opportunity to unbox it. This thing is crazy and I strongly recommend you get down to your nearest Apple Store to see one in person because it's an absolute beauty. 

I really hope to own one of these some day, but I'm waiting to see the new Mac Pro before making any decisions.

:))