Apple unveils new iPads, iMacs at 2021 'Spring loaded' event

Apple is sprucing up its own product line during a series of announcements that Apple made Tuesday during a pre-recorded event that sometimes seemed like a one-hour infomercial. Apple used the virtual event to unveil improvements its iMac and iPad, a new subscription option for podcasts and a gadget called AirTags that can be attached to backpacks, purses and other accessories so they can be easily found if ever misplaced or lost with an iPhone or iPod.

The AirTags, due in stores April 30, will require the forthcoming update called iOS 14.5 that will include the new anti-tracking feature. Apple said in a footnote to its AirTags announcement that update will be released at some point next week. The Cupertino, California, company, had previously only said the update would be available next spring. A similar software update with the same privacy control is coming out on iPads, too.

Apple is also rolling out new iMacs with better cameras and speakers for improved video meetings and sound. The latest iPad Pros are getting a series of improvements, including the ability to work on the ultrafast 5G wireless networks that are still being built. The popularity of those products and services have turned Apple into one of the world's most profitable companies with a market value of $2.2 trillion, twice as much as when the pandemic began.