Despite the pandemic, Apple launched a number of products this year. The company had a relatively quiet start to 2020 but towards the end, it launched at least one new product every month. With some impressive product launches like the Apple Watch Series 6, iPad Air, iPhone 12, and more, below is a roundup of what I think were the best Apple products released this year.
There’s more to Apple than just iPhone. The company has evolved beyond iPhones and it now has a number of impressive products across various categories. What’s commendable is that Apple managed to release some impressive products in this wretched year that saw the supply-chain of many companies being disrupted. Check out our list of the best Apple products released this year.
The Best Apple Products Launched This Year
5. iPhone 12 Pro Max
The iPhone 12 Pro Max is Apple’s biggest iPhone to date with a massive 6.7-inch display. What makes the iPhone 12 Pro Max stand out from other iPhone 12 variants is its camera setup. The ‘max’ iPhone uses a bigger primary 12MP camera sensor compared to the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro. It also features sensor-shift stabilization that allows for much longer handheld-stabilized shots.
These improvements mean the iPhone 12 Pro Max camera performance is better than the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro series which is especially visible in low-light. If you really value great camera performance, battery life, and want a big phone, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is among the best options in the market right now.
Read: iPhone 12 Pro Max Review: Needs To be More than Your Phone!
4. iPhone SE
Right around the entire world went into a lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Apple launched the 2020 iPhone SE. On paper, the iPhone SE is nothing but a rehashed iPhone 8 with slightly updated internals. Despite that, the iPhone SE turned out to be a notable hit for Apple because of its compact form factor, its performance, and its price tag. The device packs a 4.7-inch display, Touch ID, A13 Bionic chip, IP67 certification, a 12MP rear camera with 4K video recording, 7MP front camera, and more.
Despite packing such specs, the iPhone SE retails for only $399, making it the cheapest iPhone in Apple’s lineup.
3. iPad Air
Apple revamped the iPad Air in a big way this year. The refreshed iPad Air now features a 10.9-inch display with slimmer bezels that give it a much more modern look than its predecessor. Internally, it features the A14 Bionic, the same chip that powers the iPhone 12 series. This makes the iPad Air a monster in terms of performance. Throw in the Touch ID-integrated power button, stereo speakers in landscape mode, and an array of bold colors, the iPad Air is arguably the best iPad to buy in Apple’s lineup right now.
2. iPhone 12 mini
In a sea of phones with a display size of 6.5-inches or above, the iPhone 12 mini comes as a breath of fresh air thanks to its diminutive size and its 5.4-inch display size. What’s impressive is that the iPhone 12 mini sports the same specifications as other iPhone 12 models. Apple has not made any compromises in the specs and camera department with the iPhone 12 mini which is something that Android OEMs tend to do with their ‘mini’ smartphones.
If you want a compact flagship, there’s really no other option in the market other than the iPhone 12 mini.
1. M1 Macs
In my opinion, the entire M1 Mac lineup from Apple was its best product launch of 2020. From the outside, the M1 MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini look the same as their Intel-based versions. However, they bring a massive leap in performance, efficiency, and battery life that no other laptop or PC in the market can match right now. The jump in user experience is also a big one as M1 Macs come with features like instant-wake from sleep, the ability to open apps instantly, and more all of which greatly improve the end-user experience.
A lot of consumers might not care too much about M1-based Macs, but their launch has changed the PC industry forever, It has made the entire industry sit up and take notice of just how inferior Intel CPUs have been in recent years. In the coming years, Apple is only going to push the PC industry forward in terms of performance and efficiency with its M-series chips like it has pushed the smartphone industry forward with its A-series chips.
Honorable Mention – AirPods Studio
There are plenty of other products that Apple launched this year. Some were relatively unchanged from their previous iteration (e.g. 2020 iPad Pro, early-2020 MacBook Air/Pro refresh) but the company also launched products in some entirely new categories. The $549 AirPods Max being the perfect example of that. While ridiculed for their price and Smart Case, the AirPods Max brings a number of new features to the table that other similar headphones in the premium range miss out on.
Yes, the AirPods Max is too expensive for most consumers but just like every other Apple product, it will push the high-end headphones market forward.
What were your top 5 Apple product launches of the year? Drop a comment and let us know!
