October 30 Roundup: All the Little Things

Today’s Apple event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House introduced new MacBook Air, Mac mini, and iPad Pro, but there were also a lot of small details revealed outside the keynote in press releases, on product webpages, and elsewhere. Below is a roundup of some of the most interesting details you may have missed.

The Event

Apple posted photos highlighting today’s event, including the cavernous and crowded hands-on area.

Attendees of the Apple event received stickers.

iPad Pros

Only the 1TB model of the iPad Pro has 6GB of RAM. The other models have 4GB of RAM.

The 11-inch iPad Pro is the first iPad that doesn’t have a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Matthew Panzarino reports that the reduction in size and weight of the 12.9-inch iPad Pro make it a compelling choice over the 11-inch model.

The minimum width of apps displayed in Split View and the width of apps in Slide Over on the iPad Pro has been increased.

The iPad Pro lets you know if you’re covering the Face ID camera with your finger.

When you run an app in Split View with an app that hasn’t been updated for the new iPad Pro, they both run in a compatibility mode that shrinks the apps, leaving empty space along the top and bottom edges of the apps.

Apple is selling a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter because there is no headphone port on the iPad Pro.

Apple is also selling a USB-C to SD Card reader.

Apple Pencil

The second-generation Apple Pencil has a matte finish, which Rene Ritchie says provides tactility, and there is a flat edge for the new double-tap gesture.

Third-party developers can customize the actions associated with the Apple Pencil’s double-tap gesture, but are encouraged to be judicious in doing so.

The Apple Pencil displays an on-screen message confirming when it is magnetically attached to the iPad Pro.

The new Apple Pencil only works with the new iPad Pros, and the first generation Apple Pencils do not work with the new iPads.

Macs

It’s possible to configure a new Mac mini that costs $4200.

The Mac mini’s RAM is upgradable, but Apple encourages users to do so at an Apple Store or an authorized reseller.

The MacBook Air has a 7W Core i5-8210Y Amber Lake Y processor.