In the span of just a few days, Apple's new iPhone XR arrived and the company rolled new hardware at event in Brooklyn, N.Y. Here's what matters. Credit: Computerworld For Apple users, it’s been quite a few days. The new iPhone XR is finally in customer hands – and winning rave reviews for its speed, design and overall polish. (Not to mention, it’s hundreds of dollars cheaper than the iPhone XS and XS Max.) Then on Tuesday in Brooklyn, N.Y., the company unveiled new iPad Pro tablets with Face ID and a revamped design; whole new MacBook Air laptops that now eclipse the MacBook; and a new Mac mini (finally) that can be optioned up to cost $4,200. With all that hardware, though, comes higher price tags, says Macworld‘s Michael Simon. Much higher, in some cases. That’s one reason, Simon told Computerworld Executive Editor Ken Mingis, that he’s been so impressed with the iPhone XR. Aside from the LCD screen and a different camera, it’s just as powerful and versatile as the more expensive iPhone XS and XS Max. Simon also had praise for the new MacBook Air, which should be at the top of the list for anyone who was considering a MacBook. In fact, he said, practically no one should be considering a MacBook now. The Air is just that much better. As for the iPad Pro, the addition of USB-C (which replaced the old Lightning port) seems to telegraph that Apple wants to move the popular tablet away from its iPhone/iOS roots. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll evolve into a hybrid to take on the like of the Microsoft Surface. And no, he told Mingis, it’s not really a laptop replacement – even with the new Apple keyboard – at least not yet. For an audio-only version of this episode, click play (or catch up on all earlier episodes) below. Or you can find us on iTunes or Pocket Casts, where you can download each episode and listen at your leisure. Happy listening, and please, send feedback or suggestions for future topics to us. We’d love to hear from you. Related content news analysis Apple earnings: About that iPhone 'slump' in China Based on information from Thursday's earnings report, it seems that data pointing to an iPhone slump in China were over-baked. By Jonny Evans May 03, 2024 9 mins iMac iPhone Apple news Microsoft begins to phase out ‘classic’ Teams Microsoft is encouraging Teams customers to move to the new, faster version of the collaboration app; the older version will be switched off next year. By Matthew Finnegan May 03, 2024 3 mins Microsoft Teams Collaboration Software Productivity Software news analysis Apple confirms it will open up the iPad in Europe this fall The latest efforts to comply with Europe’s Digital Markets Act mean developers can offer to side load apps to both iPhones and iPads in the EU. Apple has also taken steps to improve what it offers to smaller and non-commercial developers in the By Jonny Evans May 02, 2024 6 mins iPad Apple Mobile Apps news Udacity offers laid-off US workers free access to its courses for 30 days Sign-ups will be available over the next 30 days By Lucas Mearian May 02, 2024 4 mins Technology Industry IT Jobs IT Skills Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe