NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Apple has unveiled a new version of its MacBook Air laptop, this time made of recycled aluminum, as well as a new Mac Mini and an iPad Pro, all pricier than their predecessors.
Nearly 10 years after the launch of the first MacBook Air by the late Steve Jobs, his successor Tim Cook presented on Tuesday the latest version of this PC, just 1.56 cm thick, compared to 1.94 cm (0.75 inches).
This model was made with 100 percent recycled aluminum and recycled plastic, a change which reduces its carbon footprint, Apple said.
Last year Apple announced it would aim for a circular production system for its iPhones, which it said would allow for making new products with recycled materials.
The Mac Mini unveiled Tuesday — the latest version of Apple’s high performance mini desktop computer — is also manufactured with completely recycled aluminum and plastic as well.
Apple is not the only computer manufacturer to use such material, but a report by Greenpeace last year called it among the best performers in the industry in terms of going easy on the environment.
In its most basic model, with 128 gigabytes of memory, the MacBook Air will be available November 7 in the United States at a price of $1,199, which is $200 more than the simplest current version of the computer.
The Mac Mini comes out on the same date for $799, compared to $499 for the most affordable version today.
Apple also unveiled a new version of its iPad Pro tablet with a screen that looks nearly edge-to-edge and boasts a faster processor. It includes features from the latest iPhones.
The changes are part of an effort to overhaul a product that has seen sliding sales in recent years.
Sales of iPads peaked in the first quarter of 2014 at 26 million units. By comparison the company sold about half that many last year in the final quarter.
The 11-inch model starts at $799, up from $649 for the 10.5-inch version from last year.
— Bloomberg News contributed to this story —
© Agence France-Presse
