This Apple-designed leather sleeve (part number MTEJ2ZM/A) is made for the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro. Apple described the sleeve:
“The black Apple Leather Sleeve is designed for the Apple 15.4-inch MacBook Pro. The sleeve is made of European leather with a soft microfiber lining.”
Apple adds that “The design of this sleeve allows you to charge your 15-inch MacBook while keeping it protected.”
On September 12, 2023, Apple announced that they would end “the use of leather across all of its product lines.” Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, said: “At Apple, we have a longstanding and proven commitment to leading the fight against climate change. Our focus on renewable energy and low-carbon design has already driven industry-leading emissions reductions, and we’re not slowing down.”
The Milanese Loop was among Apple’s original Apple Watch band designs. In the press release in September 2014 announcing the original Apple Watch, Apple wrote: “Apple also created an entire range of watch straps [including] the Milanese Loop in a flexible magnetic stainless steel mesh.” The original Milanese Loop was available only in silver, but has been offered in a total of five colors: Silver (Spring 2015), Space Black (Spring 2016), Graphite (Fall 2020), and two shades of Gold (Fall 2018, Fall 2020).
This example is the Generation 1 version of the Gold Stainless Steel Milanese Loop. (The Generation 2 version released in Fall 2020 had a slightly less red tone.)
Apple describes the Milanese Loop:
“A modern interpretation of a design developed in Milan at the end of the 19th century. Woven on specialized Italian machines, the smooth stainless steel mesh wraps fluidly around your wrist. And because it’s fully magnetic, the Milanese Loop is infinitely adjustable, ensuring a perfect fit.”
Apple specifies that the Milanese Loop is not water resistant and cautions that the band contains magnets that may cause interference with the Compass on the watch.
The 38/40/41mm version of the band band fit 130–180mm wrists, while the 42/44/45/49mm version fit 150–200mm wrists. Although this design and color was released in 2015, this Milanese Loop is dated 2019 on the packaging, and the product was still available on the Apple website as of March 2023 (for $99).
On October 18, 2018, Apple introduced an all-new MacBook Air model:
“Apple today introduced an all-new MacBook Air, bringing a stunning 13-inch Retina display, Touch ID, the latest processors and an even more portable design to the world’s most loved notebook. Delivering the all-day battery life it’s known for, the new MacBook Air is available in three gorgeous finishes — gold, space gray and silver. The most affordable Retina-display Mac ever also includes an Apple-designed keyboard, a spacious Force Touch trackpad, faster SSDs, wide stereo sound, the Apple T2 Security Chip and Thunderbolt 3, making the new MacBook Air the perfect notebook to take with you everywhere you go.”
The 13.3-inch Retina display was 2560 x 1600 (at 227ppi)—a 16:10 aspect ratio. It used a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, and offered many storage options: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1.5TB SSD. RAM options included 8GB or 16GB.
Like all previous MacBook Air models, this version used a tapered body design. It measured 0.16 inch in front to 0.61 inch in back (0.41–1.56 cm) thick, and was 11.97 inches (30.41 cm) wide and 8.36 inches (21.24 cm) deep. It weighed 2.75 pounds (1.25 kg).
The front camera was a 720p FaceTime HD camera. This was the first MacBook Air to ship with 2 USB-C connections, and it also had a 3.5mm headphone jack. Further, this was the first MacBook Air to include an Integrated Touch ID sensor.
The 2018 MacBook Air was released at a time when its features were potentially confusing to customers when compared to other Apple laptop offerings at the time. A reviewer at The Verge noted:
“Is this new Air like a 12-inch MacBook, just blown up to a slightly bigger size? Is it more like a 13-inch MacBook Pro (sans Touch Bar), just with cheaper parts?”
When released, this this MacBook Air only was offered in a 13-inch option, dropping the 11-inch version available in the previous design. This was also the final MacBook Air with an Intel chip—future versions included Apple Silicon, such as the M1.
Apple’s press release for the iPhone XR led with, “Featuring A12 Bionic Chip, 6.1-Inch Liquid Retina Display, Aluminum and Glass Design in Six Beautiful Finishes, Face ID and Advanced Camera System.”
The iPhone XR, pronounced “ten-R” was released along with the iPhone XS and XS Max. According to MacRumors, the XR model shares hardware with the XS models, but features were removed and/or downgraded to reduce the price of the XR.
The six available colors included (PRODUCT)RED, Yellow, White, Coral, Black, and Blue. The iPhone XR was available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB capacities. It measured 2.98 inches (75.7 mm) x 5.94 inches (150.9 mm), and was 0.33 inch (8.3 mm) thick. It weighed 6.84 ounces (194 grams).
The Liquid Retina HD display measured 6.1 inches (diagonal) with 1792 x 828-pixel resolution (at 326 ppi). The iPhone XR was powered by the A12 Bionic chip with a second-generation Neural Engine.
The primary back camera was 12 Megapixels with up to 5x digital zoom. Its features included Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and depth control, portrait lighting (Natural, Studio, Contour), optical image stabilization, panorama (up to 63MP), autofocus, and smart HDR. It could record video at up to 4K video (at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps). The front had a TrueDepth Camera at 7 Megapixels with features including Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and depth control, portrait lighting (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono), and allowed the use of Animoji and Memoji.
Its six sensors included Face ID, barometer, 3‑axis gyro, accelerometer, proximity sensor, and ambient light sensor. It shipped with iOS 14 and it included a USB-C to Lightning cable.
This example is yellow and includes Apple’s iPhone XR Clear Case.
Apple’s press release for the iPhone XR led with, “Featuring A12 Bionic Chip, 6.1-Inch Liquid Retina Display, Aluminum and Glass Design in Six Beautiful Finishes, Face ID and Advanced Camera System”
The iPhone XR, pronounced “ten-R” was released along with the iPhone XS and XS Max. According to MacRumors, the XR model shares hardware with the XS models, but features were removed and/or downgraded to reduce the price of the XR.
The six available colors included (PRODUCT)RED, Yellow, White, Coral, Black, and Blue. The iPhone XR was available in 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB capacities. It measured 2.98 inches (75.7 mm) x 5.94 inches (150.9 mm), and was 0.33 inch (8.3 mm) thick. It weighed 6.84 ounces (194 grams). This is a (PRODUCT)RED model with 64GB of storage.
The Liquid Retina HD display measured 6.1 inches (diagonal) with 1792 x 828-pixel resolution (at 326ppi). The iPhone XR was powered by the A12 Bionic chip with a second-generation Neural Engine.
The primary back camera was 12 Megapixels with up to 5x digital zoom. Its features included Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting (Natural, Studio, Contour), Optical image stabilization, Panorama (up to 63MP), Autofocus, and Smart HDR. It could record video at up to 4K video (at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps). The front had a TrueDepth Camera at 7 Megapixels with features including Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono), and allowed the use of Animoji and Memoji.
Its six sensors included Face ID, barometer, 3‑axis gyro, accelerometer, proximity sensor, and ambient light sensor. It originally shipped with iOS 14, and it included a USB-C to Lightning Cable.
The iPad Generation 6 was considered Apple’s “base” iPad when it was released on March 27, 2018. It was offered in Silver, Gold, and Space Gray. It was available in 32GB and 128GB configurations with Wi-Fi-only or with Wi-Fi+Cellular capabilities. This example is a 32GB Space Gray Wi-Fi-only model.
This iPad was announced in Chicago at an education-focused event at Lane Tech High School. An Apple Press Release stated:
“The new 9.7-inch iPad and Apple Pencil give users the ability to be even more creative and productive, from sketching ideas and jotting down handwritten notes to marking up screenshots. The new iPad is more versatile and capable than ever, features a large Retina display, the A10 Fusion chip and advanced sensors that help deliver immersive augmented reality, and provides unmatched portability, ease of use and all-day battery life.”
The iPad generation 6 used a 9.7-inch LED-backlit Multi-Touch Retina display at 2048 x 1536-pixel resolution (264 ppi). This iPad measured 9.4 inches (240 mm) x 6.6 inches (169.5 mm), and was 0.29 inch (7.5 mm) thick. It weighed 1.03 pounds (469 g). This iPad was powered by the A10 Fusion chip.
The back camera was 8 Megapixels with features such as Autofocus, Panorama (up to 43 megapixels), and HDR. The front FaceTime HD Camera was 1.2 Megapixels.
This iPad used five sensors including a 3-axis gyro, accelerometer, barometer, and an ambient light sensor. Its Home button included the Touch ID fingerprint identity sensor.
This was the first base-model iPad to support the Apple Pencil and the Logitech Crayon, and it originally shipped with iOS 12.
This “Close Your Rings” Apple Watch Woven Nylon band was only available to Apple employees who participated in and completed the “Close Your Rings” challenge in 2018.
According to MacRumors writer mikedop, who has extensively researched and written about the challenges:
“The Close Your Rings Woven Nylon was the second ever employee exclusive Apple Watch band. This exclusivity combined with the unique design lead to a high demand for the band on secondhand markets like eBay… The Close Your Rings 2018 prize came with a challenge card as well…in a book-like style, with the text on the outside and the band stuck to the card on the inside. The text, sitting on the front below a metallic silhouette of the activity rings in either gold, silver or bronze, read the following: ‘Closure. At last. You did it. You completed the Close Your Rings Challenge, and this band is proof. Put it on your wrist. Let it go straight to your head. You’ve earned it. Wear it, flaunt it, feel free to sweat all over it. It’s yours.’”
Incidentally, the first employee-exclusive Apple Watch band was the original Pride band given to employees who attended the LGBT Pride festival in San Francisco on June 26, 2016.
This Close Your Rings woven nylon band is all black with black plastic lugs and a black buckle. It has a three-color loop closure (called the “keeper” in watch parlance) in blue, green, and red—representing the colors of Apple’s Activity rings. This band is in the 42mm size.
Although this band was not available for sale, this is the description that Apple used for the Woven Nylon Band collection:
“Every Woven Nylon band is made from over 500 threads woven together in a unique, colorful pattern. Monofilaments connect four layers of the weave to create a single durable band with a comfortable, fabric-like feel.”
The Apple Watch Sport Loop band is woven from nylon thread to create a hook-and-loop closure. They were available for the 38/40mm and 42/44mm Apple Watch models, and were offered in sizes to fit 130–190mm wrists.
Apple described the Apple Watch Sport Loop band:
“Soft, breathable, and lightweight, the Sport Loop features a hook-and-loop fastener for quick and easy adjustment. The double-layer nylon weave has dense loops on the skin side that provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape. On the reverse side, the attachment loops are securely anchored for superior durability.”
This Flash Light Sport Loop has an overall bright yellow-green appearance. It’s name includes “Light” to differentiate it from a previous Apple Sport Loop color called “Flash,” released in Fall 2017. The original Flash Sport Loop featured bright yellow edges and plastics, but included black thread woven into the center creating a dark yellow appearance, while “Flash Light” consisted only of the light and bright yellow-green hues.
This Flash Light Sport Loop is paired with an Apple Watch Series 7 in silver stainless steel.
The Apple Watch Sport Band is made from a flexible rubber material called fluoroelastomer with a metal pin closure. Sizes range from S/M, M/L, or L/XL. When purchasing an Apple Watch Sport Band, the S/M and M/L sizes are included in the box, allowing the band to fit wrists 140–210 mm.
Apple describes the Apple Watch Sport band:
“Made from a custom high-performance fluoroelastomer, the Sport Band is durable and strong, yet surprisingly soft. The smooth, dense material drapes elegantly across your wrist and feels comfortable next to your skin. An innovative pin-and-tuck closure ensures a clean fit.”
The Apple Watch Sport band has been available in the most colors so far. As of November 2021, 110 Apple Sport Band colors were available with an additional 36 Nike Sport Band colors (according to the Bandbreite app).
This example comes with S/M and M/L sizes for the 38 mm Apple Watch that is also compatible with 40mm and 41mm sizes.
The second generation Apple Pencil was released along with the Generation 3 iPad Pro on October 30, 2018. The new Apple Pencil was described by Apple in a press release:
“A second-generation Apple Pencil magnetically attaches to iPad Pro and wirelessly charges at the same time. A new touch sensor built onto Apple Pencil detects taps, introducing an entirely new way to interact within apps.”
This Apple Pencil charged with a magnetic charger built into the iPad instead of the Lightning connector used to charge the original Apple Pencil.
Apple lists the capabilities of the Apple Pencil Generation 2 as including:
Wireless pairing and charging
Attaches magnetically
Double-tap to change tools
Pixel-perfect precision
Tilt and pressure sensitivity
Imperceptible lag
Free engraving
Although small design changes, the second generation Apple Pencil featured two flat edges and a matte-textured finish, making it feel more like a traditional pencil. It was also less prone to rolling off the table.
This post was updated in October 2021 to include the unboxing and shots of the Apple Pencil Generation 2 being used with an iPad Pro 11-inch (2021) and Apple’s Smart Folio.
