During an unusual nighttime launch event on Monday, Apple confirmed new PC chips, MacBook Pro laptops, and a new iMac model.
The new chips will revamp Apple’s Mac lineup ahead of the crucial holiday shopping season. Sales of the Mac lineup fell 7% in the June quarter due to a slowdown in PC sales globally.
Next week sees the release of the new computers, which include MacBook Pro and iMac models. Other than new chips, the designs are the same as those of the previous models. While Apple’s MacBook Pro models received a chip upgrade back in January, the company had not updated its iMac since April 2021. In June, Apple also unveiled the 15-inch MacBook Air laptop.
At its launch event, which had a Halloween theme, Apple stated that the new chips represent a significant upgrade, offering longer battery life, faster speeds, and, at the top of the line, the power required to create artificial intelligence applications. During the Monday launch event, Apple executives underscored how much faster and more efficient the machines are than the Intel-based Macs, which will begin to be phased out in 2020.
In addition, Apple reduced the cost of its entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro from at least $1999 to $1599. However, the model now sports a less potent M3 chip rather than the “Pro”-level chip found in the previous model.
Here’s what Apple announced on Monday:
Three new chips:
- Three new chips, all part of the larger M3 product family, were announced by Apple. The M2 chip generation is the one in use right now.
- For AI developers and 3D artists, there is an entry-level M3, a 40% faster M3 Pro, and a 250% faster M3 Max chip.
- According to Apple, a laptop with an M3 chip can have a battery life of up to 22 hours.
The M3 features a graphics processing unit with up to 10 cores and an 8 core central processing unit. - There are 12 CPU cores and 18 GPU cores in the M3 Pro.
- The M3 Max features a 16-core CPU and a GPU with up to 40 cores. According to Apple, it can be utilized to create software with artificial intelligence.
- According to Apple, the GPUs on its most recent generation of chips are 1.8 times faster than those on the M2 chips.
- According to Apple, the M3’s CPU cores can perform 15% faster under heavy workloads than the M2’s. According to Apple, the M3 processor is 60% faster than the M1 processor.
- The most cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing technology available from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the 3 nanometer process is the foundation upon which the new chips are constructed.
- The M3 Max-equipped machines won’t ship until later in November.
New MacBook Pro and iMac models:
- An upgraded MacBook Pro 14-inch model. Apple has released a new entry-level model with an M3 processor that retails for $1599. The model from the previous year had a faster “Pro” level processor and was priced at $1999.
- The entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro costs $1999; for an additional sum, one can upgrade to an M3 Max.
- A revised MacBook Pro (16-inch model). It is the largest and most potent laptop made by the company. With an M3 Pro, it starts at $2499, but an M3 Max upgrade is available for an extra fee.
- Unlike the MacBook Air models, which only have USB-C ports, the MacBook Pros have both an HDMI port and an SD card slot.
- New chips were not added to Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro, which features a touchscreen Touch Bar keyboard.
- Along with the Pro and Max chips, Apple has introduced a new dark aluminum color called “Space Black” for the higher-end MacBook Pro models. According to Apple, the laptops’ aluminum is anodized to lessen fingerprint smudges.
- The starting price of an updated 24-inch iMac desktop computer is $1299. This model uses an M3 chip, while the previous one used an M1 chip.
