Apple reveals new ‘Scary Fast’ MacBook Pro and iMac lineup

On Monday, Apple unveiled its new MacBook Pro and iMac computers with three new chips, M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max. This launch was characterised by its own name ‘Scary Fast’ symbolising the theme behind the launch.

The trio of chips makes iMac one of the fastest in the industry, with Apple claiming it as the “biggest leap forward in graphics architecture yet seen in Apple silicon.” Apple silicon is the company’s own semiconductor business. Apple stated that the new chip trio are a first for laptops and desktops that use three nanometre manufacturing technology.

“With a next-generation GPU architecture and a faster CPU, the M3 family brings even more performance and remarkable new capabilities to MacBook Pro,” Apple stated.

The new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 is aimed at software developers, designers, video editors and musicians.

On the other hand, the tech company also said that the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3Pro has a memory utilisation “up to 40 per cent faster than the 16-inch model with M1 Pro”, ideal for researchers, coders and creatives. Apple explained that with these new models, Adobe Photoshop is three times faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Pro ⁵ and up to 40 per cent faster the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro ⁴.

All MacBook Pro models will feature Liquid Retina XDR display, with 20 per cent more brightness, a built-in 1080p camera, six-speaker sound system and a wide array of connectivity options. It also has up to 22 hour of battery life. “The lineup offers the ultimate in pro portability, delivering the same performance whether plugged in or on battery, so users can take their workflows anywhere,” Apple explained.

MacBook Pro models with M3 Pro and M3 Max are available in colour silver and a new colour; space black, whose build is made to reduce the sight of fingerprints. Its enclosure is made using 100 per cent recycled “rare earth elements in all magnets and 100 per cent recycled tin soldering and gold plating in multiple printed circuit boards.”

Apple also said that MacBook Pro is free of harmful substances such as beryllium, brominated flame retardants and mercury.

The cost of the new products in the United States is said to range from $1,599 (€1,156.46) for the 14-inch MacBook Pro laptop and $2,499 (€2,370) for the 16-inch version to $1,299 (€1,231.95) for the iMac desktop. Not all will be available for shipment in the coming days, some are said to be available for shipment in late November. Bloomberg also cited Apple’s online store that “a fully loaded high-end MacBook Pro with 16-inch screen, 40 graphics cores, eight terabytes of storage and 128 gigabytes of memory comes in at $7,199 (€6,827.39).”

The new launch also saw the retirement of the 13-inch MacBook Pro model, that cost $1,299 (€1,231.95) and was very popular with businesses.

Bloomberg reported that since switching to Apple silicon to create its own chips, rather than using Intel Corp. components, the tech giant saw its Mac computer sales skyrocket. This also coincided with the pandemic, which did attribute for many people to spend more on technology.

Despite so, Mac revenue started decreasing in recent quarters as competition grew wider. It is understood and expected that the new M3 trio will increase revenue once again and “help restore Apple’s advantage in the industry and get the Mac business back on track.”