Apple Unveils New MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac Mini – Running On Apple’s Silicon Chips (photos)
Apple has unveiled its latest MacBooks: the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro as well as Mac Mini on Tuesday, November 10 during its hardware event tagged ‘One More Thing’.
The event was Apple’s third in three months, following its iPhone event in October and the unveiling of its new line of Apple Watches in September.
Read Also: ‘One More Thing’: Apple Announces Special Event For November 10, Silicon Macs Expected To Debut
The new laptops are the first to contain the M1 chip, Apple’s new homemade chip that will replace Intel chips in its Mac line.
As a result, iPhone and iPad apps will now run directly on MacBooks because all of Apple’s devices will now run on the same architecture.
Read Also: Apple Announces M1, First Apple Silicon Chip For Macs
MacBook Air
Apple says the new MacBook Air is up to 3.5x faster than the previous generation. It has been described as Apple’s thinnest and lightest MacBook.
The laptop will have improved performance and battery life (15 hours of battery life while browsing the web, or 18 hours while watching video).
It will also have higher-quality camera, Touch ID, and more vibrant display (13.3”). It also doesn’t have a fan, which means it would be completely silent. The MacBook Air’s cost will start from $999 or $899 for students.
When compared to the previous generation, the M1-powered MacBook Air can;
Export a project for the web with iMovie up to 3x faster, Integrate 3D effects into video in Final Cut Pro up to 5x faster. For the first time, play back and edit multiple streams of full-quality, 4K ProRes video in Final Cut Pro without dropping a frame. Export photos from Lightroom up to twice as fast.
Use ML-based features like Smart Conform in Final Cut Pro to intelligently frame a clip up to 4.3x faster. Watch more movies and TV shows with up to 18 hours of battery life, the longest ever on MacBook Air. Extend FaceTime and other video calls for up to twice as long on a single charge.
MacBook Pro
The 13-inch MacBook Pro will have the longest battery life of any Mac, a higher-quality camera, and studio-quality mics.
The system supports a massive 17 hours of battery life for web browsing and 20 hours for video playback — that’s the highest rating the company has offered on a MacBook product.
The company says it will sport nearly 2.8x performance rate over the previous model, with 5x faster graphics. However, unlike MacBook Air, there is a fan inside.
MacBook Pro features TouchBar as well as webcam, though the company says there would also be some software-based performance improvement. The mics has however have been enhanced.
It features two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports (like the Air) and starts with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, upgradable to 16GB and 2TB, respectively.
The new 13-inch MacBook Pro will start at $1,299, with preorders starting today ahead of the November 17 launch.
When compared to the previous generation, the M1-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro can:
Build code in Xcode up to 2.8x faster. Render a complex 3D title in Final Cut Pro up to 5.9x faster. Fluidly design intricate game scenes in Unity Editor up to 3.5x faster.
Perform ML tasks in Create ML up to 11x faster. Separate out beats, instrumentals, and vocal tracks from a recording in real time in djay Pro AI, thanks to the amazing performance of the Neural Engine.
Play back full-quality, 8K ProRes video in DaVinci Resolve without dropping a single frame.
Compile four times as much code on a single charge, thanks to the game-changing performance per watt of the M1 chip.
Mac Mini
The final new device to be powered by the in-house chips is Apple’s compact desktop computer, the Mac mini.
The $699 desktop system, equipped with USB-C ports that allow it to connect to a display of your choosing, offers a higher performance alternative to users who prefer to work on larger monitors and need their computers to do more heavy lifting than a laptop can.
Price-wise, the new Mac mini starts at $699 for the model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage space. Then, model with 8GB RAM and 512GB storage space goes for $899. Both of these have the same M1 chip.
