The New MacBook Pro: High-performance, Low-power, Dual-core CPUs and High-capacity GPUs at a high starting price
New specs also mean a higher starting price. The M3 MacBook Pro will start at $1499, which is $300 higher than the M2 MacBook Pro. It also includes just 8GB of RAM in its base configuration, which is low considering the laptop’s premium price. You also can’t get it in Apple’s new space black color; that’s reserved for the higher-end 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros with the M3 Pro and M3 Max, which still start at $1,999.
Apple says the new MacBook Pro can run for up to 22 hours of battery life, in the M3 Pro model. The Max’s endurance may be slightly less, since the Graphics Processing Unit cores consume some power. Most everywhere else, these MacBook Pros are identical to the M2 Pro / Max laptops released at the beginning of this year; they’ve still got the bright, contrasty Mini LED display, an excellent speaker system, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, an SD card reader, and a MagSafe connector for charging. The screens can now reach up to 600 nits of brightness for SDR content, which is 20 percent brighter than before.
There are different versions of the next-generation chipsets. The entry-level M3 packs an 8-core CPU and up to 10-core GPU with up to 24 gigabytes of unified memory. The M3 Pro has a large amount of unified memory, a 12-core processor, and an 18-core graphics card. The most powerful of them all is the M3 Max with an 16-core CPU, a whopping 40-core GPU, and support for up to 128 gigabytes of unified memory.
The Space Black MacBook Pro iMac: An M3-themed Upgrade that Apple claims is twice as Fast as the M1-equipped MacBook Pro
Apple says its new space black finish should be less of a fingerprint magnet than the dark blue “midnight” MacBook Air. The company attributes this to “a breakthrough chemistry that forms an anodization seal to greatly reduce fingerprints.” That said, I can’t imagine that the seal will do much to prevent scratches or scruffs, which tend to shine through as bright silver if they’re deep enough. This is the reason I always wear silver. The shade appears more dark than the previous space gray. It just looks more ominous and powerful.
The new iMac has an M3-themed upgrade that Apple claims offers two times Faster performance than the M1-equipped one. The refreshed iMac with the new chip has a 4.5k resolution display with 1 billion colors and is able to use wi-fi 6e.
The Touch Bar model will be discontinued, which means it’s all physical keys. There are some drawbacks to this entry-level model, though: it features a meager 8GB of RAM and comes in just silver and space gray variations — the black color is exclusive to the higher-end MacBook Pros. The device is available to preorder today and officially launches on November 7th.
Both laptops feature a Mini LED display, a 1080p camera, a six-speaker sound system, 22 hours of battery life, and up to 128GB of RAM. They have a silver option as well as a space black finish with a new coating that is supposed to help reduce fingerprints.
The lowest barriers to entry for Apple’s new M3 processor are offered by the iMac. The all-in-one desktop comes in seven colors and starts at $1,299 with an eight-core GPU, an eight-core CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. (It can also be outfitted with a 10-core GPU starting at $1,499.) As for ports, it’s just like the M1 version from 2021, meaning the base model features two Thunderbolt / USB-4 ports while the $1,499 model gets an extra pair of USB-3 ports. Both configurations are now compatible with the new 6E wireless standard.
The iMac also offers up to 24GB of unified memory and comes in seven colors: green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. There are accessories that come with the iMac with the same color as the computer.
Apple’s “Scary Fast” showcase has come to a close. During the launch event, Apple took the wraps off of some brand-new Macs that come equipped with the latest version of the company’s in-house chip.
Unlike its predecessors, which are built on 5-nanometer process technology, all three new chips are now built on a 3-nanometer process—this packs more transistors into a smaller space and enhances both the speed and power efficiency of the chip.
Most of the computers will be arriving on the 7th. We’ll have to see how worthwhile these small improvements are when we review the new Macs, but for now, here’s where you can preorder them if you want to get in on the ground floor.
