In the US, the curtains just closed on the season of spooky surprises. Right at the end of ‘Spooktober’, Apple Inc decided to throw a couple of treats the tech world’s way.
New M3-chip lineup
Apple has gone all out with the launch of three new chips to power its devices — the M3, the M3 Pro and the M3 Max. The company says that these are the first personal computer chips built using the 3-nanometre process technology, allowing more transistors to be packed into a smaller space thereby improving speed and efficiency. The GPU is also faster and enables features such as hardware-accelerated ‘ray tracing’ and ‘mesh shading’ for the first time on Macs. In games and graphics-intensive apps, mesh shading enables more visually complex scenes whereas ray tracing helps render extremely realistic scenes. Apple also introduced a ‘Dynamic Caching’, which would allow the devices to use the exact memory needed to execute tasks at a given point of time.
MacBook Pro with M3
Pro-level users seem spoilt for choice with the new MacBook Pro line-up featuring all the three variants of M3 chips — base-level M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max.
With the base-level M3 chip, users get a 14‑inch MacBook Pro designed for everyday tasks as well as editing work and games. Targeted at those dealing with multimedia, apart from students and entrepreneurs, this MacBook Pro with M3 is priced at ₹1,69,900 for general consumers, and at ₹1,58,900 for students.
Second, we have the 14-inch and 16‑inch MacBook Pros with M3 Pro which are designed to live up to a more demanding workflow. Editing on Adode Photoshop, data crunching and editing videos are all promised to be faster on this system. The 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro starts at ₹1,99,900 and ₹1,84,900 for students. The 16‑inch MacBook Pro starts at ₹2,49,900 and ₹2,29,900 for students.
Third, the 14-inch and 16‑inch MacBook Pros with M3 Max feature both a powerful GPU and a CPU, along with support for upto 128GB of unified memory. The most powerful in this line-up is designed to handle extreme workflows and multitasking across pro apps. It is ideal for users who might need an efficient system for machine learning programming, rendering 3D art, working on graphics or intense video editing. It also supports upto 128GB of unified memory, enabling creators to easily work on large and complex projects spanning multiple pro apps and plugins, or compose huge film scores where entire orchestral libraries are instantly available from memory.
All the new MacBook Pro models feature the trademark Liquid Retina XDR display, a built-in 1080p camera, a punchy six-speaker sound system and a host of connectivity options. With an upgraded battery life of up to 22 hours of battery life, the MacBook Pros continue the legacy of nudging you to leave the charger behind at home when you start for office.
You can also opt for a beautiful new space black aluminum finish in the MacBook Pro with M3 Pro and M3 Max models. While it’s open for pre-orders now, the units will be available starting November 7, 2023.
New iMac with M3
If it’s an all-in-one desktop you’re looking for, and not a laptop, you have the choice of the new iMac with M3. In a sleek new design, the new iMac features an 8-core CPU, which can be customised upto a 10-core GPU and support for upto 24GB of unified memory. The system is primed to deliver smooth user experiences across everyday productivity, editing high-resolution photos or even editing multiple 4K videos.
Courtesy of the M3 chip, the iMac also supports hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing, providing more accurate lighting, reflections and shadows for extremely realistic gaming experiences, and making three-dimensional design and creation even faster.
The system features an upgraded 4.5K Retina display with 500 nits of brightness. With a 1080p FaceTime camera and studio-quality mics, iMac delivers a great video-conferencing experience, so users can look and sound their best while taking calls from home or the office. It also boasts a six-speaker sound system with support for Spatial Audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos for a theater-like experience.
The iMac now features Wi-Fi 6E for faster internet connectivity as well as Bluetooth 5.3 to pair and work with accessories. It also features upto four USB‑C ports, including two Thunderbolt ports for superfast data transfer; support for Gigabit Ethernet standard on select models; and up to a 6K display. Features such as ‘Migration Assistant’ make it easy to switch to the new system, and Continuity features allow for multi-device collaboration between the iPhone and other Apple devices.
The new iMac with an 8-core GPU starts at ₹1,34,900 and ₹1,29,900 for students, and is available in green, pink, blue and silver. It features an 8-core CPU, 8GB of unified memory, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt ports, a Magic Keyboard and a Magic Mouse. The iMac with 10-core GPU starts at ₹1,54,900 and ₹1,44,900 for students, and is available in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue and silver. It features an 8-core CPU, 8GB of unified memory, 256GB SSD, two Thunderbolt ports, two additional USB 3 ports, a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, Magic Mouse and Gigabit Ethernet.