The “Frightening Fast” event was an opportunity for Apple to introduce three new computers, an iMac and two 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros. It’s been more than 2 years since Apple launched the colorful iMac M1, so it was time for the company to refresh the series.
However, previous MacBook Pros were only released at the beginning of the year, so it’s quite surprising to see Apple introduce the new generation so quickly. Therefore, the improvements are not as many as in the iMac.
MacBook Pros are getting even faster
While previous generations of 14-inch MacBook Pros were eligible to use Pro chips in their base configurations, we now find a simple M3 chip in the cheapest model. There are also the usual high-end configurations of the new M3 Pro and M3 Max in 14- and 16-inch sizes.
Apple announced that the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 Max models provide speeds up to 2.5 times faster than the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max and up to 11 times faster than the Intel MacBook Pro.
As for autonomy, this time you’ll have to expect up to 22 hours of endurance for the 16-inch M3 Pro model, but Apple has announced up to 11 hours of additional autonomy in certain tasks compared to the previous generation. Obviously the M3 Max model offers slightly lower battery life due to its more demanding GPU cores.
We still find the same mini LED display, but now offers 600 nits of brightness for SDR content; This is a 20% increase over previous models. The computers retain the same speaker system, Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port, an SD card reader, and a MagSafe port for charging.
If the design remains the same as its predecessors, the new computers equipped with the M3 Pro and M3 Max chip will come in a brand new color: Space Black. Apple claims that the “revolutionary chemistry” that creates the anodizing seal significantly reduces fingerprints. The M3 Pro and M3 Max models are also available in Silver, and the 14-inch M3 model is available in Silver and Space Gray.
When it comes to prices, there is very good news; because the 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at “only” 1999 euros with the M3 chip, compared to 2399 euros for the older model with the M3 Pro chip. This discount caused the disappearance of the old 13-inch MacBook Pro, which was offered with the M2 chip at a price of 1599 euros.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M3 Pro chip is still available for 2,999 euros, but this time prices are increasing much faster for more powerful configurations. With the M3 Max, the MacBook Pro will now be able to support up to 128GB of RAM, which will increase the bill significantly.
Pre-orders start today and M3 Pro models will be available on November 7. M3 Max models will take a little longer to ship and are expected to arrive in November.
iMac gets a new M3 chip
This time around, rather than changing the look of its 24-inch iMacs, Apple was content to make changes under the hood. It retains its slim 11.5mm profile, vibrant seven-color palette (green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue and silver), as well as its much-criticized bezels and ‘chin’. The 1080p camera, high-quality speakers, microphones, USB port layout, and impressive 4.5K Retina display also remain intact.
Unsurprisingly, the iMac now comes with an M3 chip, replacing the old M1 chip. Supporting up to 24GB RAM and 2TB storage, this machine is ready to deliver a significantly faster and more efficient all-in-one computing experience. For those currently using an iMac with an Intel chip, Apple says the new model is 2.5 times faster than previous 27-inch models and 4.5 times faster than previous 21-inch (5-inch) models.
Apple states that productivity apps such as Safari and Microsoft Excel will run up to 30% faster, allowing users to complete their tasks seamlessly. For content creators and multimedia enthusiasts, the M3 chip allows the iMac to handle up to 12 4K video streams, and Adobe Photoshop should process photos up to twice as fast. Additionally, the iMac M3 now supports Wi-Fi 6E like the iPhone 15 Pro’s.
Finally, we can note that the base of the iMac is now made of 100% recycled aluminum, which contributes to a more ecological production process. Inside the iMac are recycled rare earth magnets, recycled tin solder, and 100% recycled gold plating on the circuit boards.
Unfortunately, these few improvements will cause prices to increase. You will now have to pay 1599 euros for the basic iMac M3 with 256 GB storage, previously 1549 euros. Two other configurations with more cores and more storage are available for 1829 Euros and 2059 Euros respectively. iMac M3 is now available.
