Apple yesterday introduced the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, as well as the brand new 24-inch iMac. The big news is the presence of M3 chips, which replace the previous M3 processors, but we can still note a few more minor changes.
A few hours after the new devices were released, some Internet users were able to take a closer look at the technical pages of the three devices, and we made some rather disappointing discoveries. If Apple’s MacBook Pro and iMac are excellent computers, some details obscure the picture.
M3 chips less powerful than expected
You may have noticed that Apple only compares the M3 chips to the M1 chips, even though they were released almost 3 years ago. The new processors use 3nm engraving thinness like the A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro. Therefore, we logically expected a significant increase in performance, but in the end this was not the case.
When we examine the data provided by Apple, we see that the performance gains compared to previous M2 chips are quite hidden. Apple specifically stated that the M2 Pro chip is about 16% more powerful than the M1 Pro chip, and the new M3 Pro is “only” 20% more powerful than the M1 Pro.
What is involved is removing 2 “Performance” cores and replacing them with 2 “Efficient” cores. For this reason, Apple preferred to reduce consumption instead of increasing the performance of its computers. If you already have a computer with an M2 chip, you shouldn’t notice a big difference in performance.
Apple restricted certain aspects of M3 chips
Apple may have made some compromises on certain aspects of its technical sheets with its M3 chips. According to the hardware specifications shared by Apple, the M3 Pro processor offers a memory bandwidth of 150 GB/s compared to 200 GB/s in the M1 Pro and M2 Pro models. As for the M3 Max, Apple states that it can reach speeds of “up to 400 GB/s.”
This formulation is explained by the fact that the cheaper M3 Max scale model equipped with a 14-core CPU and 30-core GPU has only 300 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while all previous M1 Max and M2 Max models were offered. 400 GB/s bandwidth.
Only 8 GB unified memory in base configuration
One would expect that the combined memory would also increase in the base configuration, but this is not the case. Apple has decided to keep only 8GB and so if you want more memory you have to increase the bill amount.
8GB of memory is what the iPhone 15 Pro already has, and as you might expect, you’ll generally need more RAM on your computer than on your smartphone. In recent years, many users have complained about slowdowns on configurations with only 8 GB of memory, especially the latest macOS Sonoma operating system. If you are using “heavy” applications, 8 GB may not be enough anymore. Configurations with the M3 Pro chip start with 18 GB of combined memory, which is more than double the price, but you’ll have to pay an additional 500 euros.
13-inch MacBook Pro and Touch Bar disappear from the catalog
Apple managed to reduce the price of its computer by equipping the 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M3 chip in its base configuration, but this led to the disappearance of the old 13-inch model.
The latter was offered at prices starting from 1549 euros and was an interesting option at the time for those who did not want a MacBook Air but could not afford the 14-inch MacBook Pro. You now have to pay at least 1999 euros for the cheapest MacBook Pro, or opt for the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air M2 for 1599 euros or 1829 euros respectively.
Moreover, the abandonment of the 13-inch MacBook Pro also marks the end of the Touch Bar in Apple’s catalog, as this was the last model to qualify for it. This was a very distinctive element of MacBooks. However, it was not liked by all users because it was often considered not very useful.
SSD prices still high
Apple has always charged a premium for SSD storage increases in its computers, and the new M3 computers are no exception. To switch from 512 GB to 1 TB, you will have to pay an additional 230 Euros, and if you want to equip your computer with 8 TB of storage, you will have to pay up to 2,530 Euros.
However, as we regularly mention in our other articles, SSD prices have dropped significantly in recent years, and this has even resulted in the acceleration of the disappearance of hard drives from the market. Today, the best M.2 SSD references sell for under 100 Euros, while you can find excellent 8TB SSDs for around 1000 Euros.
No design changes in iMac
Two years after the release of Apple’s new redesigned iMac, we might have hoped for some design changes, but Apple ultimately just changed the computer’s chip. The appearance of the 24-inch iMac has often been criticized for the rather thick bezels around the display.
Apple has worked to reduce the borders on the iPhone 15 Pro and MacBook Pro (thanks to the notch), but it hasn’t put up the same fight on its all-in-one.
Accessories without USB-C port for iMac
The European Union has permanently mandated the use of USB-C as the universal charging standard, but this new law won’t go into effect until next year. Apple has chosen to move forward by changing the connectors on its Macs, iPads and most recently the iPhone 15s. However, the company did not renew iMac’s accessories, especially the Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad or Magic Keyboard. .
While Apple has begun the transition to other devices like AirPods, especially its Pro 2 headphones, the iMac M3 still comes with a Lightning cable for charging accessories. Catalog of the American giant.
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