Apple new MacBook Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max chips Gets Faster, Less Annoying
Apple introduced two new redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops, powered by the M1 Pro and M1 Max. The redesigned MacBook Pro models promises immense performance, expanded connectivity and improved audio.
Billed as “the first pro chips designed for the Mac,” the M1 Pro and M1 Mac go beyond the standard M1 in several key respects.
The M1 Pro offers an up to 10-core CPU and up to 70% faster performance than the M1, with GPU performance that promises to be up to twice as fast. Memory bandwidth is 200GB/s – that’s getting on for three times that of the M1 – and you can install up to 32GB of RAM (the M1 tops out at 16GB).
And the M1 Max has greater enhancement; it has the same 10-core CPU as the M1 Pro, but doubles the GPU core count to 32. This is said to equate to four times faster GPU performance than the M1. This chip can handle up to 64GB of RAM, and the memory bandwidth speed is 400GB/s.
The M1 Pro features a ProRes accelerator in the media engine – designed for fast and power-efficient video processing – the M1 Max gives you two, so pros can edit even more hi-res streams simultaneously. Apple claims that the new MacBook Pros will maintain their performance levels whether they’re running on mains or battery power.
The new MacBook Pro models omit the Touch Bar from the previous generation – the function keys are back in its place; we can’t say we’re sad to see it go – and there’s a Liquid Retina XDR display that features the same mini-LED technology that’s used in the iPad Pro. The display offers ProMotion technology that features an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz.
The bezels surrounding the display are now thinner, meaning a larger active area to work/play.
The new MacBook Pros:
- Feature improved keyboards, “bringing back the familiar, tactile feel of mechanical keys”;
- Eliminate the Touch Bar, a feature that turned out to be a major UI misstep for pro users;
- Bring back MagSafe, a magnetic power connector that can keep your computer from getting ripped to the floor when someone steps on your power cable; and
- Eliminate the need for a lot of dongles, by including a wide range of connectivity options, including HDMI and an SDXC card slot.
Connectivity has been enhanced – all new MacBook Pro models come with three ThunderBolt 4 ports, an SDXC card slot, an HDMI port and a headphone jack that now supports high-impedance headphones. As predicted, the MagSafe power cable connector has returned, and the fast charge feature means that you can juice up to 50% in 30 minutes.
In addition, other features include a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, an improved array of mics, and a “high-fidelity” six-speaker sound system that promises 80 percent more bass than the one it replaces. Spatial Audio playback is also supported.
The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros start at $1,999/£1,899 and $2,499/£2,399 respectively. Both of these machines contain the M1 Pro chip – the M1 Max can be selected in either of them if you are willing to pay for it.
The new MacBook Pro models with M1 Pro and M1 Max models can be ordered now, and will be shipping from 26 October.
Find out more on the Apple website.
