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Apple Introduces New M1 Chips, MacBook Pros
18 October 2021
At it's launch event today, Apple introduced two new versions of its M1 processor and two new MacBook Pros that use them to take performance in a laptop higher than its ever been while reducing power requirements.
MACBOOK PRO
The new laptops, which start at $1,999 for the 14-inch model and $2,499 for the 16-inch model, also feature the most impressive display on a laptop as well as a healthy collection of connections that include a MagSafe power connector and SD card reader along with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port and a headphone jack.
The body is made from recycled aluminum with a black anodized keyboard well to highlight the backlit keys. A row of full-height function keys is included with an extra large Escape key. A redesigned thermal system moves 50 percent more air through the laptop's internals to keep it cool and quiet.
The SSDs are significantly faster than previous SSDs, Apple said in its presentation. Applications load instantly and the laptops wake from sleep immediately.
By reducing the bezel on the new Liquid Retina XDR display the new models provide up to 14.2 inches diagonal screen space within the dimensions of the previous 13-inch models while the 16.2 inches of the larger model rivals the area of the old 17-inch models.
But, like the iPhone, the smaller bezel leaves nowhere to hide the front facing camera except in a cutout.
The displays use the same mini-LED technology used in the iPad Pro featuring a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio but in a much thinner display sandwich.
THE CHIPS
Apple introduced its M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, both with more CPU cores, more GPU cores and more unified memory than M1.
The M1 Pro features an up to 10-core CPU with an up to 16-core GPU with up to 32-GB of unified memory and 200-GB/s memory bandwidth.
The M1 Max features an up to 10-core CPU with an up to 32-core GPU with up to 64-GB of unified memory and 400-GB/s memory bandwidth.
Both chips support Apple's Neural Engine for machine learning and upgraded media engines with ProRes support.
CONFIGURATION
With new technology comes confusion. M1 Pro or M1 Max? How much unified memory? What about the SSD (which is built-in). Apple provides a little guidance to help decide:
- Chips. The M1 Max doubles the GPU core count and memory bandwidth of M1 Pro. It also features a more powerful media engine that can play up to seven streams of 8K video. You can configure M1 Max with up to 64GB of unified memory, twice what the M1 Pro can handle.
- Memory. The more unified memory you choose, the more apps you can run simultaneously and the better they will perform, the company said. Unified memory is built into the M1 and shared between the CPU and GPU.
- Storage. The SSDs hold your "projects, documents, photos, music, videos and other files." So how much room do you need. We suggest 1-TB is a comfortable minimum these days.
PRICE, AVAILABILITY
A number of configurations are available ranging from $1,999 to $6,099. To give you some idea of systems that hit the sweet spot for photographers, we'll list three:
- A 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro, 16-GB memory and 1-TB SSD runs $2,499 ($208.25/month for 12 months with no interest using the Apple Card).
- A 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Pro, 16-GB memory and 1-TB SSD runs $2,699 ($224.91/month for 12 months with no interest using the Apple Card).
- A 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 Max, 32-GB memory and 1-TB SSD runs $3,499 ($291.58/month for 12 months with no interest using the Apple Card).
In addition, Apple accepts trade-ins on eligible computers for credit.
Apple is accepting pre-orders now for delivery Oct. 26, which is one day after macOS Monterey is expected to be released.
For more information visit the MacBook Pro landing page.