Apple announced an upgraded lineup of Macs at a Halloween-themed keynote, including new MacBook Pros and iMacs featuring “scary fast” M3 chips. The pre-recorded event was just 30 minutes long and shot entirely on an iPhone for the first time – you can watch it in full or read on for our summary below.
MacBook Pro
The latest MacBook Pro lineup looks the same as ever, save for a new space black finish designed to reduce fingerprints. But under the hood the new models – available in 14-inch and 16-inch variants – represent a significant advancement in performance, thanks to Apple’s new M3 processing chips.
Built using 3-nanometer technology, users can choose between the baseline M3 chip, the leveled-up M3 Pro, or the super-powered M3 Max. All three offer huge performance boosts compared with the previous MacBook Pros, which utilized the M1 range. Customers who need as much oomph as possible can pair an M3 Max chip with up to 128GB of unified memory. Wow.
Apple also showed off improved longevity, promising up to 22 hours of battery life and no performance dips while unplugged. The rest of the design and specs are broadly the same as previous models, though a six-speaker array and Liquid Retina XDR display promise incredible audio and video capabilities on the go.
iMac
Apple also refreshed its colorful 24-inch iMac range, which previously ran on a first-generation M1 chip. The new models haven’t changed much, but now rock the latest M3 chip, which offers twice the speed of its predecessor.
It’s available with up to 24GB of unified memory, and two GPU variants depending on your graphical needs. Video editors, 3D designers, and hardcore gamers should probably opt for the larger 10-core GPU.
Sadly, there’s no sign of the 27-inch iMac that some customers have been waiting for, and no darker colorways to add to the existing rainbow of choices.
Price and availability
The new MacBook Pros start at $1,599/£1,699 for the 14-inch M3 model – considerably cheaper than the previous 14-inch M1 model – while the new iMac starts at $1,299/£1,399 for the 8-core GPU version. As ever, the prices quickly skyrocket once you start adding upgrades. Customers can order both right now, with availability from November 7.
It’s also worth noting that alongside these new releases, Apple has finally discontinued the poorly-received 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.