Today, Apple announced its first in-house system-on-chip for Macs, the M1, and the Macs that will be based on the new processor: the MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and, of course, a 13-inch MacBook Pro.
Apple used its event to dunk on PCs, and the $1,999 MacBook Pro is perhaps the pinnacle of those comparisons: the new MBP is claimed to be up to three times faster than a comparable Windows laptop. The new Pro is also supposedly more powerful than the previous version (it is not clear if Apple meant the 8th-Gen Intel processor or the 10th-Gen Intel processor) — the new CPU is up to 2.8 times faster, and the GPU is up to five times faster, with up to 11 times faster machine learning. Apple says the M1-equipped MacBook Pro delivers up to 17 hours of web browsing and up to 20 hours of video playback, which is twice the battery life of the previous MacBook Pro. I personally can’t wait to test out these claims.
The Pro weighs in at 1 kg, and comes equipped with a “studio-quality” three-mic array and an improved camera ISP, which, paired with the M1 chip, means your video calls will be significantly upgraded. (If these improvements mean the new MacBook Pro’s front-facing camera is anything like the new iMac’s, the differences will definitely be noticeable.)
The new MacBook Pro sports a Touch Bar, Touch ID, and two Thunderbolt ports with USB 4 support, which means you can connect it to Apple’s own Pro Display XDR.
macOS Big Sur has been optimised for the M1 chip, which means the MacBook Pro will wake instantly upon opening, and apps will also launch instantly (at least the Apple apps that have been optimised for the M1 to start).
All three new Macs with M1 chips are available to order today and ship next week.