Apple drops Intel in biggest MacBook Pro overhaul in years

The company demonstrated the chips at an event called “Unleashed” on Monday, which also featured its latest audio products. The new components, called the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, are up to 70% faster than their M1 predecessors, Apple said. It also unveiled a redesigned MacBook Pro, adding a bigger screen, MagSafe charging, and better resolution.

With new processors and devices, Apple is aiming squarely at the high-end chips that Intel has provided for the MacBook Pro and other top-end Macs for nearly 15 years. Last year, Apple began converting its low-end Macs to its M1 Apple silicon chip. However, the new chips are a bold stroke, aiming to outpace Intel’s highest-performing products.

Apple shares rose 1.4% to $146.80 after the event. He had gained 9.2% this year till the end of last week.

The chips include a total of 10 CPU cores — the components that handle the processing — up from the eight in the M1 chip. The 10 cores are split into eight high-performance cores and two cores for tasks requiring less energy. This compares to the four high-performance and four low-performance cores in the M1.

Apple is also boosting graphics performance for the M1 Pro and M1 Max, which come with 16 and 32 graphics cores respectively. This is among the seven or eight-core options offered with the M1 Mac. Apple said graphics performance with the M1 Max is four times faster than with the earlier M1 chip, while the M1 Pro is twice as fast. It is also 13 times faster than the earlier Intel model.

The M1 Pro supports 32 gigabytes of memory, while the M1 Max holds up to 64 gigabytes. This is higher than the 8GB or 16GB offered with the M1.

The new chips are at the center of the MacBook Pro’s most significant update since 2016. The new model comes in 14.2-inch and 16.2-inch screen sizes, and – like the latest iPad Pro – the displays use MiniLED panels. That technology allows for better color reproduction. Thanks to the new display cutout, the screen has a 24% thinner border on the side and 60% thinner border at the top. That feature, also known as the notch, makes the display look like an iPhone.

The new model lacks the updated, boxier look and the controversial Touch Bar, the touch-screen strip introduced with the 2016 redesign. Apple replaced the Touch Bar with a new circular fingerprint scanner and larger physical function keys. In addition to reversing that change from the previous version, Apple is reinstating three ports that users missed when they were removed five years ago: an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and MagSafe charging.

The display also includes Promotion, a feature that allows the screen refresh rate to reach a higher level for a better overall experience. Apple added a similar feature to the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max in September. And the company is adding a 1080 progressive-scan video-chat camera, improving on a component that previously found MacBook Pro users subpar. The microphone and speaker were also upgraded.

The HDMI connection makes it easy to connect the laptop to a TV or external monitor, while the SD card slot is a convenient offering for on-the-go photographers. After the feature was added to the iPhone 12 last year, MagSafe has returned to the MacBook Pro. It uses a magnetic charging adapter for laptops. This means that if the charging cord is tripped, it will be pulled out instead of sending the computer to the floor.

Apple said the new 16-inch model can reach up to 21 hours of battery life when watching video, while the smaller 14-inch model has 17 hours. The products also support a new fast-charge feature, which can quickly juice up a laptop battery from zero to 50%.

Bloomberg previously reported on Apple’s plans for the MacBook Pro chips, design, and other features.

Despite the development of wearables and other mobile devices over the past several years, the Mac remains a steady vendor for Apple. The computer line generated about $30 billion, or about 10% of sales, in the last fiscal year. MAC has also seen its market share increase. It accounted for about 9% of the global personal-computer market in the third quarter, with shipments growing 10% from the year-ago period, according to data from IDC. This made Apple the second largest gainer in the PC market after Dell Technologies Inc.

One challenge that Apple may face with its new MacBook Pro is the ongoing chip shortage and supply-chain slowdown, triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. The new computer goes on sale Monday and is due to hit stores next week, starting at $1,999 for the 14-inch model and $2,499 for the 16-inch model, but shipment delays have hindered other recent launches. . Customers trying to order Apple’s latest iPhones, Watches and iPads are being told that the products will not be delivered until November or December.

Apple last year updated the low-end 13-inch MacBook Pro with the M1 chip with the same update as the MacBook Air and Mac mini. It revamped the iMac desktop earlier this year with a new screen, different design, and M1 chip. Apple previously said it would complete its transition away from Intel in 2022.

Once dominated in processors, Intel is working to establish its foothold in the chip industry. Its investors took Apple’s announcement seriously: The stock was little changed on Monday and gained 0.7% on Tuesday.