Apple Unveils New MacBook Pro and iMac Computers with Redesigned GPUs
Apple has announced the launch of new MacBook Pro and iMac computers, along with three new chips to power them. The company has redesigned its graphics processing units (GPU), which have been dominated by Nvidia in the market. The introduction of the new computers and the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips took place during an online event that specifically targeted professional users.
In the United States, the 14-inch MacBook Pro laptop will have a starting price of $1,599, while the 16-inch version will start at $2,499. The new iMac desktop equipped with the M3 family of chips will start at $1,299. Some of these products will be available for purchase next week, while others will be shipped later in November.
Apple’s Mac business has experienced a resurgence, nearly doubling its market share to approximately 11% since 2020 when the company transitioned away from Intel and started using its own custom-designed chips. This information is based on preliminary data from IDC.
During the event, Apple showcased a new secure screen sharing feature aimed at business users, allowing them to access their machines remotely. Apple’s custom chips, which utilize technology from Arm Holdings, have provided its Macs with improved battery life and superior performance compared to machines running Microsoft’s Windows operating system.
Unlike other laptop manufacturers that typically combine a central processor unit (CPU) from Intel with a GPU from Nvidia, Apple integrates both components into its Apple silicon chips. According to the company, this approach results in better performance than its competitors.
Apple’s disruption of the market has prompted Qualcomm to intensify its efforts in developing Arm-based chips for Windows. Last week, Qualcomm announced plans to release a chip that surpasses some of Apple’s offerings in terms of speed and energy efficiency. Additionally, Nvidia reportedly plans to enter the PC market as early as 2025, as reported by Reuters.
The new machines from Apple are primarily targeted at designers, musicians, and software developers. The company emphasized how its memory usage can benefit artificial intelligence researchers, whose work is often limited by the amount of data that can be stored in a computer’s memory.
Apple has also made adjustments to its overall computer lineup, potentially impacting the behavior of corporate buyers. While reducing the price of the 14-inch MacBook Pro to $1,599, Apple appears to have eliminated the $1,299 13-inch model of the MacBook Pro, which was popular among businesses. This move may lead to a clearer choice between Apple’s productivity-oriented MacBook Air models, which top out at $1,299, and the new MacBook Pro models starting at $1,599.
In fiscal year 2022, Apple’s Mac business generated $40.18 billion in revenue, accounting for approximately 11% of its total revenue. Although this reflected a 14% increase from the previous fiscal year, sales in the current year have slowed, in line with the overall decline in the PC industry following the pandemic.
Apple claims that its new chips will be the first to utilize 3 nanometer manufacturing technology for laptops and desktops. This advancement is expected to enhance chip performance in terms of power efficiency.
While Apple did not disclose the chip manufacturer, analysts believe that it is Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, which employs the same technology to produce chips for the top-end models of the iPhone 15.
Throughout the event, Apple executives highlighted the performance improvements of the new MacBooks and iMac machines compared to older models with Intel chips, emphasizing the noticeable speed enhancements for customers who upgrade to devices with Apple’s own chips.
