Apple’s New ‘Scary Fast’ MacBook Pro Has M3 Chips, Sleek Black Finish
Apple has gotten into the Halloween spirit with its “Scary Fast” event. Not only is it the first time that Apple has hosted a live, albeit online-only, event at night, but the Mac-focused event also marks the debut of Apple’s first M3-powered computers, including some frighteningly quick MacBook Pro notebooks designed for power users.
The new 14-inch and 16-inch M3-powered MacBook Pro machines do not sport a new design or look — save for a new color on select models. In fact, from the outside, they look just like the M2-powered MacBook Pro laptops. However, it is what’s inside that counts, and there is a lot different beneath the surface of the new notebooks.
M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max Put the Pedal to the Metal
The high-end computers feature new M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max processors, depending on the precise configuration that users select. With the M3 family chips, Apple’s first to utilize a 3-nanometer production process, the Cupertino company has squeezed even more CPU and GPU cores into the new notebooks.
All else equal, more cores mean better performance and better performance means that users can achieve similar tasks quicker and deal with more intensive tasks than before.
Not that the M2-powered MacBook Pros are slow — they aren’t — but no power user will ever refuse more power.
Speaking of the M2-powered MacBook Pro line, it was released only a short time ago, having come out at the beginning of this year. In fact, the M2 family itself was updated in June with the introduction of the M2 Ultra, which is also when Apple added the Mac Pro to its M-family, officially phasing out its last Intel-powered machine.
Huge Gains Over Last Intel MacBook Pro
The MacBook Pro with the new M3 Max chip is a whopping 11 times more powerful than Apple’s most powerful Intel-based MacBook Pro model.
Minor Usability Improvements
The new MacBook Pro family is also 20% brighter when showing SDR content than the M2-powered MacBook Pro models. The new MacBook Pro models sport a 1080p camera, a six-speaker sound system, and promise up to 22 hours of battery life.
Concerning external displays, the new MacBook Pro models can support up to four of them.
But Big Performance Improvements
Powered by Apple’s new M3 chips, especially the M3 Pro and M3 Max, the updated MacBook Pro models to be Apple’s most powerful notebooks ever.
“With a monster GPU and a powerful CPU, along with support for up to 128GB of unified memory, MacBook Pro with M3 Max enables extreme workflows and multitasking across pro apps for users like machine learning programmers, 3D artists, and video editors,” Apple explains.
“There is nothing quite like MacBook Pro. With the remarkable power-efficient performance of Apple silicon, up to 22 hours of battery life, a stunning Liquid Retina XDR display, and advanced connectivity, MacBook Pro empowers users to do their life’s best work,” says John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “With the next generation of M3 chips, we’re raising the bar yet again for what a pro laptop can do. We’re excited to bring MacBook Pro and its best-in-class capabilities to the broadest set of users yet, and for those upgrading from an Intel-based MacBook Pro, it’s a game-changing experience in every way.”
Back in Black
Plus, Apple has debuted a brand-new colorway for its MacBook Pro (with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips, at least) — Space Black. It is a “gorgeous, dark aluminum finish” that is also more fingerprint-resistant than Apple’s older black notebooks, which were beautiful but often considered to be fingerprint magnets.
Pricing and Availability
The 14-inch MacBook Pro previously started at $1,999, but now starts at $1,599 for the M3 version. That said, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro starts at $1,999.
The 16-inch MacBook Pro still starts at $2,499, but is not available with the base M3 — it is only available with the M3 Pro and Max chips.
M3 and M3 Pro models will are available to order now and will begin shipping next week, while M3 Max versions will be available later in November.
Image credits: Apple
