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Apple Announces New 13-inch MacBook Pro With M1 Chip, Starting at $1,299
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Don't overlook the words "up to" in the presentation....
up to 3x faster...
up to 4x faster...
up to 10x more...
It is great marketing speak for cherry picked results and best case scenarios.
Yep for example. A top specced AS Mac mini is up to 3x faster than (previous but they choose the base of that) an i3 quad core processor at 3.6ghz.
6x the graphics of the i3 chip’s integrated graphics.
What does this even mean? I don’t use i3 and never have. I assume though that i3 is entry level from a couple years ago with hardly any integrated graphics to speak of. But the AS version only has 6x that. What a leap?
The smaller Air hat only 7 GPU Cores so it appears the Air gets the bad chips that have defective gpu cores and can't hold the full speed.
What about the 16” MBP?? They’re going to update the 13” and not the 16”??
Apple today introduced a new 13-inch MacBook Pro, its third announced Mac powered by the company's custom M1 Apple Silicon chip with integrated graphics processor.
The first Apple Silicon 13-inch MacBook Pro replaces the low-end 13-inch Intel model, but Apple's M1 chip boasts a more powerful 8-Core CPU and an 8-Core GPU featuring a 16-core Neural Engine, which when paired with the MacBook Pro’s active cooling system, is up to 2.8x faster than the previous generation, according to Apple, making it up to 3x faster than the best-selling Windows laptop in its class.
Machine Learning is up to 11x faster, and for on-device Machine Learning tasks that use the Neural Engine, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro is now the world's fastest compact pro notebook, says Apple. It also features up to 17 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 20 hours of video playback, which is up to twice the battery life of the previous generation, making it the longest battery life ever on a Mac.
Other new features in the new 13-inch MacBook Pro include 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 and studio-quality mics, while Apple’s latest camera ISP in the M1 chip enables sharper images and more detail in shadows and highlights on video calls. The new MacBook Pro also includes Apple's Secure Enclave in the M1 and Touch ID, and features two Thunderbolt ports with USB 4 support. The laptop weighs 3-pounds and features a Magic Keyboard and a Retina display.
Starting at $1299, the base configuration comes with 8GB of unified memory configurable up to 16GB, and 256GB of solid state storage configurable up to 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB. Starting at $1499, the mid-tier model also comes with 8GB of unified memory configurable up to 16GB, but has 512GB of solid state storage as standard, configurable up to 1TB or 2TB. Pre-orders are now open on Apple's online store, with deliveries scheduled to begin November 17.
Article Link: Apple Announces New 13-inch MacBook Pro With M1 Chip, Starting at $1,299
But Apple didn't replace the four-port option today with an ARM version. So what is the point of comparing the two-port version with the four-port version. If the two-port version had four ports it wouldn't be the two-port version anymore.
Because the M1 doesn't support more than two-ports due to bandwidth. Naturally, Apple would increase the number of ports for a higher-spec model in the future when an M1 upgrade is ready.
Well, what did the two-port 13" MBP add over the MBA before today? A moderately faster processor (and a larger battery, though that faster processor ate up that extra battery capacity). Plus a slightly better display (500 vs 400 nits and wide gamut P3). In the ARM era the processor improvement between the two models is marginal (8 vs 7 graphic cores) but instead the larger battery actually translates into longer battery life. Screens also get closer (still 500 vs 400 nits, but both cover the P3 gamut).
You trade a CPU improvement for a battery life improvement in this transition. Of course, you might want to compare the 4-core Intel MBA with the 4-core 13" two-port MBP. There the performance difference wasn't very large anymore but the price difference had fully disappeared ($1299 both). To some degree, Apple has removed the slowest option, which naturally made the remaining options much closer in performance.
And glass-half-full perspective simply is that the two-port 13" MBP might be a similarly good deal today (one could argue the ARM transition makes it noticeably better) as it was yesterday. But the entry-level MBP for $999 now has become a much better deal (because very close in performance to the $1299 option).
This is what I was going to ask about. Are these the only differences between the Air and the MBP? Slight speed difference and some differences in battery life?
I expect that eventually when they release a higher-end 13", there will be more of a distinction.
Some things are disappointing, but only because we always hope for more than we know we can have.
As I see it, the M1 is effectively the equivalent to the A14X that we will see in the next iPad Pro.
The first Apple Silicon Macs to be replaced are the 3 lowest end models. As expected.
The next range to be updated will be the higher end MBP and possibly low end desktop (the mid range macs) - probably next summer. I suspect they will have M1Z or whatever marketing call them, likely with 12 cores instead of 8. This next mid range will also have higher RAM possibilities if Apple want to be taken seriously. That is when I would most likely replace my old 32GB MBP.
Then the high consumer range of desktop iMacs will get M2 in a years time, and the Pro Macs 6 months later M2Z with more cores).
The 13” M1 MBP will probably be quite a bit faster than the Air when being hit hard due to active cooling and an extra core (that extra core probably adds around 20% performance).
As I see it, the M1 is effectively the equivalent to the A14X that we will see in the next iPad Pro.
The first Apple Silicon Macs to be replaced are the 3 lowest end models. As expected.
The next range to be updated will be the higher end MBP and possibly low end desktop (the mid range macs) - probably next summer. I suspect they will have M1Z or whatever marketing call them, likely with 12 cores instead of 8. This next mid range will also have higher RAM possibilities if Apple want to be taken seriously. That is when I would most likely replace my old 32GB MBP.
Then the high consumer range of desktop iMacs will get M2 in a years time, and the Pro Macs 6 months later M2Z with more cores).
The 13” M1 MBP will probably be quite a bit faster than the Air when being hit hard due to active cooling and an extra core (that extra core probably adds around 20% performance).
Doesn't the higher end Air have an 8-core GPU too, which means even less of a difference between the MBP and MBA?
It's no excuse. The team that does the industrial design is separate from the team that gets the chips working well.
Clearly the power is throttled as it gets hot. Yep, you're right, definitely compromised.
I’d assume that the M1 is intended as a replacement for the various i3 and i5 chips Apple currently uses. It’s not really a surprise they introduced a new mini today, as the Mac mini traditionally uses that same class of processor. I’d expect to see a something like a D1 chip by WWDC next year that has base RAM of 16GB, support for up to 64GB of RAM, 4 TB ports, probably six performance cores, drive 3 displays. D1 would be suitable for iMac, higher end Mac mini, higher end MacBook Pro. Later, but less than a year and a half from now, I’d expect to see something like a P1 chip, more performance (at least 8 performance cores, 12 GPU cores), more RAM options (base RAM of 32G, upgradable to 128GB of RAM), potentially 6 TB ports, non-SoC variant suitable for motherboards (for the Mac Pro, with its PCIe slots, perhaps with a slightly different part number, like P1S). The P1 chip would be suitable for the iMac Pro and Mac Pro, of course, but also potentially suitable for the highest end MacBook Pro.
So basically, M1 is for machines that currently use Intel i3 and i5 chips, D1 for machines using an i7 chip, and P1 for machines using an i9 chip.
And Ax for general purpose devices (including iPhone/iPad, HomePod, Apple TV, new devices in that scope). Sx for Apple Watch (likely other wearables, too). Hx/Wx for embedded Bluetooth devices. Tx for Mac security chips (it’s a trade off, having a T series security chip controlling certain IO functions means the main chip can have re-writable firmware while the security chip doesn’t, keeps the boot process safe from persistent attacks and probably uses less energy during boot than having the boot process run on the Mx/Dx/Px chips).
So basically, M1 is for machines that currently use Intel i3 and i5 chips, D1 for machines using an i7 chip, and P1 for machines using an i9 chip.
And Ax for general purpose devices (including iPhone/iPad, HomePod, Apple TV, new devices in that scope). Sx for Apple Watch (likely other wearables, too). Hx/Wx for embedded Bluetooth devices. Tx for Mac security chips (it’s a trade off, having a T series security chip controlling certain IO functions means the main chip can have re-writable firmware while the security chip doesn’t, keeps the boot process safe from persistent attacks and probably uses less energy during boot than having the boot process run on the Mx/Dx/Px chips).
I understand that this replaces the entry level MBP13, but I was just about to place an order for the higher-end (4-port) MBP13. I'm less concerned about the number of ports and more concerned about performance.
When comparing these two MBP13s, which do we expect would have better performance (understanding that the battery life in the new one is much better):
MBP13 i7 2.3Ghz 32GB (4-port)
MBP13 M1 16GB (2-port)
I'm intrigued by the battery life of the new one, I don't really care about the reduction in ports. I just want to get the one with the better performance capabilities.
When comparing these two MBP13s, which do we expect would have better performance (understanding that the battery life in the new one is much better):
MBP13 i7 2.3Ghz 32GB (4-port)
MBP13 M1 16GB (2-port)
I'm intrigued by the battery life of the new one, I don't really care about the reduction in ports. I just want to get the one with the better performance capabilities.
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I use my Macs to do boring work stuff too, and that means being able to run Microsoft Office products reliably and fast. And Nord VPN. Until I know that the Apple silicon machines can do this I'm sticking with my old 2015 MB Pro.
Andandtech Have a good breakdown of the M1:
www.anandtech.com
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Same design, same screen, same (terrible) webcam, two ports... Battery life looks great, but I expected a refreshed design too.
I'll pass on this one, my 2012 Macbook Pro is getting tired though... Hopefully they release the 14" model sometime early next year.
I'll pass on this one, my 2012 Macbook Pro is getting tired though... Hopefully they release the 14" model sometime early next year.
The "magical" property might be that the M1 throttles without a fan no more than an Intel i5 has to throttle with a small MBA-sized fan. We will see when the benchmarks (both peak and sustained loads) eventually come out.
I won't ever come near a laptop without 32GB RAM, but this is a step in a good direction. 2-3 generations from now these will be able to replace the current Intel machines.
Pretty nice lineup of Macs. Even though I'm heavily dependent on Boot Camp for a while yet, these look like a good start. Can't wait to see the high-end MBP. 