Apple Event Live Blog: iPhone SE, iPad Air, Mac Studio, and More

[cactus2]

I'm cackling because I've just now witnessed the iMac 27" and the iMac Pro get end-of-lifed in one fell swoop!

Want that functionality now? Buy a Mac Studio (Max or Ultra) with a Studio Display!

$3,598 for the base Studio & display, $5,598 for the Ultra Studio & display.

Perhaps one last Intel Mac Pro, then the future will be Apple Silicon with the Ultra and whatever they call the Jade-4-C (Double Ultra? Heh.) when a M3-or-so version can roll out in 2024 or 2025.

It makes absolute business sense. Genius. Evil (not entirely serious) genius...but genius.

The iMac Pro was $5000 5 years ago so with inflation the Ultra Studio + Studio display is the same price. An M1 mac mini + studio display for $2298 or $2598 is on par with the base level 2019 27" intel iMacs. And now there's a great in-between tier with the M1 Max Studio (which is honestly closer to the performance tier of the previous iMac Pro, that was never a very good value for performance). The 24" M1 iMac at $1299 is still a great machine too.

Honestly this is the first time in pretty much forever that there is a fully thought out lineup of desktop Macs that are a solid value at every performance level, and no level is out of date and being ignored.

It's not exactly what I expected as I've been waiting for the new 27" iMac, but honestly this is better and I'm excited. The only minor downside compared to an iMac is having a small box on the desk below the monitor which is really not a big deal.

 

[5883662]

Barcalays bank no longer offer 0% finance over x number of years.

 

[JahBoolean]

Purchased display rather impulsively with monthly payments. Not sure if I should cancel and pay in full or just cancel lol. I feel guilty and not sure why...maybe bc my current 4 year old LG 4K 27" only cost 300...

If you feel guild after mere minutes, that's all the clarity you need.

Nonwithstanding the fact that you contracted credit on that.

 

[sfwalter]

Why is the Intel Mac Mini still in the lineup? Is a more powerful Mac Mini still coming?

 

[jsmith1]

glad cc was turned on...couldnt understand a word with the ipad air, specs are just enough to call it new but not really worth a upgrade per normal apple...its on 2 or 3 year now...they still think money is growing on trees for people

 

[MacsAre1]

I have confirmed that Apple states that both RAM and SSD are "not user accessible" just like on their other M1 Macs. Of course, most people won't be needing to upgrade 64GB of RAM before the M1 is obsolete. Hopefully ifixit will give us a teardown to confirm whether these chips are all soldered on (they probably are).

 

[flapflapflap]

The studio display supports the latest iPads (12.9, 11, latest Air). Are we going to get those annoying black bars on the side or is this monitor optimized for iPads?

 

[StupidOpinion]

Why is the Intel Mac Mini still in the lineup? Is a more powerful Mac Mini still coming?

SERVER

 

[Sir_Macs_A_Lot]

Worried the Mac Studio won't cut it with over heating. The 2013 Mac Pro fiasco is still ringing in my ears.

What? Didn't you see those super high performance fans in there? They're so strong they sucked that girl in.

 

[Jimmdean]

So when my 27” Intel iMac needs replacing I have to get either a smaller M1 iMac, a Studio/Mini then an expensive Apple monitor? I don’t under why they’ve retired the 27” version.

The extra $400 for the tilt monitor stand is disgusting. Basic ergonomics shouldn’t be chargeable.

Mine is a 2019. Hopefully by the time it actually needs to be replaced Apple will have realized their huge mistake.

 

[mrhick01]

only Apple would take the computer out of the 27“ iMac and still charge $1599 for it.

The irony is that there is a computer (CPU) still in the Studio Display competitive with what is in the 27" Intel iMac...the A13.

 

[4jasontv]

Mac Studio looks crazy but the Studio Display is underwhelming. 27" just isn't a large monitor anymore and at 5K resolution a 32" or 34" would be a nice bump up.

I think one thing that Apple is going to run into is that it gets tougher and tougher to justify pro gear when their consumer stuff is so damn good. A 8-core mac mini is more than enough processing power for everything that isn't 8K video editing and is a LOT cheaper.

The issue is that at 32” it would just be a larger 4K display not a higher resolution display. Dell used to have this amazing 24” 4K display, but I haven’t seen one in forever. A 27” 5K is as close as one is going to get to a 24” 4K.

 

[D_J]

$1999 for the Mac isn't bad, but wish they had a $1200-1500 model as well with lower specs. The display is more than I'm looking to spend. $1500 isn't bad considering how much the LG goes for, but wish they could come out with a sub-$1000 display. I don't need the camera, speakers, or any of the extras. Just want an Apple looking display. Also wish they'd release the 27 inch iMac already, that's probably the one most of us want and will probably be at a reasonable price point as well.

Exactly. I wish they had included the M1 Pro in the Studio at $1500 and I would have already purchased it. I don't need the extra GPU of the Max, but I need more RAM than my 16GB M1.

 

[iamdamian]

All for the sake of "modularity."

I noticed this in their closing comments "So there's just one more Mac to progress to Apple Silicon, the Mac Pro - but that's for another day" I guess this can be read two ways - either they don't count the iMac because it's been progressed, or there will no longer be an iMac 27"

What's peoples thoughts??

 

[russell_314]

All for the sake of "modularity."

You know what they say… Be careful what you ask for. Well perhaps it wasn’t you that asked for it but so many people have been wanting this so now it’s here ?

 

[flashflood]

We're all gonna call this MK Ultra, right?

 

[hsadler]

These were more fun to watch when it was live... mistakes, surprises, comedy. These production delivered 'the next best thing' should just be an episode on Apple TV. And pick producers carefully.

 

[Bandaman]

Their pricing structure doesn’t live in the real world.

It lives in the Pro world, at which this is marketed toward.

 

[JahBoolean]

glad cc was turned on...couldnt understand a word with the ipad air, specs are just enough to call it new but not really worth a upgrade per normal apple...its on 2 or 3 year now...they still think money is growing on trees for people

If you're buying yearly upgrade without being able to offset it in your financial strategy, it is indeed foolish.

No wrong from apple with wanting to reduce manufacturing costs by consolidating existing chips inside of new products

 

[toke lahti]

Display could be reasonably priced as it's not an HDR/XDR screen it seems.

Edit: maybe not given all the features.

600 nits is enough for anything.
If you need more, close the curtains/blinders. Or move inside.

 

[skaertus]

Some random thoughts:

1. The "Max" in the M1 Max is supposed to mean "Maximum", which is defined, by the Cambridge Dictionary, as "being the largest amount or number allowed or possible". I was not expecting Apple to release an even higher-end M1 Ultra, which is more than the Max. There is a serious nomenclature problem here.
2. The M1 Ultra satisfies Tim Cook's desire to repeatedly upsell. M1 Ultra > M1 Max > M1 Pro > M1. What will power the Mac Pro?
3. It puzzles me that the iPad Air and the iPad Pro have now the same processor. The 10.9-inch iPad Air sells for $599 (with 64 GB) and the 11-inch iPad Pro (with 128 GB) sells for $799. The 10.9-inch Air with 256 GB sells for $749; $150 for 192 GB storage is a total rip-off, but it still seems more worth it than the Pro.
4. The high-end Mac Studio comes with 1 TB SSD only. Upgrading it to 2 TB costs $400, which is 10% of the overall price of the computer. Apple is again unashamedly overcharging for upgrades. And, even more unashamedly, 1 TB on the Mac Studio costs $400 ($0.4 per gigabyte), while 192 GB costs $150 on the iPad Air ($0.78 per gigabyte).
5. The Studio Display costs $1,599, which is more affordable than what people were expecting. Still not "consumer-level", but it may find its way with creative professionals.
6. Is the 27-inch iMac gone forever? Does it mean that the alternative is buying a Mac Mini ($699 minimum) or a Mac Studio ($1,999) plus the Studio Display ($1,599), plus mouse and keyboard, with an overall price tag much higher than the previous 27-inch iMac, just to have more wires and less convenience?
7. How can the nano-texture glass cost $300 on the Studio Display and still cost $1,000 on the Pro Display XDR?

I appreciate Apple's products and the power it has put in the M1 processor. However, Apple's recent business and pricing tactics have driven me further and further away from its products. I am just hoping Qualcomm and/or Intel catch up with the M1 soon enough so there is more competition to put pressure on Apple.

 

[Justin L Franks]

I noticed this in their closing comments "So there's just one more Mac to progress to Apple Silicon, the Mac Pro - but that's for another day" I guess this can be read two ways - either they don't count the iMac because it's been progressed, or there will no longer be an iMac 27"

What's peoples thoughts??

The 27" iMac is no longer available to purchase. WTF, Apple?

 

[soulbot]

Only here to hear from all the skeptics who were shrieking, "Mac Studio will definitely not look like these renders!" But I guess they're mostly occupied, procuring the finest crow for their lunch.

 

[Jimmdean]

It looks like the 27" iMac is no longer available on the Apple Canada website!!!

So, is it now over for that model???

People would have continued buying it instead of today’s releases.

 

[FrozenDarkness]

i think apple silicone, apple has finally found a reason to stop users from upgrading components in an existing computer. i'd be shocked if there will be a user upgradeable component in any future apple computer that uses an apple silicone.