Top Stories: M1 iMac Benchmarks, iPhone Battery Life Tips, Colorful MacBook Air?

[MacRumors]

Anticipation is building for the new iMac and iPad Pro models, which have started shipping out ahead of a launch around May 21. Benchmarks for the new machines are starting to come in, and the M1 chips inside of them are registering at around the same figures seen with other M1-based Macs, making for significant upgrades over previous-generation models.

This week also saw some rumors about future MacBook Air models in the same colors as those seen on the new iMac, more details on the iPhone 13, and a sketchy rumor about a Nintendo Switch competitor from Apple. Read on for details on these stories and more!

M1 iMac is Up to 56% Faster Than Prior High-End 21.5-Inch iMac

The new 24-inch iMac powered by Apple's custom M1 chip will begin arriving to customers next week, and ahead of time, early benchmark results have revealed that the computer is up to 56% faster than the previous-generation, high-end 21.5-inch iMac with an Intel Core i7 processor.

Based on Geekbench 5 results, the new iMac has virtually identical performance as other M1 Macs, including the MacBook Air, lower-end 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini.

Powered by the same M1 chip as found in Macs, the new iPad Pro is also over 50% faster than the previous-generation iPad Pro models with the A12Z / A12X chips, according to early benchmark results. Impressively, this means the new iPad Pro is up to 8% faster than a maxed-out 16-inch MacBook Pro with an Intel Core i9 processor.

The new iMac and iPad Pro became available to order starting April 30, with shipments expected to begin arriving to customers on May 21. Reviews of the devices should be published next week.

Mockups Reveal Colorful New MacBook Air Design

Apple's new iMac is available in up to seven vibrant colors, including green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver, and rumors suggest the next MacBook Air will receive the same colorful treatment.

According to leaker Jon Prosser, the same source who informed him that the iMac would be getting new colors has now told him that the new MacBook Air will also be available in a variety of new colors. Prosser worked with a graphic designer to create mockups of what the new colors might look like.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that Apple is working on a redesigned MacBook Air for release as early as the second half of 2021, but he cautioned that the notebook might not arrive until 2022. Gurman said the notebook would be thinner and lighter with a 13-inch display, multiple USB4 ports, and a magnetic charging cable.

Apple last updated the MacBook Air in November 2020, equipping the computer with the M1 chip for significantly improved performance compared to the previous-generation Intel-based MacBook Air.

iPhone 13 Models Will Be Slightly Thicker and Will Have Larger Camera Bumps

Apple's upcoming iPhone 13 models will be slightly thicker than the iPhone 12 models and will also feature larger, thicker camera bumps with lenses that protrude less, according to ‌iPhone 13‌ schematics seen by MacRumors.

The camera bumps are getting thicker in part to prevent the lenses from protruding quite as much on the ‌iPhone 13‌ models. Rather than the individual lenses protruding as we saw on the ‌iPhone 12‌ models, the camera bump itself on the ‌iPhone 13‌ family will protrude more while the lenses will sit closer to a flush position, similar to the design of the 2020 iPad Pro.

This information appears to be in line with rumors we've heard previously that suggest some decent camera improvements for the ‌iPhone 13‌ and ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro to bring it more in line with the camera offerings of the ‌iPhone 13‌ Pro Max, which lends credibility to the details we've received.

Make sure to read our iPhone 13 roundup for more features expected, including a 120Hz display on the Pro models.

Analytics Suggest 96% of Users Leave App Tracking Disabled in iOS 14.5

An early look at an ongoing analysis of Apple's App Tracking Transparency suggests that the vast majority of iPhone users are leaving app tracking disabled since the feature went live in iOS 14.5.

According to the latest data from Verizon-owned analytics firm Flurry, just 4% of ‌iPhone‌ users in the U.S. have actively chosen to opt into app tracking after updating their device to iOS 14.5, which was released April 26. The data is based on a sampling of 2.5 million daily mobile active users.

MacRumors ran a Twitter poll and saw similar results, with 96% of respondents saying they opt out of tracking and only 4% saying they allow tracking, which allows apps to deliver personalized ads.

Starting with iOS 14.5, as well as iPadOS 14.5 and tvOS 14.5, apps must ask for permission before tracking your activity across other companies' apps and websites. If a user asks an app not to track, the app is prevented from accessing the device's random advertising identifier, known as the IDFA, and the app must not track the user by alternative means.

Sketchy Rumor Claims Apple Developing Nintendo Switch-Style Gaming Console

Apple is allegedly working on a Nintendo Switch-style handheld games console, according to a sketchy new rumor that came out of Asia this week.

According to a post on a Korean forum, Apple is developing a portable hybrid games console, comparable to the Nintendo Switch. While the sourcing of the rumor is suspect, it has gained some visibility in larger news outlets, so we figured it was at least worth acknowledging.

The console will apparently feature an entirely new Apple-designed application processor, neglecting to use an A-series or M-series chip. This chip appears to be specifically designed for gaming and is said to feature enhanced GPU performance and improved ray tracing.

Previous rumors suggested that Apple was working on a gaming-focused Apple TV with an A14X chip and an Apple-branded game controller, but this device has yet to materialize. Instead, the Apple TV 4K received a spec bump last month with an A12 chip and a redesigned Siri Remote.

Video: Make Your iPhone Last Longer With These Battery Preserving Tips

Maximizing battery life is something that many iPhone users deal with on a regular basis, as we all want our iPhones to last as long as possible. Sometimes there are bugs in iOS that make the battery drain faster, and sometimes we just need to eke out as much as possible on a long day out and about.

On our YouTube channel this week, MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera demonstrated some useful battery saving tips that can help you get the most out of your iPhone's battery, so make sure to give it a watch. We also have a detailed, in-depth guide with tons of additional tips on maximizing your battery life, which is well worth taking a look at if your iPhone (or iPad) battery just isn't lasting long enough throughout the day.

MacRumors Newsletter

Each week, we publish an email newsletter like this highlighting the top Apple stories, making it a great way to get a bite-sized recap of the week hitting all of the major topics we've covered and tying together related stories for a big-picture view.

So if you want to have top stories like the above recap delivered to your email inbox each week, subscribe to our newsletter!

Article Link: Top Stories: M1 iMac Benchmarks, iPhone Battery Life Tips, Colorful MacBook Air?

 

[caotriprodt]

Some apple designs are quite complicated. They need to think about this

 

[reyesmac]

since apple is using the same chips for everything one would be able to calculate how fast they will get over time based on how fast iOS devices have gotten. The most expensive models will be updated yearly, the low end every few years. So the low end now should be on m1 while they come out with two more speeds. Then after they introduce a fourth or fifth speed apple will come out with a few more sku’s to keep using the m1 in other devices like Apple TV and put in an m2 in the low end. While the m1 is considered fast they can make a premium Apple TV and charge more but the plan is to have the m1 power the most basic devices eventually. Every new speed gets a premium product price when introduced and eventually relegated to lower end products over time. I’m sure this can be charted to show a pattern here. It’s just done over a long period of time so we don’t notice.

 

[kstotlani]

I was hoping that the M1 inside iMac and MacBook Pro to be over locked slightly. Is it that the machines with fans can do more sustained loads or that is the same too? Apple has suddenly changed the choice paradigm. Now the choice seems to be between portability, screen size and aesthetics rather than choosing more powerful machines as all of them have the same performance.

 

[Bug-Creator]

s it that the machines with fans can do more sustained loads or that is the same too?

Well Apple has the "problem" that the M1 runs so cool it takes some time running at full blast before it gets to hot even in the unventilated MBA, hence they all perform the same at start and have to throttle only a little bit afterwards depending on the cooling available (iMac > MacMini > MBP).

That will of course change once bigger M-chips get released, but I wouldn't be surprised if anything consumer oriented ends up fan-less with the next update.

 

[Serban55]

I was hoping that the M1 inside iMac and MacBook Pro to be over locked slightly. Is it that the machines with fans can do more sustained loads or that is the same too? Apple has suddenly changed the choice paradigm. Now the choice seems to be between portability, screen size and aesthetics rather than choosing more powerful machines as all of them have the same performance.

The iMac fans are there for the next generations to come...M1 doesnt need 2 fans, it runs cool at it is...but this design is meant for the next 10 years maybe...so the M2 or M3 probably will need that active cooling

 

[chucker23n1]

I was hoping that the M1 inside iMac and MacBook Pro to be over locked slightly. Is it that the machines with fans can do more sustained loads

Yes. The MacBook Pro can do intensive work for longer (without throttling) than the Air.

 

[yellow8]

Yellow MBA pleaseeee!

 

[fontman]

Some apple designs are quite complicated. They need to think about this

Yes , getting to the point where they're more concerned about how something looks and how it actually works in day-to-day use. It's like they've hired a fashion designer instead of an engineer.

 

[chucker23n1]

Yes , getting to the point where they're more concerned about how something looks and how it actually works in day-to-day use. It's like they've hired a fashion designer instead of an engineer.

Apple thinking about how their products look. What has the world come to!

 

[Realityck]

Yes , getting to the point where they're more concerned about how something looks and how it actually works in day-to-day use. It's like they've hired a fashion designer instead of an engineer.

I don't mind where technology is aesthetically pleasing, but you do have a point where Apple hasn't provided that next step in technology evolution past the basic 7 or 8 CPU core M1. We all have speculated about SoC's with more cores, more built in capabilities, but why can't Apple present a roadmap about the Apple Silicon development progress before WWDC during the year? It not like a M1X, M2, M3 is going to immediately devalue their computer lines, people are just waiting for the right solutions from Apple.

 

[Bug-Creator]

We all have speculated about SoC's with more cores, more built in capabilities, but why can't Apple present a roadmap about the Apple Silicon development progress before WWDC during the year? It not like a M1X, M2, M3

Maybe because they don't know yet where an M3 would land, at least not as precise enough to make predictions. Will the aim higher core count, higher clocks, better IPC or more specialized functionality? Will TMSCs 3nm be ready and if what can actually be done with.......

As for M1x/M2, why announce it now when they can make a big splash at WWDC less than 4 weeks?

 

[name99]

since apple is using the same chips for everything one would be able to calculate how fast they will get over time based on how fast iOS devices have gotten. The most expensive models will be updated yearly, the low end every few years. So the low end now should be on m1 while they come out with two more speeds. Then after they introduce a fourth or fifth speed apple will come out with a few more sku’s to keep using the m1 in other devices like Apple TV and put in an m2 in the low end. While the m1 is considered fast they can make a premium Apple TV and charge more but the plan is to have the m1 power the most basic devices eventually. Every new speed gets a premium product price when introduced and eventually relegated to lower end products over time. I’m sure this can be charted to show a pattern here. It’s just done over a long period of time so we don’t notice.

Apple's core have fairly evenly gained about 30% in performance every year since the A7 (with a truly massive leap from A6 to A7).
This performance boost have come pretty evenly split between IPC improvements and GHz improvements. (This year, A14/M1 was primarily GHz. Next year or two will probably be primarily IPC with GHz staying flat or increasing by just a few percent.)

You are of course correct about pacing. I also expect that, once the entire line has transitioned and Apple have the basic designs in place for the high end machines (Mac Pro/iMac Pro), which means a way to handle large memories, then we may see the midrange cores (ie M1 equivalent) bumped every two years and the high end cores (the mythical M#X?) bumped maybe even every three or four years?

However as more gets moved onto the SoC (at some point WiFi and BT?) the business changes. Apple could deliver occasional speed bumps by keeping everything about say an iMac the same except better WiFi or faster storage. If everything is on the SoC (already now much of the IO) including eventually WiFi and BT, that becomes a lot more difficult...
It will be interesting to see how Apple adapts to that.

 

[chucker23n1]

I don't mind where technology is aesthetically pleasing, but you do have a point where Apple hasn't provided that next step in technology evolution past the basic 7 or 8 CPU core M1.

It’s… barely half a year old.

We all have speculated about SoC's with more cores, more built in capabilities, but why can't Apple present a roadmap about the Apple Silicon development progress before WWDC during the year?

This has been Apple’s MO since the late 1990s. They barely tease products, and they don’t do roadmaps. They want controlled messaging that happens (usually) at a media event.

 

[Realityck]

It’s… barely half a year old.

This has been Apple’s MO since the late 1990s. They barely tease products, and they don’t do roadmaps. They want controlled messaging that happens (usually) at a media event.

I realize that is their style, still they are their own semiconductor vendor now, not relying on third party except for manufacturing. If the Nov 10, 2020 M1 announcement featuring Johny Srouji shows the M1 is competing against latest PC laptop chips, you have to realize that a lot of us want to know about what competes against latest desktop chips with discrete GPU's?

here is the clip

 

[coolbreeze2]

If the M1 has a max speed of 3.2GHz how is it faster than my 2017 iMac i7 that maxes at 4.2 GHz? My specs are in my signature. Obviously, I'm not understanding. Please educate me.

 

[chucker23n1]

If the M1 has a max speed of 3.2GHz how is it faster than my 2017 iMac i7 that maxes at 4.2 GHz? My specs are in my signature. Obviously, I'm not understanding. Please educate me.

There's a lot more to performance than clock speed.

 

[coolbreeze2]

There's a lot more to performance than clock speed.

So the new iMac will outperform my iMac?

 

[tillsbury]

So the new iMac will outperform my iMac?

Without question, unless you have the maxed out 10-core Intel with the highest graphics option. The next iteration of M chips will likely outperform even those...

Clock speed isn't a useful measure at all, when the chip design is so different.

I bought the top end 27" last year because I need an Intel machine (for virtual windows) for the next few years and I wanted the 8tb internal storage. But it won't be long before new iMacs overtake its performance and I look forward to getting one of those...

Meanwhile the little imac is so cute I'm having to force myself not to buy one just for fun...

 

[coolbreeze2]

Without question, unless you have the maxed out 10-core Intel with the highest graphics option. The next iteration of M chips will likely outperform even those...

Clock speed isn't a useful measure at all, when the chip design is so different.

I bought the top end 27" last year because I need an Intel machine (for virtual windows) for the next few years and I wanted the 8tb internal storage. But it won't be long before new iMacs overtake its performance and I look forward to getting one of those...

Meanwhile the little imac is so cute I'm having to force myself not to buy one just for fun...

Wow!!!! Here I am thinking I have the new iMac beat now and in the near future. I am speechless! My iMac has an i7 4.2GHz with 64GB RAM and an M1 with 8GB RAM outperforms it! Are you sure???

 

[coolbreeze2]

I think I will keep my iMac because the specs are still impressive even though it's not an M1. It does a super job as the workstation for my music recording business with UAD LUNA and UAD equipment and Logic Pro X. What I will replace is my MacBook Pro with only 2.2 GHz. Hopefully, an M1X or M2 MacBook Pro is around the corner. It will be a portable beast!!!

 

[travelsheep]

Wow, will the iPhone 13 be the best iPhone Apple made so far?

 

[Realityck]

Without question, unless you have the maxed out 10-core Intel with the highest graphics option. The next iteration of M chips will likely outperform even those...

Clock speed isn't a useful measure at all, when the chip design is so different.

Stepping beyond the usual geek bench single and multi core comparisons
Looking at the fastest M1 Mac Mini geek bench compute score - metal = 22532
iMac (27-inch Retina Mid 2020) w/Intel Core i7-10700K 3800 MHz (8 cores) - metal = 45868
See some 2017 iMac Pro w/Intel Xeon W-2140B 3200 MHz (8 cores) - metal = 141410
you can search here

Note the Compute workloads that model real-world tasks and applications.

 

[chucker23n1]

Stepping beyond the usual geek bench single and multi core comparisons
Looking at the fastest M1 Mac Mini geek bench compute score - metal = 22532
iMac (27-inch Retina Mid 2020) w/Intel Core i7-10700K 3800 MHz (8 cores) - metal = 45868
See some 2017 iMac Pro w/Intel Xeon W-2140B 3200 MHz (8 cores) - metal = 141410
you can search here

Note the Compute workloads that model real-world tasks and applications.

Compute scores are much easier to scale than single-threaded CPU scores, though. These are highly parallelizable tasks, so you essentially just add more execution units.

 

[jonnysods]

I'm still very annoyed by the external monitor limitations of the M1 if its such a beast. That is the one thing Intel Macs have over the M1.