Apple Event: Scary Fast Recap

Apple held a unique product launch event on the evening of October 30th, 2023. Instead of the usual morning or midday presentation, this event was streamed online at 8PM ET / 5PM PT. The event, named "Scary Fast," showcased new Mac products, focusing on the next-generation chips.

The M3 Chip Line

Apple introduced the first three members of the M3 chip family: the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max. These chips were incorporated into two updated devices. The iMac was fitted with the M3, while the MacBook Pro was updated with all three chips.

A more affordable version of the 14-inch model uses the M3, while the Pro and Max chips are utilized in the pricier 14- and 16-inch models.

• The M3 Pro comes with a 12-core CPU, up to an 18-core GPU, and up to 36GB of RAM.
• The M3 Max boasts a 16-core CPU and up to a 40-core GPU, making it up to 80% faster than the M1 Max chip.
• The M3 Max MacBook Pro can be equipped with up to 128GB of RAM, a new high for Apple laptops.

(image: Apple)

These chips, the first personal computer chips made using the 3-nanometer process, promise to deliver more power and efficiency.

In a comparison with the $1,299 MSI Prestige 13Evo A13M-050US, a 12-core PC laptop that uses Intel’s Core i7 1360P processor and Iris Xe graphics, Apple's latest M3 chip showed impressive performance:

(image: Apple)

Apple claims that the M3 CPU achieves the same performance as the MSI laptop while consuming only a quarter of the power, and the M3 GPU likewise matches the MSI's GPU performance while using only one-fifth of the power.

24-inch iMac with an M3 Chip

The M3 chip features an eight-core CPU, up to a 10-core GPU, and supports up to 24GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. This is expected to significantly boost the performance of the all-in-one device.

Productivity apps like Safari or Microsoft Excel are said to run up to 30 percent faster. For content creators, the new chip allows up to 12 streams of 4K video, and Adobe Photoshop is expected to process photos up to two times faster.

The 24-inch iMac retains its original design, available in seven colors: green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. It remains 11.5mm thin, with white bezels and the same chin design.

The 1080p camera, speakers, microphones, USB port configurations, and 4.5K Retina display are also unchanged. The color-matched accessories are still the same and connect with a Lightning cable. The upgraded iMac also now supports Wi-Fi 6E.

One notable change is the incorporation of more recycled materials in the new M3 iMacs. The stand now uses 100 percent recycled aluminum, and the iMac employs recycled rare earth magnets, recycled tin soldering, and 100 percent recycled gold plating in circuit boards.

While a spec bump may not always be thrilling, this update is timely, given that Apple never updated the iMac with its M2 chip. The 24-inch M3 iMac starts at $1,299 for the eight-core GPU and $1,499 for the 10-core GPU. Pre-orders are available starting today, with shipping beginning on November 7th.

14-inch & 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Chips

Apple has introduced upgraded models of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, featuring M3 Pro and M3 Max processors in a new "space black" color. These laptops offer enhanced performance and configurability.

These laptops also feature hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading, improving graphics performance.

The 16-inch M3 Pro model offers around 22 hours of battery life. Additionally, these MacBook Pros retain their key features, such as Mini LED displays, an excellent speaker system, and a variety of ports.

Prices start at $1,999 for the 14-inch M3 Pro model and $2,499 for the base 16-inch model, with costs increasing for higher configurations. For those on a budget, there's also the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the standard M3 chip, starting at $1,599.

Entry-level MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar

In addition to the MacBook Pro models equipped with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips, Apple is launching a more affordable 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the base M3 chip, starting at $1,599.

This new device replaces the 13-inch MacBook Pro featuring the M2 chip released by Apple last year and offers a performance improvement of up to 60 percent.The Touch Bar model is being phased out, which means that future MacBook Pros will have physical keys only.

However, there are some limitations to this entry-level model, including having only 8GB of RAM and being available in silver and space gray colors, with the black color exclusively reserved for the higher-end MacBook Pros. Preorders for this device are available today, and it will be officially released on November 7th.