We finally know what Apple meant by scary fast, and it has everything to do with the Mac.
At the company's "Scary Fast" event, Apple unveiled a brand new version of the MacBook Pro. While the laptop didn't get much of a design update and looks scarily similar to the previous generation, the MacBook Pro got quite a boost with the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips — and components paired with them — inside of it.
The new MacBook Pro features a new thermal system — not surprising since I'm sure that was needed to handle the power capabilities of the new chips. Speaking of chips, the 14-inch MacBook Pro supports the M3 and M3 Pro and the 16-inch MacBook Pro supports the M3 Pro and M3 Max processors.
John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, said in a statement that the company is "raising the bar yet again" with the introduction of the M3 chip family.
"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. 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.”
According to Apple, the new version of the MacBook Pro with an M3 Pro chip is up to 40% faster than the previous generation of the MacBook Pro running an M1 Pro chip. With the MacBook Pro, users will be able to support up to two high-resolution displays.
With the MacBook Pro and the M3 Max chip inside, the new model is reportedly two and a half times faster than the previous generation with the M1 Max chip. The M3 Max chip will pack up to 128 GB of unified memory and drive up to four high-resolution displays.
Speaking of displays, the new MacBook Pro display is up to 20% brighter than its predecessor with the new Liquid Retina XDR display. The new MacBook Pro also comes in a new color: Space Black. That color has already existed with the iPhone and iPad for a bit, but this is the first time it is coming to a Mac.
The new MacBook Pro comes with up to 8TB of storage, 22 hours of battery life, a six-speaker sound system, up to a 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU, HDMI, Thunderbolt 4, and an SDXC port.
The new MacBook Pro is available to preorder today and will officially launch on November 7, 2023.
The 14-inch model now starts at $1,599 and is available in the M3 and M3 Pro configurations immediately. For those who want the M3 Max chip, those configurations will be available in late November.
The 16-inch model still starts at $2,499 and is also available to order today. If you want it with the M3 Max chip, those configurations will also be available later in November.
The departing M2
Apple's M2 MacBook Pro has been out for less than a year, so it's certainly a surprise that Apple has chosen to update it so soon.
That said, Apple seems to be diehard about launching its M3 chip lineup all at the same time so, of course, the MacBook Pro was going to be part of that rollout.
