Junge notebooks for the Christmas business and new Tempo world champions: Apple is modernizing its Macbook model series and introducing two Pro versions with a display diagonal of 14 and 16 inches. Both use a mini LED display with a particularly high-quality, high-contrast display. The technology debuted in the spring with the large iPad Pro. It is based on the idea that a grid of many small, individually controllable backlights improves the contrast and provides darker black tones. What is immediately convincing with the iPad Pro 12.9 and can be seen immediately in comparison, now lands on the new Macbook Pro.
But not only the eye is pleased. The new Macbooks offer more speed than ever. Apple has further developed its already fast ARM processor Silicon M1 in two versions, and during the performance on Monday evening the managers from Cupertino went crazy for superlatives: The new M1 Pro has a graphics unit that is twice as fast, three times the memory bandwidth and speaks up to 32 gigabytes of memory. The M1 Pro has ten to 16 cores instead of eight on the original M1.
The trip protection is back
The M1 Max goes one better, has a graphics unit that is four times faster than the M1 and addresses 64 gigabytes of memory. Both new developments leave previous PC processors far behind, says Apple, and thanks to the ARM architecture have lower power consumption.
The Homepod Mini music speaker is available in new colors.
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Image: Apple
The design also offers surprises: After Apple relied on a minimalist design for its notebooks for years and reduced interfaces and connection options for peripherals, there is now a U-turn. The new Macbook Pro have an HDMI connection on board and even an SD memory card reader. You also bring the MagSafe charging plug back together with the trip protection. Because the power plug is held in place magnetically, pulling hard on the cable releases the connection, thus preventing the computer from being torn off the table. The last Macs with MagSafe were made until 2017.
7,000 euros for the Macbook Pro in full equipment
The design of the two new Macbooks has become a bit softer, and the recess on the upper edge of the display for the webcam is immediately noticeable. The edges around the display have been significantly reduced. The display with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hertz and HDR playback has a resolution of 3456 x 2234 pixels, the smaller model has 3024 x 1964 pixels. Apple specifies the brightness with up to 1600 nits. The keyboard has been redesigned and the unloved touchbar as a function key bar is a thing of the past. The Facetime camera on the upper edge of the housing has been improved by Apple and is now capable of 1080p.
Visually, they are similar to the more expensive Airpods Pro. The difference: there is no active noise suppression.
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Image: Apple
Both notebooks have six speakers with surround sound, the battery life is up to 21 hours according to the manufacturer. Prices start at 2250 euros for the 14-inch model with an M1 Pro processor, 16 gigabytes of memory and 512 gigabytes of SSD. The M1 Max processor costs an additional 500 to 730 euros. The smallest variant of the 16-inch model costs 2750 euros. If you order it with 64 gigabytes of RAM and an 8 terabyte SSD, you end up with almost 7,000 euros. The cars will be in stores from next week.
Apple Music likes Siri
When it comes to music, Apple is also upping the ante. The streaming service Apple Music will be more closely linked to Siri, so that you can, for example, select a playlist for certain occasions such as a festive dinner or a hike. The playlists are curated. Furthermore, you can subscribe to Apple Music in a budget version in the future. However, savings are not made on the offer, but on the controls: For five euros a month, “Apple Music Voice” with access to all 90 million tracks will be launched in the fall. However, you have to forego using the app and only work with voice commands. This is an aggressive move against Spotify and other streaming services.
The Homepod Mini music speaker is available in new colors, and the Airpods earbuds come on the market in version 3. The first generation of wireless Bluetooth devices was introduced in 2016. Support for Dolby Atmos and charging with MagSafe adapters are new. In contrast to the two previous versions, the bar of the new Airpods is slightly shorter. They are similar to the more expensive Airpods Pro. The difference: there is no active noise suppression. The Airpods 3 cost 200 euros and will be in stores from next week.
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