Here's the new Macbook Air, Mac Studio & Mac Pro (2023)
Apple showcased many exciting updates during WWDC 2023. AmongstĀ them, two major upgrades were introduced for the Macbook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro series. Here's everything we know about the new models at the time of writing.
Macbook Air with M2 & larger screen
One of the biggest highlights of WWDC 2023 was the debut of the new Macbook Air with a 15-inch screen. A portable computer that Apple itself calls "the best 15-inch laptop" and "the thinnest in the world."
As for whether the new Macbook Air is actually the best in its class, we can't say without testing it ourselves. However, we can highlight every aspect of the computer that's important, so you can decide if it's right for you.
The main feature of the new Macbook Air is the large 15.3-inch screen. It has a resolution of 2,880 x 1,864 pixels, which is an improvement from the smaller 13.6-inch model. The brightness remains the same at 500 nits at best. In addition to the screen, the front also houses a webcam with a resolution of 1080p. It is also unchanged from the smaller model.
Under the full-size keyboard, there's an Apple M2 chip that works together with up to 24 GB of RAM. The storage capacity starts at 256 GB, which should be sufficient for most users, but you can upgrade the computer to up to 2 TB if needed. If you want to save some money and are satisfied with a 13-inch screen, Apple still sells the older MacBook Air model with the M1 chip as well.
Spatial audio & 18 hours of battery life
Other details you should know are that the computer has a total of six speakers and supports spatial audio, and the battery is capable of lasting up to 18 hours on a single charge.
A larger screen, of course, comes with a corresponding price increase. Apple currently offers three screen sizes in the Macbook Air series: 13.3 inches, 13.6 inches, and 15.3 inches.
The older and smallest model starts at Ā£999.00 at Apple today. If you want the M2-equipped version with a 13-inch screen, the price jumps to Ā£1,149.00, and if you want the very latest, you'll have to open your wallet wide. The 15-inch model starts at a hefty Ā£1,399.00.
Macbook Air 13.6" with M2
- Screen size: 13.6 inches
- Screen resolution: 2,560 x 1,664, 500 nits
- Processor: Apple M2
- RAM: 8, 16, 24 GB
- Storage: 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
- Battery life: up to 18 hours
- Dimensions: 113 x 304.1 x 215 mm, 1.24 kg
- Webcam: 1080p
- Wireless: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
- Ports: 2 x Thunderbolt 4 / USB ports
Macbook Air 15" with M2
- Screen size: 15.3 inches
- Screen resolution: 2,880 x 1,864, 500 nits
- Processor: Apple M2
- RAM: 8, 16, 24 GB
- Storage: 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB
- Battery life: up to 18 hours
- Dimensions: 115 x 340 x 237.6 mm, 1.51 kg
- Webcam: 1080p
- Wireless: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
- Ports: 2 x Thunderbolt 4 / USB ports
Apple MacBook Air 15" (2023) (Swe) - M2 OC 10C GPU 8GB RAM 256GB SSD
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Mac Studio with M2 Ultra & Max
Apple unveiled new and upgraded variants of the desktop computer, Mac Studio. The big news is that the powerful M2 chips, Max and Ultra, are housed inside. This is a significant improvement from the previous model, which used the M1 Max and M1 Ultra chips.
Mac Studio is one of three series of desktop computers from Apple. It falls between the Mac mini and the Mac Pro in terms of capacity. The series is designed for professionals and more demanding users who require that extra power which the Mac mini cannot provide, but who don't necessarily need the full capabilities of a Mac Pro.
The major upgrades in the improved Mac Studio include the introduction of the newer M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips. The latter can be described as a fusion of two Max chips, combined to further enhance performance. Apple claims that performance has increased by 30 per cent and 50 per cent, respectively, compared to the M1 Max and M1 Ultra.
Half the memory bandwidth with M2 Max
When configuring your Mac Studio, you can choose up to 192 GB of built-in RAM with a total bandwidth of 800 GB/s, but only if you opt for the M2 Ultra model. If you settle for the more affordable M2 Max, you'll have to make do with up to 96 GB of RAM and half the bandwidth.
Other details include support for WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, four Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a 10 Gb Ethernet port. You also get an HDMI port, two USB-C ports, and two USB-A ports. If you use SD cards, you'll appreciate the front-facing memory card reader.
In terms of appearance, the 2023 Mac Studio is identical to last year's model. All the changes have been made on the inside.
Apple Mac Studio 2023 - M2 Max 12C CPU 30C GPU 32GB 512GB
Apple Mac Studio 2023 - M2 Ultra 24C CPU 60C GPU 64GB 1TB
Here's what Apple has to say about the M2 Ultra:
M2 Ultra consists of 134 billion transistors ā 20 billion more than M1 Ultra. Its unified memory architecture supports up to a breakthrough 192GB of memory capacity, which is 50 percent more than M1 Ultra, and features 800GB/s of memory bandwidth ā twice that of M2 Max.
M2 Ultra features a more powerful CPU thatās 20 percent faster than M1 Ultra, a larger GPU thatās up to 30 percent faster, and a Neural Engine thatās up to 40 percent faster.1It also features a media engine with twice the capabilities of M2 Max for blazing ProRes acceleration. With all these advancements, M2 Ultra takes Mac performance to a whole new level yet again.
Read the whole introduction to M2 Ultra at Apples press page.
Mac Pro is being upgraded with M2 Ultra
The last major news is that Apple has finally upgraded the Mac Pro series with the M2 Ultra chip. This means that the performance is now three times higher than the previous model, which was only available with an Intel processor.
On the inside, you can install up to 192 GB of RAM with a total memory bandwidth of 800 GB/s. Along with the 24 processor cores and 79 graphics cores in the M2 Ultra, the performance is up to three times higher than the fastest Intel-based Mac Pro model, and up to seven times faster than the Intel-based base model.
Apple has increased the support for the number of displays you can connect simultaneously. The new Mac Pro supports up to six Pro Display XDR screens. The computer can also handle up to 22 streams of 8K ProRes video simultaneously.
Other noteworthy details include support for WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and the dual HDMI ports that support up to 8K at 240 Hz. There are also dual 10Gb Ethernet ports and an audio jack with an accompanying headphone amplifier for those with high-impedance headphones.
Inside the Mac Pro, there are six available PCIe slots for any expansion cards you may need. If you need to connect external devices, there are eight Thunderbolt 4 ports and three USB-A ports.
Apple Mac Pro 2023 Tower - M2 Ultra 24C CPU 60C GPU 64GB RAM 1TB SSD
Apple Mac Pro 2023 Rack - M2 Ultra 24C CPU 60C GPU 64GB RAM 1TB SSD
Text: Daniel Haaf
Published: 9 June 2023
Updated: 9 June 2023
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