Apple announced its most powerful processor to date, a new compact desktop computer that will be the first device powered by that chip, and updates to its smartphone and tablet lineup during today’s Peek Performance event.
And we followed along live. You can check out our more in-depth coverage of the new Mac Studio and M1 Ultra processor, iPad Air with an Apple M1 chip and iPhone SE with an A15 Bionic processor for more details on Apple’s new products. Or check out our coverage of the press event below for a quick overview.
Updates are posted in reverse chronological order.
Mac Studio looks like a killer computer with… a high starting price. Models with M1 Max chips will start at $1999, while the Mac Studio with M1 Ultra starts at $3999, but at least that price includes 2X the memory and storage as well. pic.twitter.com/lAV2E9erC3
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
Studio Display has 3 x 10 Gbps USB-C ports and a Thunderbolt port with support for 96 watt pass through power: charge your MacBook while it’s plugged in. pic.twitter.com/Ib6FDiOOHC
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
And here’s a bunch of Mac Studio specs/features in one graphic. pic.twitter.com/MNcYuFFwMo
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
Apple says the Mac Studio with M1 Ultra is up to 80% faster than a Mac Pro. pic.twitter.com/5dIgiUiGrR
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
Mac Studio will come with M1 Max or M1 Ultra chips. M1 Max models have four Thunderbolt 4 ports, 10 Gbps Ethernet, WiFi 6, BT 5, and two USB-C ports plus HDMI and USB-A ports. M1 Ultra has 6 x TB4 ports. pic.twitter.com/IlrClANEo7
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
The Mac Studio measures 7.7″ x 3.7″ and has a cooling system which draws air in through the bottom, uses a double-sided blower and rear exhaust, but Apple says it’s very quiet. pic.twitter.com/r0b7v0i4nV
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
The first computer powered by the M1 Ultra is the new Mac Studio, a mini PC with a big processor. It looks a bit like a tall Mac Mini. Apple has also unveiled a new Studio Display. pic.twitter.com/z5xaC9gCcr
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
While the M1 Ultra uses more power than its mobile counterparts, Apple is emphasizing it performance-per-watt advantage over competing chips from Intel. pic.twitter.com/JExWpjIScd
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
Apple’s M1 Ultra chip is a 20-core processor with 64-core graphics, 32-core neural engine, 114 billion transistors, 800GB/second bandwidth, and up to 128GB unified memory support. pic.twitter.com/lJG4XYHQMJ
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
Apple introduces M1 Ultra, the final member of the M1 family. Designed for desktops. It’s basically 2 M1 Max chips combined with “UltraFusion” architecture offering low-power 2.5 TB/s interconnectivity. pic.twitter.com/wh56rKmFzV
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
The new iPad Air starts at $599, comes in 64GB or 256GB models, and in WiFi-only or WiFi + 5G versions. Pre-orders open Friday. Available March 18. pic.twitter.com/9jF1Eg68ct
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
The new iPad Air has a 12MP front-facing camera with support for Center Stage (auto-frame you as you move about the frame) and a 2X faster USB-C port plus optional 5G support and support for 2nd-gen Apple Pencil. pic.twitter.com/xqZqCemkmI
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
Apple introduces a new iPad Air with the same Apple M1 processor used in the iPad Pro, for a 60% gen-over-gen boost in CPU performance and a 2X boost in graphics. pic.twitter.com/9vqnnjerWP
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
The iPhone SE has a 4.7 inch display, a 12MP camera with support for computational photography, ships with iOS 15 and will get updates “for years to come.” Comes in 3 colors. Prices start at $429. Up for pre-order Friday, available March 18. pic.twitter.com/dL0PQPvLbH
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
Apple introduces a new iPhone SE with an A15 Bionic processor, the same chip used in the iPhone 13 with a 6-core CPU and 4-core graphics. The SE has a smaller screen and a fingerprint sensor/home button below the screen. It’s IP67 rated. pic.twitter.com/zY2UAcjpW2
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro are coming in a new green color with pre-orders opening Friday ahead of March 18 avaiabililty. pic.twitter.com/boeEgvoIg2
— Liliputing (@liliputingnews) March 8, 2022
That Mac Studio looks like pretty decent value, compared to past Mac Pro models. However, that is assuming performance-per-core is similar to past M1 chips.
I wonder if Apple plans on delivering it with ECC RAM, like they did with their past Mac Pro products. Although, it isn’t very clear if this Mac Studio belongs to Apple’s Mac Pro lineup, so I’m not sure if we can expect the same features?
Also, it seems they haven’t announced anything about AV1 video decoding support, which probably means it still doesn’t support it. It’s a shame, because this M1 Ultra chip will probably have a long lifespan (if Apple’s past Pro models are any indication)