They’re powered by the M1 chip, the most efficient chip Apple has ever created, and run on the new macOS 11, Big Sur, which is designed specifically for M1. Here are the chip’s specs, as well as how it will massively boost the performance of the new generation of Macs.
The M1 Chip
The new processor has eight cores. This includes four of the world’s fastest along with four of the most efficient cores. It’s a 5nm processor, based on Apple’s A14 Bionic, but thanks to its compact design, it boasts a better performance per watt than any other CPU in the world. With the new chip, Macs now power on instantly when opened, and are nearly two times more responsive. 3D animation rendering and raw video footage editing will work in real time, and graphically intensive games will also work smoothly, all with better battery life. And thanks to the Rosetta 2 emulator, any Mac with Big Sur will be able to run any iOS and iPadOS apps natively on its macOS. This model is Apple’s best mobile option, staying lightweight but with a strong battery. It’s fast, too: The new Air has a GPU that’s five times faster than the last Air, and the device is in fact faster than 98% of PCs sold in the last year. So how good is the battery life? It’ll last up to twice as long on a single charge, which is the most battery life a MacBook Air has ever seen. You should expect 15 hours of wireless web browsing, and 18 hours of video playback on a single charge. Apple’s new image processor is also included, offering better white balance, with face detection for your Zoom calls. The device also has Touch ID and Apple Pay. Specs include:
13.3-inch retina display with P3 wide color gamut supportup to 16GB memoryUp to 2TB storage720p cameraSupport for Thunderbolt, USB 4, and Wi-Fi 6
Prices start at $999, and $899 for education. It’s on sale today and ships next week. One of the biggest benefits: The new Mac Mini has six times faster graphics than the previous 2018 model. Granted, this sounds a little more impressive before you realize just how much the last model’s graphics sucked. But the jump in graphics does address just about the only problem consumers had to complain about with the Mini. Performance is also up, with rendering in Final Cut Pro as much as six times faster and Xcode compiling up to three times faster. Apple’s going for Microsoft’s jugular, too, claiming that “when compared to the best-selling Windows desktop in its price range, the Mac Mini is just one-tenth the size, yet delivers up to five times faster performance.” Additional specs include:
An “advanced thermal design”Up to two external displays including Apple’s Pro Display XDR in full 6K resolutionSupports Thunderbolt, USB 4, Wi-Fi 6
The new Mini starts at $699, which is a drop of $100 from the previous model. It’s also on sale today and ships next week. It has the best battery life ever seen in a Mac, with an impressive 17 hours of web browsing and 20 hours of video playback on one charge, which doubles the previous model’s performance and gives this model the best battery of any Mac, ever. The CPU is as much as 2.8 times faster than the last generation, while the 8-core GPU is up to five times faster. Apple claims that overall, its new 13-inch MacBook Pro is now the world’s fastest compact pro notebook. Additional specs include:
Studio-quality micsApple’s latest camera ISP (included in the M1 chip)Secure EnclaveSupport for “more peripherals than ever,” including Apple’s Pro Display XDR in full 6K resolutionRetina displayMagic KeyboardSupport for Thunderbolt, USB 4, and Wi-Fi 63-lb compact design
The new Pro starts at $1,299 with $1,199 for education. It’s available today, shipping next week.
Should You Buy the Next Macs?
Definitely. They’re undeniably better in all respects, from speed to battery to pricing. Costs are either remaining the same as the previous generation or in the case of the Mini, dropping even lower. In short, as long as Apple’s claims hold up, this is a very promising start to their transition to homebrewed processors for all their Macs moving forward. The experts agree, too: The only downside to Apple’s new Macs is probably the fact that anyone who just bought a new Mac earlier this year will be annoyed they didn’t wait for these ones.
