💻 New MacBook Pro Models: Unleashed Power and Performance

The newly announced MacBook Pro models deliver significant updates, living up to the term “unleashed.” These notebooks are powered by the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips.

The M1 Max chip is particularly powerful, featuring:

• Up to a 32-core GPU
• Up to 64GB of unified memory

If early benchmarks translate accurately into real-world use, the performance of these new chips is expected to be outstanding.

🌟 ProMotion Display Technology

Both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models feature a new display with ProMotion technology. This allows the display’s refresh rate to dynamically adjust:

• High: Up to 120Hz for smooth motion.
• Low: Down to 24Hz for efficiency.

Apple states that macOS Monterey will automatically adapt the refresh rate based on the user’s activity on the notebook.

✨ Design and Port Changes: A Return to User-Friendly Features

The presentation introduced several design changes, including a “back to the future” moment with the return of a beloved feature:

• MagSafe 3 Charging: An improved MagSafe charging system is back. This new iteration allows the MacBook Pro to achieve a fast charge of 50% battery capacity in just 30 minutes.

⌨️ Keyboard and Ports

Apple has made significant changes to the keyboard and port selection:

• Touch Bar Removal: The controversial Touch Bar has been removed and replaced with a full-height row of physical function keys.
• Port Reintroduction: Several essential ports have reappeared, working alongside the existing Thunderbolt 4 ports:
  • HDMI port
  • SD card slot

📏 Thickness

These new ports result in a slight increase in thickness:
The 16.2-inch model measures 16.8 mm thick.
The 14.2-inch model measures 15.5 mm thick.

🔌 Port Specification Details and External Display Support

While the new MacBook Pro models reintroduce the HDMI port, it is specified as an HDMI 2.0 port, not the newer 2.1 standard.

🧐 HDMI 2.0 Limitation

This HDMI 2.0 limitation seems inconsistent given the extreme performance of the new chips, which feature a GPU faster than many desktop gaming GPUs.

• HDMI 2.0 supports up to 4K resolution, which is sufficient for most users.
• However, power users—such as video developers—may desire the 8K capability offered by the HDMI 2.1 standard.

🖥️ External Display Capabilities

Despite the HDMI 2.0 limitation, the new M1 chips support robust multi-display setups:

Chip Model	Maximum External Display Support (at 60Hz)
M1 Pro	Up to two external 6K displays
M1 Max	Up to three external 6K displays and one external 4K display

🎧 Third-Generation AirPods Announced

The newly announced third-generation AirPods feature a design similar to the existing AirPods Pro. However, key differences include:

• They do not feature the silicone ear tips found on the Pro model.
• They do not include Active Noise Cancellation (ANC).

🆕 Key Features of the Third-Gen AirPods

The new AirPods come with several significant upgrades over the second generation:

Extended battery life compared to the second-generation AirPods.

Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking.

Sweat and water resistance.

Improved sound quality.

Adaptive EQ that automatically adjusts the sound in real time based on what the user is listening to.

To finish off iOS 15.1, WatchOS 8.1 and MacOS Monterey will all be available next week.

As always, if you would like any information regarding the new announcements or are looking for local Apple expertise, talk to the team at Imagetext.