M3 chips to new iMacs: Everything Apple announced at its ‘Scary Fast’ Halloween launch event

Apple did Halloween a little differently this year, and if you’re a fan of the brand’s computers, there’s a lot to unwrap after the ‘Scary Fast’ launch event. From a series of powerful chipsets to new Apple MacBook Pro laptops that are more powerful than ever before, there’s a lot to check out. Here’s a quick look at all the new launches and updates.

New M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chipsets

The highlight of the event was Apple’s range of new M3 processors. The new Apple M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max offer faster CPU performance, but, as Apple puts it, will also include “significant changes to the GPU to improve professional apps and gaming performance,” which goes in line with where the brand has been headed to for months – better gaming performance.

ALSO READ: Apple’s 15-inch MacBook Air is the thinnest and the most powerful yet

Like the enhanced gaming abilities of the A17 Pro chip which brings console-level, ray-tracing-enabled gaming to the iPhone 15 Pro models, the M3 series improves gaming performance on supported devices.

The base M3 chip sports an eight-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, with the latter translating to about 65 per cent faster graphical performance compared to the Apple M1 chipset. It also supports up to 24GB unified memory and support for one additional external display.

The Apple M3 Pro takes it up a notch, with a 12-core CPU (two performance cores and six efficiency cores), an 18-core GPU that packs 40 per cent more graphical power over the M1 Pro, and support for up to 36GB unified memory.

The M3 Max, the top-end chip in the series, packs a 16-core CPU and (12 performance + 4 efficiency cores) and a 40-core GPU that offers 80 per cent faster GPU performance than the M1 Max. It also supports up to 128GB unified memory.

If those numbers don’t mean much to you, the key focus is on more memory and faster graphical performance. For MacBooks, Macs and iMacs based on the M3 series processors, this means much faster performance on software like Final Cut Pro or Adobe After Effects.

It also means better gaming performance for proper AAA titles with ray-tracing and mesh-shading, more of which will be available in the future. Looks like Apple is looking forward to change the “you can’t game on a Mac” stereotype after all.

New MacBook Pro models

Apple has also shuffled its MacBook Pro range with the addition of a new 14-inch MacBook Pro and a 16-inch MacBook Pro. Sadly, this also marks the end of Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro.

While the new MacBooks retain largely the same design as previous MacBook Pro models, we do get a new Space Black colourway that replaces the Space Gray, and we also bid farewell to the Touch Bar, which has now also been deleted from the base MacBook Pro.

The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will ship with M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chips, bringing in the benefits of added CPU and GPU performance we mentioned above. M3 Max-based models will be significantly more powerful, offering up to 128GB unified memory and the graphical abilities of the chip which can rival consoles and Windows-based gaming rigs.

Does this mean the MacBook Pros can finally catch up with Windows-based gaming laptops? Probably not, considering gaming laptops also feature generous vents clubbed with multiple fans for better cooling, aspects which the MacBooks still lack. However, the new approach is a good start in this direction.

The new MacBook Pros also feature better battery life than previous models, with Apple claiming that the 16-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro will last for up to 22 hours on a single charge. Of course, heavier usage patterns can bring down this number, especially if those AAA games we mentioned above come into the picture. While the M3 Pro MacBooks will be available from November 7, M3 Max-based models will be available later on in November.

The new 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at Rs 1,69,900 (M3), Rs 1,99,900 (M3 Pro) and Rs 3,19,900 (M3 Max).

Meanwhile, the new 16-inch MacBook Pro models kick of at Rs 2,49,900 (M3 Pro) and Rs 3,49,900 (M3 Max). All of these models can now be pre-booked from the Apple website.

New M3-powered 24-inch iMac

For all-in-one PC users, Apple also launched the new 24-inch iMac, which is still colourful, smaller versions of the newer 27-inch iMacs, but now pack an M3-sized punch. Aimed at homes and offices where you want a minimal setup to take care of general tasks, the 24-inch iMac only comes with the Apple M3 chip.

While it the lack of M3 Pro and Max chips here may make the new iMac seem underpowered, this isn’t the case. For productivity users, the new M3 iMac still features an eight-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and support for up to 24GB RAM and 2TB storage.

ALSO READ: Evolution of the iPhone: How Apple built the poster boy for smartphones

That makes the machine perfect for browsing sessions on Safari or work on the Microsoft suite, both of which should be about 30 per cent faster than previous iterations thanks to the new chip. Creators will also appreciate the ability to process 12 streams of 4K video, or the fact that Adobe Photoshop should now process pictures about twice as fast as the 2021 M1 iMac.

The new iMac also features a 1080p webcam and support for Wi-Fi 6E, which means better wireless connectivity speeds, but only if you have a compatible router. The computer is still available in seven colours – yellow, pink, orange, green, purple, silver and blue, all of which sport white bezels. The new iMac is still 11.5mm thin and features a 4.5K display, speakers, mics and USB ports. The colour-matched accessories available also don’t change, including the fact that they’re still Lightning powered.

The new 24-inch iMac is available in three configurations, with differences ranging from ports to storage. You can pick one of these up starting from Rs 1,34,900.

New watchOS features

Lastly, Apple also announced new updates for its smartwatches with watchOS 10.2, which brings features like Time Travel and Facebook Messenger to supported Apple Watch models. You can now also use your Apple Watch as a viewfinder for your GoPro to keep tabs on where it is pointed.

Those are all the new announcements from the Apple event. With new iPhones and Macs, 2023 has been a happening year for Apple fans. Apple’s next launch may finally bring an update to the brand’s iPads, with the next iPad Pro likely to be powered by the M3 chip too.