MacBook Pro Geekbench results: 2.66 GHz Core i7 (green) vs. 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo (blue)
Gizmodo publishes preliminary benchmarks comparing the performance of Apple's new top-of-the-line 2.66 GHz Core i7-based 15" MacBook Pro released today to a previous-generation 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo model. With the caveat that the tests did not include the previous top-of-the-line 3.06 GHz model, the new MacBook Pro still seems to show impressive performance gains of nearly 50% on many tests.
The preliminary testing utilized two standard benchmarking utilities, Geekbench and Xbench, as well as a test of video re-encoding with 64-bit Handbrake. The Geekbench and Xbench results showed about 50% improvement over the previous-generation model in overall scoring, although the individual Xbench scores varied fairly significantly from only marginally better in Quartz and CPU tests to over twice as high in Thread and OpenGL tasks.
MacBook Pro Xbench results: 2.66 GHz Core i7 (purple) vs. 2.8 GHz Core 2 Duo (blue)
Handbrake re-encoding speed also increased by about 35-40% in Gizmodo's testing with a 600 MB file, dropping from 32:19 to 19:54.
The performance gains come despite increased battery life in the new models, a result of more energy efficient components and a slight bump in battery capacity for the latest models. Apple's automatic graphics switching will enable seamless shifting between discrete and integrated graphics processors, allowing for maximum horsepower for tasks such as the benchmarks used above and maximum battery life for less power-hungry tasks.
Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued.
The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models.
In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring.
There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category.
M4...
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker.
In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by Joe Rossignol
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19.
"Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag.
The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle.
Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by Juli Clover
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch.
All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by Joe Rossignol
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week.
Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far.
Apple Intelligence for Siri
Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
Friday February 14, 2025 6:03 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple released the HomePod mini in November 2020, followed by the AirTag in May 2021, and both still remain first-generation products.
Fortunately, rumors suggest that both the HomePod mini and the AirTag will finally be updated at some point this year.
Below, we recap rumors about the HomePod mini 2 and AirTag 2.
HomePod mini 2
In January 2025, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple is ...
