MacRumors

Just over seven years after it was introduced, the Touch Bar has now been fully discontinued on all new MacBooks sold by Apple, marking the end of an era for a hardware feature that was loved by some users and derided by others.

The first MacBook Pro models with the Touch Bar were released in October 2016, as part of a controversial redesign that also included a defective butterfly keyboard and the removal of many ports, including an SD card slot, HDMI, and MagSafe. Physical function and Esc keys were also removed in favor of the Touch Bar.

Apple initially described the Touch Bar as a "revolutionary" and "breakthrough" interface, but it was clearly not popular enough to stick around.

It was a slow death for the Touch Bar:

• In 2019, Apple released the first 16-inch MacBook Pro with a physical Esc key, but the Touch Bar lived on in place of physical function keys.
• In 2021, Apple removed the Touch Bar from higher-end MacBook Pro models, switching back to full-size physical function keys.
• This week, Apple discontinued the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the final model with a Touch Bar.

For now, the Touch Bar can still be found on some refurbished models sold by Apple.

It's possible that the Touch Bar could return at some point in the future, especially if the 13-inch MacBook Pro is ever re-released as a lower-cost model, but at this point there is no firm evidence to suggest this will happen.

Apple's new M3 14-inch MacBook Pro features two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, not three Thunderbolt 4 ports like the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by M3 Pro and M3 Max chips.

Apart from having fewer USB-C ports, the lack of Thunderbolt 4 support on the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the base M3 chip means it only supports one display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz, or one display with up to 4K resolution at 120Hz over HDMI.

In comparison, like the M2 Pro chip it replaces, the M3 Pro supports up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt. The M3 Pro-powered MacBook Pro models also support one external display with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI.

Meanwhile, the M3 Max supports up to four external displays in the following configuration: Up to three external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI.

Alternatively, M3 Max MacBook Pro models can support up to three external displays by connecting two displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz, or one display with 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI.

Lastly, both the M3 Pro and M3 Max also support native DisplayPort over USB-C, and one display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI.

The new MacBook Pro models are available to order now, and they will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Tuesday, November 7. Be sure to check out our MacBook Pro announcement coverage for all the details.

Apple's latest M3 Pro chip in the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro has 25% less memory bandwidth than the M1 Pro and M2 Pro chips used in equivalent models from the two previous generations.

Based on the latest 3-nanometer technology and featuring all-new GPU architecture, the M3 series of chips is said to represent the fastest and most power-efficient evolution of Apple silicon thus far. For example, the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro chip is up to 40% faster than the 16-inch model with M1 Pro, according to Apple.

However, looking at Apple's own hardware specifications, the M3 Pro system on a chip (SoC) features 150GB/s memory bandwidth, compared to 200GB/s on the earlier M1 Pro and M2 Pro. As for the M3 Max, Apple says it is capable of "up to 400GB/s." This wording is because the less pricey scaled-down M3 Max with 14-core CPU and 30-core GPU has only 300GB/s of memory bandwidth, whereas the equivalent scaled-down M2 Max with 12-core CPU and 30-core GPU featured 400GB/s bandwidth, just like its more powerful 12‑core CPU, 38‑core GPU version.

Notably, Apple has also changed the core ratios of the higher-tier M3 Pro chip compared to its direct predecessor. The M3 Pro with 12-core CPU has 6 performance cores (versus 8 performance cores on the 12-core M2 Pro) and 6 efficiency cores (versus 4 efficiency cores on the 12-core M2 Pro), while the GPU has 18 cores (versus 19 on the equivalent M2 Pro chip).

Additionally, while the M3 chip's 16-core Neural Engine has the same number of cores as the one Apple featured in the 3nm-based A17 Pro chip that debuted in the iPhone 15 Pro series in September, it's comparatively weaker on paper in terms of maximum achievable throughput, which is measured in trillions of operations per second (TOPS).

According to Apple, the M3 Neural Engine is capable of 18 TOPS, whereas the A17 Pro Neural Engine is capable of 35 TOPS. It's hard to say for certain, but it is possible that the iPhone 15 Pro requires a higher performing Neural Engine for features like computational photography and Face ID, whereas the M3 can compensate in other areas like machine learning by utilizing its additional GPU cores.

Taken together, it's presently unclear what real-world difference these changes make to M3 performance when pitted against Apple's equivalent precursor chips in various usage scenarios, especially given that the latest processors include new Dynamic Caching memory allocation technology which ensures that only the exact amount of memory needed is used for each task.

This opaqueness is not helped by the fact that Apple advertises the power of the new M3 Pro and M3 Max chips by repeatedly emphasizing comparisons to the M1 Pro and M1 Max, rather than the more recent M2 variants, against which performance gains appear more modest. Hopefully we will learn more in time when the first thoroughgoing third-party benchmarks become available.

The new MacBook Pro models are available to order now, and they will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Tuesday, November 7. Be sure to check out our MacBook Pro announcement coverage for all the details.

The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models announced by Apple today feature 20% brighter displays for standard content, according to Apple.

Apple's tech specs for the laptops indicate that all of the latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models provide up to 600 nits of peak brightness for SDR content, which is a 20% increase over the 500 nits maximum on the previous models. For HDR content, all of the models can achieve peak brightness of up to 1,600 nits, which is unchanged.

"The Liquid Retina XDR display is the world's best laptop display, with an exceptional 1000 nits sustained and 1600 nits of peak brightness for HDR content, impressive contrast ratio, vivid colors, and an outstanding viewing angle," said Apple. "SDR content is now displayed at up to 600 nits, which is 20 percent brighter than before."

The new MacBook Pro models are available to order starting today, and they will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Tuesday, November 7. Read our MacBook Pro announcement coverage for more details about the laptops.

Apple's "Scary Fast" 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time event was over in the blink of an eye, but if you missed it because of the unusual time, we have a quick overview of everything that Apple announced. If you want to watch the video in full, it only lasted a half an hour, because all Apple introduced was the new M3-series chips in MacBook Pro machines and iMacs.

We've recapped everything that you need to know in this super quick video you can watch before bed or catch in the morning, and we've also rounded up our coverage of the event.

MacBook Pro

• Apple Announces New 14-Inch and 16-Inch MacBook Pro Models With M3 Series Chips
• Apple Unveils New Space Black MacBook Pro Color for M3 Pro and M3 Max
• New M3 MacBook Pro and iMac Models Now Available for Purchase
• Apple's New MacBooks With M3 Chips Offer Up to 22 Hours of Battery Life
• 16-Inch M3 Max MacBook Pro Now Costs $7,200 With All Upgrades
• New 14-Inch and 16-Inch MacBook Pros Feature 20% Brighter Displays

iMac

• Apple Announces New iMac With M3 Chip
• M3 iMac Gains More Maximum Memory, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3

Everything Else

• Apple Event Live Blog: MacBook Pro and iMac Updated With New M3 Chip Family
• Apple Discontinues 13-Inch MacBook Pro With Touch Bar
• Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Mouse Still Feature Lightning Instead of USB-C
• Apple's USB-C to MagSafe 3 Cable Now Available to Order in Space Black

The M3 iMac and ‌MacBook Pro‌ models can be ordered now, with the first orders set to ship out to customers next week. The M3 and M3 Pro machines will be available immediately, while M3 Max machines will ship out later in November.

Apple's top-of-the-line 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro costs $7,200 when you opt for all upgrades. Pricing used to top out at $6,499, but with support for 128GB Unified Memory, maximum memory now costs $1,000.

The highest-end 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ has a base cost of $4,000 with 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 48GB Unified memory, and 1TB SSD. Fully upgrading the memory costs $1,000, while opting for an 8TB SSD adds another $2,200. The 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ can be purchased with the same upgraded specs for $6,899.

128GB Unified Memory is only available with the M3 Max chip. The M3 chip is limited to 24GB Unified Memory like the M2 chip, while the ‌M2‌ Pro supports up to 36GB Unified Memory.

The new ‌MacBook Pro‌ models can be ordered now from Apple's online store. The M3 and M3 Pro models will ship out to customers next week, while the M3 Max models will be coming later in November.

Apple's 24-inch iMac has been updated with the new M3 chip that offers notable speed improvements over the prior M1, but as it has not been refreshed since 2021, there are also a few other new features.

The machine's design has not been updated, and it comes in the same colors, but the more advanced M3 chip allows the 24-inch ‌iMac‌ to be outfitted with up to 24GB Unified Memory, up from the 16GB maximum in the ‌M1‌ version.

Apple has also added Wi-Fi 6E support to allow the ‌iMac‌ to connect to 6GHz networks, and it supports the Bluetooth 5.3 protocol for improved connectivity and range.

The M3 ‌iMac‌ still comes in two-port and four-port varieties with the latter featuring an extra two USB 3 ports. The two-port model has an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, while the four-port model has an 8-core GPU and 10-core GPU. The version with more ports also supports up to 2TB of storage, while the two-port model is limited to 1TB.

Pricing on the M3 ‌iMac‌ starts at $1,299 for the two Thunderbolt port model, while the model with two Thunderbolt ports and two USB 3 ports is priced starting at $1,499. Apple is accepting orders today, with the new machines set to arrive to customers next week.

The new MacBook Pro models that Apple announced today feature Apple's latest 3-nanometer M3 chips, with the new technology bringing a notable improvement in battery life. The new models offer the "longest battery life ever in a Mac," according to Apple.

The 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with M3 chip now lasts for up to 22 hours when watching movies with the Apple TV app, or up to 15 hours when browsing the web. This model has a 70-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery.

The 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips last for up to 18 hours when watching moves with the ‌Apple TV‌ app or up to 12 hours when browsing the web. The M3 Pro and M3 Max 14-inch models come with a slightly larger 72.4-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery.

Apple's 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models with M3 Pro or M3 Max chips are able to last for up to 22 hours when using the ‌Apple TV‌ app to watch movies, or 15 hours when browsing the web. The M3 Pro and M3 Max 16-inch models are equipped with a 100-watt-hour lithium-polymer battery.

The 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models can fast charge with a 96W USB-C power adapter (the M3 Pro and Max models ship with one while the M3 model ships with a 70W adapter), and the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models can fast charge with the included 140W USB-C power adapter.

The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models announced today are available in a new Space Black finish when configured with M3 Pro or M3 Max chips. Accordingly, Apple has released its USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable in Space Black for $49.

Apple already includes a color-matched MagSafe 3 charging cable in the box with the new MacBook Pro models, but the cable can be ordered individually from Apple's online store for those who want an extra one or need a replacement. The cable also remains available in Space Gray, Midnight, Starlight, and Silver.

The cable is also compatible with 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M2 chip.

MagSafe technology allows the cable to magnetically attach to a MacBook. If someone trips on the cable, it releases so that the MacBook does not go tumbling. The cable is two meters long and features a woven design for added durability.

The newly announced M3 iMac is still accompanied by peripherals with a Lightning port for pairing and charging, rather than USB-C as rumored.

In recent months, Apple was widely expected to be planning to switch the Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Mouse to USB-C upon the release of the M3 ‌iMac‌, but that has not occurred. These peripherals continue to feature a Lightning port and are completely unchanged following Apple's series of Mac-related announcements.

Apple's decision to leave the accessories unchanged is notable because the company has otherwise progressively been moving to USB-C. The entire iPhone 15 lineup, all latest-generation iPad models, the Siri Remote for Apple TV, second-generation AirPods Pro, and new Apple Pencil all now feature a USB-C port. Other than the three peripherals that accompany the ‌iMac‌, the only latest-generation Apple devices that still have a Lightning port are the AirPods, AirPods Max, and iPhone SE.

With the launch of the new M3 14-inch MacBook Pro, Apple has discontinued the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌. The 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ is no longer listed for sale through Apple's store, with the ‌MacBook Pro‌ section offering only 14-inch and 16-inch models.

The 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ was the last Mac with a Touch Bar, so the sunsetting of the 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ also means that the Touch Bar has been officially discontinued.

Apple's 13-inch M2 ‌MacBook Pro‌ was priced at $1,299, making it $100 more expensive than the very similar 13-inch MacBook Air.

Pricing on the new M3 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ starts at $1,599, which means the ‌M2‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ is the only option for those looking for a more affordable notebook at the current time.

The 13-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ will still be available from Apple's refurbished store and from retailers until supplies run out.

Now that Apple's Mac-focused "Scary Fast" event has wrapped up, the new M3 MacBook Pro and M3 iMac models are available for purchase on Apple's website.

The ‌iMac‌ with M3 chip is priced starting at $1,299, while the ‌MacBook Pro‌ can be ordered with M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips.

The 14-inch model can be purchased with M3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max chips, while the 16-inch model can be purchased with M3 Pro or M3 Max chips. Pricing on the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ starts at $1,599, a new low, while the 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ starts at $2,499.

The ‌iMac‌, 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models with M3 and M3 Pro chips will be available next week, while the 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models with M3 Max will ship later in November.

Apple today announced an updated version of the 24-inch iMac featuring the all-new M3 chip.

The ‌iMac‌ with M3 is up to 2x faster than the previous ‌iMac‌, which featured the M1 chip. For those upgrading from an Intel based ‌iMac‌, Apple says that the new ‌iMac‌ is up to 2.5x faster than previous 27-inch models and 4.5x faster than previous 21.5-inch models.

The ‌iMac‌ now supports up to 24GB of memory and the M3 chip's all-new GPU brings hardware-accelerated mesh shading and ray tracing to the ‌iMac‌ for the first time.

The new machine also features Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. It continues to be available in the same green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver color options as the previous model, but it comes with new color-matched wallpapers.

The ‌iMac‌ starts at the same $1,299 price of the previous model. It is available to order today, with orders arriving to customers on Tuesday, November 7.

Apple at its "Scary Fast" October event has announced a new dark aluminum Space Black color for the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models powered by M3 Pro and M3 Max chips.

Apple calls the new ‌MacBook Pro‌ in Space Black, "a gorgeous dark aluminum finish, with a breakthrough anodization method that resists fingerprints." The enclosure is created from a custom alloy that uses 100% recycled aluminum and is described as "very durable."

M3 Pro and M3 Max models are also available in Silver, while the 14‑inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with M3 is available in Silver and Space Gray – but not Space Black.

The 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with M3 Pro chip start at $1,999 and $2,499, respectively, and the 14-inch and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ with M3 Max chip start at $3,199 and $3,499, respectively. ‌MacBook Pro‌ models with the M3 Pro chip will be available to pre-order from next week, while models with the M3 Max chip will be available later in November.

Apple today announced next-generation 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro personal computers during its "Scary Fast" event. These new computers include the new M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips, which were also announced during the event.

Every model of the new lineup features a Liquid Retina XDR display with 20 percent brighter SDR content, a built-in 1080p camera, and a six speaker sound system. The new MacBook Pros offer up to 22 hours of battery life as well. The display also features 1,000 nits sustained and 1,600 nits of peak brightness for HDR content.

The standard M3 chip has up to an 8-core CPU and up to a 10-core GPU, the M3 Pro chip has up to a 12-core CPU and up to a 18-core GPU, and the M3 Max chip has up to a 16-core CPU and up to a 40-core GPU. The M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips support up to 24GB, 36GB, and 128GB of unified memory, respectively.

Apple says that the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro is up to 60 percent faster than the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1. For users with more demanding workflows, the 14-inch and 16-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro is up to 40 percent faster than the 16-inch model with M1 Pro.

For ultimate performance, the 14-inch and 16-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro models offer up to 2.5x faster speeds than the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max, and up to 11x faster speeds than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Pro.

The M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips are built using 3-nanometer technology and offer a faster, more efficient next-generation GPU. They feature "Dynamic Caching" technology, meaning the GPU allocates the use of local memory in hardware in real time, ensuring only the exact amount of memory needed is used for each task.

Besides the internal upgrades, there's also a new color in the MacBook Pro lineup: Space Black. Only M3 Pro and M3 Max versions of the computer are available in Space Black. Apple says the finish greatly reduces fingerprints thanks to an anodization seal. M3 Pro and M3 Max models also come in Silver, and the 14-inch M3 model comes in Silver and Space Gray.

The new MacBook Pro models are available to order today, and they will launch on Tuesday, November 7. The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro starts at $1,599 ($1,499 for education); the 14-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro starts at $1,999 ($1,849 for education); and the 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,499 ($2,299 for education).

Apple has taken down its online store ahead of its "Scary Fast" event at 5 p.m. Pacific Time today. This is a common marketing tactic for the company.

At the event, Apple is expected to announce an updated 24-inch iMac with the M3 chip, and updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips. In addition, the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad for the Mac are expected to be updated with USB-C charging ports instead of Lightning. There is also a slim chance that a seventh-generation iPad mini will be announced at the event.

The event is being held online, with no in-person component at Apple Park. A live stream will be available on Apple's website, on YouTube, and in the Apple TV app.

Stay tuned for complete coverage of Apple's announcements.

Apple's "Scary Fast" event kicks off today at the unusual time of 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time, and we're expecting to see the debut of the M3 family of Apple silicon chips with updated iMac and MacBook Pro models and perhaps some other announcements.

Apple is providing a live video stream on its website, on YouTube, and in the company's TV app across various platforms. We will also be updating this article with live blog coverage and issuing Twitter updates through our @MacRumorsLive account as the event unfolds. Highlights from the event and separate news stories regarding today's announcements will go out through our @MacRumors account.

Apple's online store was taken down approximately 30 minutes ahead of the event, much closer to the start than usual.

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The upcoming iOS 17.2 update should fix various Wi-Fi issues that some iPhone users have experienced since iOS 17 was released, according to iClarified.

In response to a bug report filed by the website, Apple said the first iOS 17.2 beta released last week addresses Wi-Fi connectivity issues, although the company did not provide any specific details. Some users have complained about slow Wi-Fi speeds and dropped connections, but it's unclear how widespread the issues are.

iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in December, so there are still several weeks remaining until the update will be available to all users.

iOS 17.2 includes many new features and changes, including the promised Journal app, the ability for Apple Music subscribers to collaborate on playlists, a Translate option for the Action button on iPhone 15 Pro models, an iMessage Contact Key Verification security option, additional Weather and Clock widgets, and more.