The Mac Studio comes in two varieties, one with the same M1 Max chip used in the 2021 MacBook Pro models and a second featuring an M1 Ultra chip, which is two interconnected M1 Max chips that operate as a single chip.
Following yesterday's event, Apple's technical specifications for the Mac Studio went live, and there was a curiosity - the M1 Ultra version of the Mac Studio is a full two pounds heavier than the M1 Max version, and it wasn't clear why. Apple today provided an explanation to The Verge, and it turns out the two machines have a different thermal setup.
According to Apple, the M1 Ultra has a copper thermal module, while the M1 Max has an aluminum heatsink. Copper is heavier than aluminum, hence the weight difference. The M1 Max Mac Studio weighs in at 5.9 pounds, while the M1 Ultra version is 7.9 pounds.
They have the same 370W power supply. The additional weight is due to M1 Ultra having a larger copper thermal module, where as M1 Max has an aluminum heatsink.
Different thermal management setups is not a surprise given the power of the M1 Ultra vs. the standard M1 Max. The M1 Ultra includes a 20-core CPU and up to a 64-core GPU for double the computing power of the M1 Max. Despite the high-powered chip, Apple has said that the Mac Studio is able to run quietly, with an architecture that that pulls air in through the airflow channels on the bottom using double-sided blowers and pushes it out through additional perforations on the back of the chassis.
The third-generation iPhone SE and the iPhone 11 are Apple's lowest-cost iPhone options, starting at $429 and $499 respectively. Apple released the iPhone 11 in late 2019, and has bumped it down in price since then to make it more accessible as new iPhone models have been released, discontinuing it later in 2022. On the other hand, the third-generation iPhone SE launched in early 2022, refreshing the most affordable iPhone option in the lineup.
With just $70 between them, should you get the new, smaller, entry-level iPhone or the older, larger, standard model that has come down in price over the years? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhones is best for you.
Comparing the iPhone SE 3 and the iPhone 11
The third-generation iPhone SE and iPhone 11 share a number of features, such as a Retina HD LCD display, a 12MP rear Wide camera, a polished glass back, and Qi wireless charging. Apple lists these identical features of the iPhone SE and iPhone 11:
Similarities
Retina HD LCD display with 326 ppi, IPS technology, True Tone, P3 Wide Color, Haptic Touch, and up to 625 nits brightness
A-series chip with six-core CPU, including two performance cores and four efficiency cores, and a four-core GPU
4GB of memory
Wi‑Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0
Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM)
12MP rear wide camera with ƒ/1.8 aperture, optical image stabilization, digital zoom up to 5x, True Tone flash with Slow Sync, Deep Fusion, Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, and Smart HDR for photos
4K video recording at up to 60fps, optical image stabilization, QuickTake video, slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120fps or 240fps, time-lapse video with stabilization, and stereo recording
Front-facing camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture, Retina Flash, HDR, Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, 1080p HD video recording at up to 60fps, Cinematic video stabilization, and QuickTake video
Supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG video playback
Three-axis gyro, accelerometer, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, and barometer
Glass front and back
Aerospace-grade aluminum
Water resistance
Lightning port
Qi wireless charging
Up to 50 percent charge in 30 minutes
Apple's breakdown shows that the iPhones share a large number of notable features, but there are still meaningful differences between the iPhone SE and iPhone 11, such as their display sizes, authentication technologies, and chips.
Dual rear cameras with two-times optical zoom range (Wide and Ultra Wide)
Night mode
Next-generation Smart HDR for photos
Audio zoom
Front-facing 12MP TrueDepth camera with 4K video recording, next-generation Smart HDR, slo-mo video support, Animoji, and Memoji
Battery life with up to 17 hours video playback
Rated IP68 water-resistant to a depth of two meters for up to 30 minutes
U1 Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness
Supports Dolby Atmos audio playback
Purple, Yellow, Green, Black, White, and PRODUCT(RED) color options
64GB and 128GB storage options
Read on for a closer look at each of these aspects, and see what exactly both low-cost iPhones have to offer.
Design and Colors
The design and form factors of the iPhone SE and iPhone 11 differ significantly. Although both devices share rounded edges, use aerospace-grade aluminum, and have glass backs, the iPhone SE has thick borders along the top and bottom of the display, as well as a Home Button. The iPhone 11 features an all-screen design with no Home Button, with a TrueDepth camera array cutout at the top of the display.
The design of the iPhone SE is the same as the iPhone 8, which shared a similar design to older devices like the iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, and iPhone 7. The iPhone 11 has a more modern design owing to its all-screen look, a "notch" out of the top of the display, and no Home Button. If you like the older style of iPhone with a Home Button or simply prefer a smaller device, you will want to buy the iPhone SE, but most users are likely to prefer the more current design of the iPhone 11.
The iPhone 11 is taller and wider than the iPhone SE, and is 35 percent heavier, so for the most pocketable and lightweight iPhone that is also easier to use with one hand, the iPhone SE will be a better choice.
Apple says that the iPhone SE has the same toughened glass on the front and back as the back of the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, resulting in overall improved durability. The iPhone 11 does not have this stronger glass, so the iPhone SE is likely to withstand impacts much better.
The iPhone SE is available in Midnight, Starlight, and PRODUCT(RED), while the iPhone 11 is available in Purple, Yellow, Green, Black, White, and PRODUCT(RED).
Display
Both devices feature a Retina HD LCD display with 326 ppi, IPS technology, True Tone, P3 Wide Color, Haptic Touch, and up to 625 nits brightness, but the display of the iPhone 11 is considerably larger. The iPhone SE's display is 4.7-inches, while the iPhone 11's display is 6.1-inches.
For the likes of consuming media, reading, and playing games, the additional 1.4-inches of screen space may offer a better experience, although it may be slightly more unwieldy in the hand.
Touch ID vs. Face ID
Another major area of difference between the two devices is authentication technology. The iPhone SE features a Touch ID scanner built into the Home Button below the display, while the iPhone 11 features Face ID like all of Apple's more premium iPhones.
Face ID debuted on the iPhone X in 2017. At the time, Apple said the probability that a random person could unlock someone else's iPhone X was approximately one in 1,000,000, versus one in 50,000 for Touch ID. That being said, both forms of authentication are quite safe.
Face ID does not work perfectly with masks, even though there have been some improvements in this area, while Touch ID does not work well with wet or sweaty fingertips, so neither system is perfect. Since the new iPhone SE lacks Face ID, it does not support Animoji or Memoji. Which authentication system you prefer is ultimately up to you.
A13 Bionic vs. A15 Bionic
The iPhone SE's A15 Bionic is the same chip from the iPhone 13, offering significantly better performance and efficiency than the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11. The A13 is several years old at this point, while the A15 is found in Apple's high-end iPhone 13 Pro models and the iPad mini.
The iPhone SE's A15 is clocked at 3.2GHz, while the iPhone 11's A13 is clocked at 2.7GHz. In single-core, the A15 achieves Geekbench scores of around 1,700, compared to the A13's 1,300. In multi-core, the A15 achieves scores of around 4650, compared to the A13's 3,050. Users can therefore expect moderate performance improvements with the A15, and it is also likely to offer better longevity in the years ahead compared to the A13 due to its age.
Cellular Connectivity
The iPhone SE has sub-6GHz 5G connectivity, while the iPhone 11 cannot use the latest 5G networks. Your ability to take advantage of 5G networks will depend on your service provider and data plan, but at minimum, 5G connectivity makes the iPhone SE a more future-proof device.
Cameras
Both devices feature a 12MP rear wide camera with an ƒ/1.8 aperture, 4K video recording capability, optical image stabilization, and True Tone flash with Slow Sync, with computational photography capabilities including Deep Fusion, Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, and Smart HDR.
Rear Cameras
The iPhone 11 has two rear cameras, offering a Wide and an Ultra Wide lens. The iPhone SE has a single, Wide camera on the rear. The Ultra Wide camera gives the iPhone 11 a two-times optical zoom range. The iPhone 11 can also take high-quality photos in low-light environments using Night mode.
The iPhone SE offers Photographic Styles and a newer version Smart HDR, and while it has Portrait mode, the feature only works for people rather than any subject, such as animals or plants. Although the video recording capability of both devices is the same, the iPhone 11 can use a feature called Audio zoom to isolate sound when shooting zoomed-in video.
If you are hoping to take a large number of photos and videos, you may prefer the added camera capabilities of the iPhone 11, but the iPhone SE still has a high-quality camera that is adequate for most people's use-cases. Indeed, the iPhone SE has better Smart HDR and offer Photographic Styles, so it comes down to which specific camera features you value the most.
Front-Facing Cameras
Both the iPhone SE and iPhone 11 have a front-facing camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture, Retina Flash, HDR, Portrait mode, Portrait Lighting, 1080p HD video recording at up to 60fps, Cinematic video stabilization, and QuickTake video.
The iPhone SE has a 7MP FaceTime HD front-facing camera that can record 1080p video, but the iPhone 11 has a much better 12MP TrueDepth front-facing camera that can record 4K video and slo-mo, and it also supports Animoji and Memoji. If you use the front-facing camera a lot, such as for selfies or video calls, the iPhone 11's considerably better front-facing camera will be worth getting over the iPhone SE.
Battery Life
When playing back video, the iPhone SE can deliver up to 15 hours of battery life, while the iPhone 11 can deliver up to 17 hours. When it comes to streaming video, this translates to 10 hours of battery life for both devices. When playing back audio, the iPhone SE can deliver up to 50 hours of battery life, but the iPhone 11 can deliver up to 65 hours.
The battery life of both devices should still be good enough for normal daily usage, but if you often find yourself draining your battery prematurely, you may benefit from the iPhone 11's added battery life.
Other Features
Both of these devices feature water resistance for up to 30 minutes, but the iPhone SE has an IP67 rating for water up to one meter deep, while the iPhone 11 has an IP68 rating for water up to two meters deep. This is unlikely to be a relevant consideration for most users, but the iPhone 11 is clearly more durable for those who regularly use their iPhone around water.
Moreover, the iPhone 11 features the U1 Ultra Wideband chip for spatial awareness, which allows it to track AirTags or work as a digital car key. The iPhone 11 also supports Dolby Atmos audio playback through its built-in speakers, but the quality is unlikely to be good enough to notice much difference compared to the iPhone SE. These features are not essential so it is up to you if you feel you would get use out of them.
Other iPhone Options
The iPhone SE and iPhone 11 are the cheapest iPhone options Apple currently sells at $429 and $499, but if you are looking for a more recent device with newer features, there is also the iPhone 12 mini, which starts at $599, and the iPhone 12, which starts at $699.
If getting a smaller iPhone is your priority, and that is why you are considering the iPhone SE, the iPhone 12 mini is physically smaller but has a larger 5.4-inch display and much better technical specifications. The iPhone 12, on the other hand, has the same 6.1-inch display as the iPhone 11, but is slightly smaller owing to slimmer bezels and flat edges.
The iPhone 12 models feature a more modern squared-off design that is thinner and lighter, OLED displays with HDR, the A14 chip, Ceramic Shield front glass, MagSafe, and improved cameras, making for a noticeable improvement over the iPhone 11 if you can afford it.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the iPhone SE is an excellent entry-level iPhone option for just $429. In many respects, the iPhone SE is better than the iPhone 11 since it is a much newer device, featuring a faster and more efficient chip, 5G connectivity, Photographic Styles, Smart HDR 4, and a larger 256GB storage option.
For just $70 more, the iPhone 11 offers a more modern design, a larger display, Face ID, an Ultra Wide camera, Night mode, a considerably better front-facing camera, and longer battery life. There is also the benefit of improved water resistance, the U1 chip, and Dolby Atmos audio playback, and even additional color options to choose from. All of this makes for a fairly significant upgrade over the iPhone SE if you value these features and can afford the $70 extra.
That being said, the main drawback of buying the iPhone 11 is its age. Released in late 2019, the iPhone 11 has a much older and less powerful chip, and lacks some more modern features like 5G connectivity. Overall, it comes down to whether you value having a newer device with more of the latest specifications, or can look past this to get the benefits of a device with a larger display and Face ID.
If you prefer the iPhone 11's unique set of features, then it is still a good option for $499, but generally most users looking for an affordable iPhone should opt for the iPhone SE since it is much more future-proof with modern features like the A15 chip and 5G connectivity.
Apple this week upgraded its base model Mac Pro to include 512GB of storage and AMD's Radeon Pro W5500X graphics for the same $5,999 starting price. Previously, this configuration included 256GB of storage and Radeon Pro 580X graphics. These changes apply to both the tower and rack versions of the Mac Pro.
Released in December 2019, the Mac Pro continues to use Intel's Xeon processors, but Apple confirmed during its "Peek Performance" event on Tuesday that an Apple silicon version of the high-end desktop computer is planned. Apple did not provide a release timeframe or any additional details about the future Mac Pro.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has previously reported that an Apple silicon version of the Mac Pro will have two chip options, including one with a 20-core CPU and a 64-core GPU and the other with a 40-core CPU and a 128-core GPU.
In the wake of Apple's announcement of a new iPad Air at yesterday's "Peek Performance" event, today we're tracking numerous deals across the iPad family lineup. This includes deals on the 2021 iPad Pro, iPad, and iPad mini 6, with a few all-time low prices across these sales.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
2021 iPad Pro
To start, Amazon has a sale on Apple's 2021 iPad Pro lineup, including up to $150 off the 11-inch iPad Pro and 12.9-inch iPad Pro. In this sale we're seeing many lowest ever prices for the 12.9-inch version of the newest iPad Pro.
We've collected every iPad Pro on sale this week in the lists below, including both Wi-Fi and Cellular models. For the 512GB Wi-Fi 12.9-inch iPad Pro, you won't see the discount price until you reach the checkout screen. For all other models listed below, no coupon codes or automatic coupons are needed.
256GB Cellular - $1,049.00, down from $1,099.00 ($50 off)
12.9-Inch iPad Pro
128GB Wi-Fi - $999.00, down from $1,099.00 ($100 off, lowest ever)
256GB Wi-Fi - $1,099.00, down from $1,199.00 ($100 off)
512GB Wi-Fi - $1,249.99, down from $1,399.00 ($149 off, lowest ever)
1TB Wi-Fi - $1,649.99, down from $1,799.00 ($149 off, lowest ever)
2TB Wi-Fi - $2,099.99, down from $2,199.00 ($99 off, lowest ever)
128GB Cellular - $1,199.99, down from $1,299.00 ($99 off)
256GB Cellular - $1,299.00, down from $1,399.00 ($100 off, lowest ever)
512GB Cellular - $1,499.99, down from $1,599.00 ($99 off, lowest ever)
1TB Cellular - $1,899.00, down from $1,999.00 ($100 off)
2021 iPad
Amazon today also has a rare discount on the 10.2-inch iPad (64GB Wi-Fi), priced at $309.00, down from $329.00. This sale is only available in Space Gray at the time of writing.
Although this sale isn't particularly steep, we rarely see discounts on this model of the 2021 iPad. The last time we tracked a sale it was down to $299.00, and that's the lowest price we've ever seen.
Because of this, today's discount is a solid second-best price and worth looking into if you've been waiting for sales on this iPad. Shipping does have a delay right now, but you can order the iPad today to lock in this sale price.
2021 iPad mini
You can get the iPad mini 6 (64GB Wi-Fi) for $459.00 on Amazon, down from $499.00. This sale is available in Space Gray and Pink, and the Starlight color is $10 more at $469.00.
This is the best price we've ever tracked on this model of the iPad mini 6, and there's just about a week-long shipping delay on Amazon. You can also find a record low price on the 256GB Wi-Fi model, priced at $599.00, down from $649.00.
2020 iPad Air
Lastly, there's also the previous generation iPad Air, which Amazon is selling for $539.00, down from $599.00. Apple just announced the newest 2022 iPad Air this week, but we aren't expecting to see discounts on those tablets for a while yet.
For even more iPad deals, head to our full Best Deals guide for iPad. In that guide we track the best discounts online for iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, and iPad Pro.
Apple's new Studio Display comes with three different mounting options - a normal stand that only tilts, a tilt and height-adjustable stand, and a VESA mounting adapter. What's crucial to note is that the stands are built into the display and, thus, are not interchangeable.
When placing an order for the Studio Display, Apple warns that "each stand or mount adapter is built in. They are not interchangeable, so it's important to consider your workspace needs at the time of purchase."
The standard stand and VESA mount adapter come at no additional cost to the $1599 or nano-texture-based $1899 Studio Display, while the tilt and height-adjustable stand will increase the price of the Studio Display by $399.
The standard tilt-only display provides 30 degrees of tilt, with 5 degrees of downward tilt and 25 degrees upwards. The tilt and height-adjustable stand includes the same 30 degrees of tilt flexibility, alongside adjusting the height by as much as 105mm.
The Studio Display alongside the Mac Studio were made available for pre-order yesterday and will be available on March 18.
Update: Apple has since confirmed to MacRumors that plugging in a fourth-generation iPad Air or iPad mini 6 into the Studio Display will result in a downscaled 1440p output.
According to Apple, the new 27-inch 5K Studio Display supports a range of Macs going back to 2016 MacBook Pro models, but its compatibility with iPads is notably limited to the 11-inch iPad Pro, 12.9-inch iPad Pro (third-generation and later), and the new fifth-generation iPad Air.
This limitation has left some Apple users wondering why other iPad models with USB-C like the fourth-generation iPad Air and latest iPad mini aren't compatible with the Studio Display. Basically, it comes down to data throughput.
The iPad Pro models supported by the Studio Display feature USB-C with 10Gbps throughput (also known as USB 2.1 Gen 2), whereas the fourth-generation iPad Air and iPad mini 6 include a USB 3.1 Gen 1 5Gbps USB-C connection. This connectivity standard supports a single external display with up to 4K resolution at 30Hz.
By contrast, the new iPad Air uses a USB 3.1 Gen 2 connector, which doubles its data throughput compared to the model it replaces, matching the USB 2.1 Gen 2 (10Gbps) of the compatible iPad Pro models. Hence these devices are able to support the Studio Display's output.
It's unclear at present whether connecting an unsupported USB-C iPad would output a degraded picture or simply nothing at all, but suffice to say, customers should heed Apple's compatibility list if they want to ensure a fully functional experience with the new display.
Studio Display specs list only latest iPad Air as supported, even though previous model had USB-C too. Other USB-C-based models *are* supported, like the earlier 11” and 12.9” iPad Pro. Misprint, or is there some technical reason the A14-equipped iPad can’t when an A12X iPad can?
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) March 8, 2022
Customers can order the Studio Display starting now through Apple's online store, with availability starting March 18, although delivery dates for both the new Mac Studio and its accompanying Studio Display have begun to slip well into April.
In the U.S., the Studio Display is priced at $1,599 with a tilt-adjustable stand and at $1,999 with a tilt- and height-adjustable stand. The monitor can also be configured with nano-texture glass and/or a VESA mount adapter.
Apple's brand new standard Studio Display does not come with a polishing cloth included in the box, unlike the Pro Display XDR which offers a cloth in both the standard and nano-textured models. On its website, Apple says that only the nano texture Studio Display will come with a polishing cloth in the box, alongside the display itself and a one-meter Thunderbolt cable.
Apple's highest-end Pro Display XDR, regardless of configuration, does offer users a cloth in the box. Customers who purchase the standard Studio Display which starts at $1,599, will need to purchase Apple's $19 polishing cloth or look elsewhere for their display cleaning needs.
Following today's event that saw the introduction of the Mac Studio, respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has provided some detail on the MacBook Air, another Mac product that we're expecting to see refreshed later in the year.
According to Kuo, the 2022 MacBook Air will have an all-new form factor design and more color options. Previous rumors have suggested the new MacBook Air will not have a tapered design, with Apple instead favoring a more MacBook Pro-style look.
It is expected to be thinner and lighter, and it could come in color options similar to the 24-inch iMac color options, like blue, green, pink, silver, yellow, orange, and purple. It is also rumored to feature off-white bezels and a matching off-white keyboard rather than black.
Predictions for new MacBook Air in 2022: 1. Mass production in late 2Q22 or 3Q22 2. Processor: M1 chip 3. No mini-LED display 4. All-new form factor design 5. More color options
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 9, 2022
Kuo says the MacBook Air will feature an M1 chip, which is not in line with any of the rumors that we've heard about the machine so far.
Everything we've heard previously about the MacBook Air says that the machine will use an updated M2 chip with an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, and there have even been signs of such a chip in macOS Monterey. Despite this, Kuo has confirmed to MacRumors that he believes the next MacBook Air will still be an M1 chip, although he suggests it could be a modified version of the existing M1 that is used.
As expected, the MacBook Air will not feature a mini-LED display, with Apple reserving that feature for its higher-end MacBook Pro models.
Kuo says that we can expect mass production to begin on the MacBook Air late in the second quarter of 2022 or in the third quarter of the year.
Just hours after becoming available for purchase, delivery dates for both the new Mac Studio and its accompanying Studio Display have begun to slip well into April.
The higher-end M1 Ultra Mac Studio now lists delivery estimates of April 13 to April 20, and that delivery timing is likely to get pushed back even further as more people place orders.
Interestingly, upgrading to the 64-GPU version of the M1 Ultra drops the shipping estimate down to the end of March, but that is a $1,000 add-on. Other customized versions also change the delivery date slightly.
The M1 Max Mac Studio still delivers between March 23 and March 30, but even that has slipped from the initial March 18 delivery estimate.
As for the Studio Display, the base model with standard glass and standard stand is still delivering by March 23, but delivery estimates for versions with nano-texture glass and the tilt and height-adjustable stand have slipped into mid-April.
For both products, it is no longer possible to get release date delivery, but Apple could have some in-store stock available for people to purchase. The Mac Studio and Studio Display are both set to launch on Friday, March 18.
Apple today introduced the Studio Display, a lower-priced 27-inch alternative to its Pro Display XDR. The standalone monitor includes a one-meter Thunderbolt cable in the box, and for customers looking for longer options, Apple has started selling a 1.8-meter Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable for $129 and has a three-meter option coming soon for $159.
Apple says the Thunderbolt 4 Pro cable supports Thunderbolt 3, Thunderbolt 4, and USB 4 data transfer up to 40Gb/s, USB 3.1 Gen 2 data transfer up to 10Gb/s, and pass-through charging up to 100W for a connected MacBook Pro or MacBook Air.
Key features of the Studio Display include a slim all-aluminum enclosure, 5K resolution, up to 600 nits of brightness, support for the P3 wide color gamut and over one billion colors, a built-in stand that allows the user to tilt the display up to 30 degrees, a six-speaker sound system, an A13 Bionic chip that enables "Hey Siri" functionality and the 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera's Center Stage feature, and more.
The Studio Display is also equipped with three USB-C ports, a Thunderbolt 3 port, and a studio-quality three-mic array.
Customers can order the Studio Display starting today through Apple's online store, with availability starting March 18. In the U.S., the Studio Display is priced at $1,599 with a tilt-adjustable stand and at $1,999 with a tilt- and height-adjustable stand. The monitor can also be configured with nano-texture glass and/or a VESA mount adapter.
The first benchmark for Apple's M1 Ultra chip popped up on Geekbench following today's event, confirming that the doubled-up M1 Max is indeed able to outperform the highest-end Mac Pro as Apple claims.
Labeled Mac13,2, the Mac Studio with 20-core M1 Ultra that was benchmarked earned a single-core score of 1793 and a multi-core score of 24055.
Comparatively, the highest-end Mac Pro with 28-core Intel Xeon W chip has a single-core score of 1152 and a multi-core score of 19951, so the M1 Ultra is 21 percent faster in this particular benchmark comparison when it comes to multi-core performance. As for single-core performance, the M1 Ultra is 56 percent faster than the 28-core Mac Pro.
Apple has claimed that the M1 Ultra is up to 60 percent faster than the 28-core Mac Pro when it comes to CPU performance, so Apple may be referencing single-core differences in the metrics that it shared during today's event. This is just one benchmark, so we could see the M1 Ultra performing better in additional benchmarks following the March 18 release of the Mac Studio.
The newly announced M1 Ultra is now Apple's fastest Apple silicon chip, unseating the M1 Max as the top-of-the-line option. With the power of the updated chip, the new Mac Studio is able to outperform not only the high-end prior-generation 27-inch iMac, but also the top-of-the-line 28-core Mac Pro.
The M1 Ultra chip offers a 20-core CPU with 16 high-performance cores and 4 high-efficiency cores, a 64-core GPU, 128GB Unified Memory, a 2x more powerful media engine, and 800GB/s memory bandwidth.
When it comes to CPU performance, the M1 Ultra is 3.8x faster than the highest-end Intel Core i9 iMac (which has now been discontinued), and 60 percent faster than the 28-core Mac Pro with Intel Xeon W processor.
As for the GPU, the M1 Ultra is 4.5x faster than the 27-inch iMac and an impressive 80 percent faster than the highest-end Mac Pro with AMD Radeon Pro W6900X graphics. Apple touted the Mac Studio as "up to 80 percent faster" than the fastest Mac Pro during today's event.
The M1 Ultra supports 18 streams of 8K ProRes 422 video, which Apple says no other computer in the world is able to do.
All of Apple's silicon chips offer incredible power efficiency, and the M1 Ultra is no exception. According to Apple, the M1 Ultra is able to offer 90 percent higher performance than the fastest 16-core PC CPU within the same power envelope, and it can deliver the PC chip's peak performance using 100W less power.
It offers similar performance to "one of the most popular discrete GPUs" while using 1/3 as much power, and it provides faster performance than the highest end discrete GPU using 200W less power.
The Mac Studio with M1 Ultra chip is priced starting at $4,000, and it is available for order as of today.
Apple today announced that the HomePod mini will be available to order in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland starting at the end of March, as spotted by iCulture and 9to5Mac. A specific release date has not been provided.
As in other countries, the HomePod mini will be available in five colors, including white, space gray, yellow, orange, and blue. The small Siri-enabled speaker has a woven power cable and comes with a 20W USB-C power adapter in the box.
HomePod mini first launched in October 2020 in the United States, and the speaker is also available in Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Austria, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The speaker will likely launch in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland later this year.
There were no HomePod-related announcements at Apple's virtual "Peek Performance" event today, with products unveiled including a new iPhone SE, a new iPad Air, the Mac Studio desktop computer, and a 27-inch Studio Display. We've put together a video that recaps everything that Apple announced at the event today in just seven minutes.
Today's "Peek Performance" event was more exciting than we initially thought it would be, with Apple debuting a new Mac Studio machine and Studio Display alongside a 5G version of the iPhone SE with A15 chip and an M1iPad Air with 5G chip.
It took Apple an hour to go over all of today's announcements, but we've summarized all of the new product details in a quick seven minute video. Below, we've also rounded up all of our coverage today so you don't miss anything.
The Mac Studio and Studio Display can be ordered starting today, with orders set to deliver on March 18. The iPhone SE and the iPad Air will be available for preorder this Friday, with a launch following on March 18.
Apple today introduced the Studio Display, a lower-cost display option that's meant to go along with the Mac Studio. The Studio Display is priced starting at $1,599, making it much more affordable than the Pro Display XDR, but not at the attractive $999 price point of the long-discontinued Thunderbolt Display.
Though the base Studio Display is $1,599 for the display itself and an included tilt-adjustable stand, Apple has expensive add-on accessories and updates, continuing a trend that we've seen for many of the past "Pro" product debuts.
Adding nano-texture glass, which is the same low reflectivity glass available for the Pro Display XDR, will cost an extra $300 over the base price. including the tilt and height-adjustable stand will cost an additional $400. The VESA Mount Adapter can be selected for no additional cost.
The Pro Display XDR made headlines when it was released because a stand was not included and was priced at an additional $999. Apple included a stand this time around, but users will need to pay extra for the high-end stand shown off on stage.
Those who want the top-of-the-line Studio Display with the upgraded stand and glass will need to pay a total of $2,299. That's still less than half of the price of the Pro Display XDR, which continues to be priced starting at $4,999.
The Studio Display features a 5K 27-inch display, while the Pro Display XDR is a 32-inch 6K display. The Studio Display maxes out at 600 nits brightness and it doesn't have the same Extreme Dynamic Range, but Apple has added a 12-megapixel camera with Center Stage support and an A13 Bionic chip to support the camera and speaker systems.
Customers can order the Studio Display starting today, and it will be available on March 18.
The AMD Radeon PRO W6600X GPU is built on AMD's RDNA 2 architecture, which AMD says offers "stunning visuals and exceptional performance" for the Mac Pro.
The GPU supports up to 8GB of GDDR6 memory with up to 256 GB/s bandwidth, 32MB of last-level data cache integrated on the GPU die to reduce latency and power consumption, and enhanced video compositing and editing for professional workflows.
The W6600X is a $300 upgrade for the base Mac Pro, and it joins other higher-end graphics options like the W6800X and the W6900X.
Apple confirmed today that it is working on an Apple silicon-based version of the Mac Pro that will see the company transitioning away from Intel chips and AMD graphics, but there is no word on when such a machine might launch.
Compared to the second-generation iPhone SE, the new 5G-enabled iPhone SE offers improved battery life thanks to the efficiency of the A15 Bionic chip.
Compared to the previous model, Apple claims the new iPhone SE can last up to two hours longer during both video playback and streamed video playback for a total of 15 hours and 10 hours, respectively. Audio playback sees the most significant jump by 10 hours, offering up to 50 hours of playback.
The new iPhone SE can charge up to 50% in 30 minutes with a 20W power adapter. Despite some rumors, the new iPhone SE does not feature MagSafe technology.
Apple today introduced the M1 Ultra chip with a 20-core CPU, up to a 64-core GPU, and a 32-core Neural Engine. The first Mac to offer the M1 Ultra is the all-new Mac Studio desktop computer, which is available to order starting today.
Tech specs for the Mac Studio confirm that the M1 Ultra chip supports up to five external displays. Specifically, a Mac Studio configured with the M1 Ultra chip supports up to four external displays with up to 6K resolution at 60Hz over USB-C, along with a fifth display with up to 4K resolution at 60Hz over HDMI, according to Apple.
By comparison, 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M1 Pro chip support up to two 6K displays, while models configured with the M1 Max chip support up to three 6K displays and a fourth display with up to 4K resolution. MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro models with the standard M1 chip officially only support up to one external display, but users have worked around this limitation with the use of DisplayLink adapters.
The M1 Ultra chip interconnects the die of two M1 Max chips for higher performance and support for up to 128GB of unified memory, compared to a limit of 64GB for the M1 Max chip. The 20-core CPU has 16 high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores.
"M1 Ultra is another game-changer for Apple silicon that once again will shock the PC industry. By connecting two M1 Max die with our UltraFusion packaging architecture, we're able to scale Apple silicon to unprecedented new heights," said Apple's chipmaking lead Johny Srouji. "With its powerful CPU, massive GPU, incredible Neural Engine, ProRes hardware acceleration, and huge amount of unified memory, M1 Ultra completes the M1 family as the world's most powerful and capable chip for a personal computer."
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