Sunday, January 22, 2023

New and Improved: Apple's Latest MacBook Pro and Mac Mini Models

Apple has recently released new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, powered by the M2 Pro and M2 Max Apple-made chipsets. This is the main change from the 2021 MacBook Pro models, which were powered by the M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets. The M2 Pro and M2 Max are more powerful and efficient than their predecessors, offering up to a 12-core CPU, with the M2 Pro going up to a 19-core GPU and the potential of up to 32-GB of unified memory. The M2 Max offers even more powerful options, with a 38-core GPU and up to 96-GB of unified memory, for those who need even more power.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at PHP126,990 and the 16-inch model costs PHP156,990. The M2 Pro has 20 percent more transistors than the M1 Pro and doubles the amount of bandwidth when compared with the M2, from 100 GB per second to 200. Image processing is reportedly 40 percent faster on the M2 Pro over the M1 Pro too, leading to improved performance across the board.

The new MacBooks also come with support for 8K/60-Hz and 4K/240-Hz external screens when you use the HDMI port, as well as Wi-Fi 6E compatibility if you have a Wi-Fi 6E router. The 120-Hz display, durable build, and improved port selection that includes three USB-C ports, HDMI, an SD card slot, a headphone jack, and a MagSafe connector are still present in the new models.

However, the new MacBooks do not come with the highly anticipated Face ID feature, only Touch ID. The weight of laptops is also still heavy and not meant for easy portability. Battery life is also still an issue, but the 16-inch MacBook Pro has been bumped to 22 hours of battery life, up from 21, which Apple claims is “the longest battery life ever in a Mac."

In addition to the new MacBooks, Apple also released a more powerful Mac Mini, powered by an M2 chip, with a tantalizingly low price of PHP36,990. The Mac Mini also has an option to be outfitted with the standard M2 chipset seen on last year's MacBook Air. The real highlight of the new Mac Mini is its price reduction, making it more accessible to a wider range of consumers. The new M2-powered Mac Mini has an 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and 24-GB of unified memory, and offers 50 percent faster filter and function performance in Adobe Photoshop over the prior M1-powered model.

Overall, the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros and the new Mac Mini are great options for those in need of more power and efficiency. The new M2 Pro and M2 Max chipsets offer improved performance and the new Mac Mini offers a great value for its price. However, the lack of Face ID and the heavy weight of the MacBooks may still be a concern for some consumers.

No comments:

Post a Comment