In this week’s top stories: Everything Apple announced during its November event, including the M1 processor alongside a new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini.

M1 processor

Apple kicked things off with the introduction of its new M1 processor, its first Apple Silicon chip for the Mac lineup. Apple says the M1 processor delivers up to 3.5x faster CPU performance, up to 6x faster GPU performance, and up to 15x faster machine learning.

Apple emphasizes that the M1 chip is the first designed specifically for the Mac. It is optimized for Macs in which small size and power efficiency are critically important. As such, the M1 features an 8-core design with four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores.

In terms of graphics, the M1 processor includes eight core integrated GPU, which Apple says can handle multiple 4K video streams, gaming, and more. Apple says it’s the “world’s fastest integrated graphics in a personal computer.” The M1 also brings Apple’s Neural Engine to the Mac for the first time with a 16-core architecture. This offers improvements for things like video analysis, voice recognition, image processing, and other machine learning tasks.

Finally, Apple emphasized during the event that macOS 11 Big Sur is engineered to take full advantage of the new M1 processor, offering things like waking instantly from sleep, improved Safari performance, and even better battery life.

The M1 processor also allows you to run three different types of applications on your Mac:

  • iPhone and iPad apps on the Mac through the Mac App Store
  • Rosetta 2 translation allows you to run apps made for Intel Macs on Apple Silicon, and sometimes apps perform better in Rosetta with M1 than they did with Intel, Apple says.
  • Universal apps are apps built for Apple Silicon and Intel processors and are downloadable from the Mac App Store or from the web.

Apple also announced that macOS 11 Big Sur will officially be available to the general public on Thursday, November 12.

So what are the first Macs with Apple’s M1 processor? As it turns out, there are three of them.

New MacBook Air

The first Apple Silicon Mac introduced was a new MacBook Air powered by the M1 processor. Apple says the new 8-core CPU performs up to 3.5x faster than the previous Intel MacBook Air while the 8 core GPU is up to 5x faster. The M1 chip’s storage controller and latest flash technology deliver up to 2x faster SSD performance, Apple adds.

Notably, the MacBook Air also features a fan-less design so it remains completely silent regardless of workload. Other than that change, the new MacBook Air design is largely identical to the previous generation MacBook Air. On the side, you’ll find two USB-C ports with support for Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4.

But where the new MacBook Air really starts to shine is in its battery life numbers. According to Apple’s data, the new MacBook Air features up to 15 hours of web browsing and up to 18 hours of video playback. This is up from the 12 hours of battery life offered by the 2020 Intel MacBook Air.

The new MacBook Air is available to order now, with prices starting at $999. For the base configuration, you get 8GM of RAM, an 8 core-CPU, a 7-core GPU, and 256GB of storage. You can upgrade to 16GB of RAM, to an 8-core GPU, and to up to 2TB of SSD storage as well. The first orders will arrive on November 17.

  • New MacBook Air keyboard features dedicated keys for Dictation, Spotlight, Do Not Disturb, and emoji
  • Apple Silicon M1 MacBook Air and Pro get improved cameras but still stuck at 720p
  • Here are the huge battery life improvements with the Apple Silicon MacBook Air

New Mac mini

Following the MacBook Air introduction, Apple rather surprisingly introduced a new Mac mini powered by the M1 processor. The new Mac mini features again an 8-core CPU paired with an 8-core GPU, and Apple sys it’s up to 3x faster than the previous-generation Mac mini with Intel.

Apple says the new Mac mini also features an advanced thermal design to help sustain performance while staying cool and quiet. There’s also support for up to displays, including the Pro Display XDR, and WiFi 6 connectivity. The new Mac mini features two USB-C ports on the back that support Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4, alongside two USB-A ports, HDMI 2.0, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Mac mini also notably got price drop, with the base model now starting at $699, which is $100 than the Intel model. The base configuration offers the M1 processor with an 8-core CPU and an 8-GPU with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSd. You can upgrade to up to 2TB of SSD storage and to 16GB of RAM.

You can order the new Mac mini now and the first orders will arrive on November 17.

  • Mac mini still available with Intel chips for now
  • Here’s how I/O has changed on the Apple Silicon Mac mini

New 13-inch MacBook Pro

Last but not least, Apple introduced a new 13-inch MacBook Pro powered by the same M1 processor with an 8-core CPU and an 8-core GPU. Apple says the new MacBook Pro is up to 2.8x faster than the previous generation in terms of CPU performance and up to 5x faster in GPU performance.

The MacBook Pro also features a new active cooling system that should help thermal management. It’ll be interesting to see how the MacBook Pro and its cool system are able to sustain heavy workloads with the M1 processor, compared to the MacBook Air’s fan-less design.

Again, the MacBook Pro really shines in terms of battery life, with Apple saying it offers up to 17 hours of web browsing and 20 hours of video playback. This is twice the battery life of the previous MacBook Pro and the longest battery life ever for the Mac. The new MacBook Pro features two USB-C ports with support for Thunderbolt 3 and USB 4.

The new MacBook Pro is available now for $1,299, for an 8-core configuration with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. You can upgrade to up to 2TB of SSD storage and to 16GB of RAM in build-to-order configurations. The first orders arrive next Tuesday, November 17.

  • Apple Silicon M1 MacBook Air and Pro get improved cameras but still stuck at 720p
  • MacBook Pro still available with Intel chips for now
  • Here are the huge battery life improvements with the Apple Silicon MacBook Pro

Wrap-up

More news from this week:

  • Apple releases first developer beta of iOS 14.3
  • iOS 14.3 beta reveals likely design of Apple’s upcoming AirPods Studio headphones
  • iOS 14.3 beta includes support for rumored AirTags and third-party tracking accessories
  • macOS 11 Big Sur now available, here’s what’s new for your Mac
  • First HomePod mini orders now shipping to customers
  • Cryptic leaker says Apple has a ‘Christmas surprise’ in store for this year, what could it be?

This week’s top videos |

  • macOS Big Sur 11 top features – the Mac gets a new UI, Control Center, 4K YouTube, & more [Video]
  • Apple Silicon event breakdown

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	December 30, 2022 – We’ll think of a title next year

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  • 2022 Apple Year in Review
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  • iPhone app sideloading, new Mac Pro rumors, iPhone SE 4 cancelled
  • 58:30
  • iOS 16.2 features, HomePods are good, OLED MacBook Air rumors
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	2022 Apple Year in Review

Follow Zac Hall @apollozac or @zac@home.social Benjamin Mayo @bzamayo or @bzamayo@mastodon.social Read More January

AAPL hits $3 trillion market cap, Apple now first company to reach milestone valuation

AAPL lost a trillion dollars this year as iPhone shipments forecasted to drop into 2023

iPhone 14 Pro now rumored to feature ‘hole + pill design’ instead of notch iOS 15.4 enables Face ID support while wearing a mask, no Apple Watch required Cisco exec turned Apple comms VP departs after less than a year, Kristin Huguet to take over

February

Apple tackling AirTag stalking concerns with these changes to Find My network Apple announces new Tap to Pay feature that turns iPhones into contactless payment terminals

Square bringing Tap to Pay on iPhone support to its POS app later this year

March

iPhone SE 3 tidbits: Lacks MagSafe and Ceramic Shield technologies, IP67, no 5G mmWave Apple unveils iPad Air 5 with M1 chip, purple color option, more Apple details highest-end processor with M1 Ultra, combining M1 Max chips Apple announces new ‘Mac Studio’ desktop computer powered by M1 Ultra chip with expanded I/O Apple announces new $1599 27-inch 5K Apple Studio Display, featuring Center Stage webcam

Apple’s Studio Display’s poor webcam quality is not a software bug after all

Apple teases Apple Silicon Mac Pro at end of March event CODA wins Best Picture: Apple becomes first streaming service to get Oscars top prize

April

MLB talks Friday Night Baseball on TV+: ‘Apple reaches into every single home’ Apple Self Service Repair store now available, allowing customers to repair their own iPhones for the first time

May

Apple discontinues iPod touch, ending 20 year run of iconic ‘iPod’ brand iPod touch now removed from Apple website as old URL redirects users to Apple Support Now obsolete, the iPod touch was once the gateway to the iOS ecosystem iPod In Memoriam

June

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July

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Apple expanding App Store ads from search to ‘Today’ tab and more

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September

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December

Apple reveals new karaoke-like ‘Apple Music Sing’ feature launching this month Apple debuts Advanced Data Protection to bring end-to-end encryption to Messages in iCloud, Photos, device backups, much more

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