Apple today took the first big step in transitioning to custom silicon with the launch of the new MacBook X. This is the first time a laptop manufacturer will not opt for chipsets from semiconductor suppliers like Intel or AMD, but create a platform of its own. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
A vertical integration of this nature allows Apple to optimize the Macs at much higher levels, unlocking significant performance and efficiency gains. The M1 is a chipset built specifically for compact machines. This is also the first time a 5nm process makes its way to a laptop.
The Apple M1 SoC combines all components such as the CPU, audio processor, security enclave, Thunderbolt controller and more. It has an octa-core design in a big.LITTLE configuration consisting of four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. Apple claims that it beats every other laptop when it comes to CPU performance per watt. The complex also includes “the world’s fastest integrated GPU”, with up to eight cores capable of performing 2.6 teraflops of throughput. The Neural Engine also gets a big upgrade, now capable of 11 trillion operations per second thanks to a 16-core architecture.
Other features include instant wake from sleep, iOS level of security, unified memory, the ability to run iPhone applications natively and more. The new Macs also support USB 4 for transfer speeds of up to 40Gbps. In the first wave, three Apple M1-powered Macs were unveiled.
Want to know more about these products? Check out our detailed coverage:
New MacBook Air (2020)
The new MacBook Air brings all the goodness to a familiar compact design. It has a 13-inch display with P3 wide colour gamut as well as support for Touch ID authentication. The improvements are claimed to offer 18 hours of video playback and 15 hours of web browsing on a single charge. It will be available in two variants in India, with the base variant having 256GB of SSD storage and a seven-core GPU at Rs 92,900, and the top variant with 512GB of storage and an eight-core GPU at Rs 1,17,900.
New MacBook Pro 13-inch (2020)
The MacBook Pro also got refreshed with the M1. It sports a 13-inch True Tone Retina display along with a Touch Bar. Iconic elements such as the Force touch trackpad and the Magic Keyboard are also present. The 256GB variant is priced at Rs 1,22,900 while the 512GB variant is priced at Rs 1,42,900. Colour options include Space Grey and Silver.
New Mac mini (2020)
Apple also unveiled a new Mac Mini today, which brings the same processing prowess to desktops. It starts at Rs 64,900.
| Product | Storage | Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air | 256GB | Rs 92,900 |
| MacBook Air | 512GB | Rs 1,17,900 |
| MacBook Pro | 256GB | Rs 1,22,900 |
| MacBook Pro | 512GB | Rs 1,42,900 |
| Mac Mini | 256GB | Rs 64,900 |
| Mac Mini | 512GB | Rs 84,900 |
The newly launched products are now available for pre-order on Apple's website, with shipping estimated in 2-3 weeks.
