This week, Apple expanded its MacBook Pro lineup with new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models. These new proprietary system-on-chip (SoC) units are designed to take on AMD and Intel. The new MacBook Pros have not only some design-level changes but also all-new silicon choices in the form of the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. n addition to the MacBook Pro (2021) models, Apple has released the AirPods (3rd generation) as its new true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds, as well as the Apple Music Voice subscription for people who want to access music through their voice. The company also introduced its new HomePod mini colors.
Host Akhil Arora speaks with Review Editor Jamshed Avari; Deputy Reviewed Editor Roydon Cerejo, and in-house audio expert Ali Pardiwala on this week’s episode of Gadgets 360 podcast Orbital to discuss the new MacBook Pro models, AirPods (3rd generation), new HomePod mini discussable colors and the Apple Music Voice subscription.
The discussion starts with the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips that Apple designed as two different upgrades to last year’s M1. The new silicon options have 10 CPU cores and up to 32 GPU cores. However, Apple has decided not to detail its new silicon offering, as it typically doesn’t provide much detail about the A-series processors powering the iPhone and iPad series.
Nevertheless, Apple claimed that its M1 Pro and M1 Max deliver up to 70 percent faster CPU performance than the original M1. The M1 Max is also touted to offer nearly six times the memory bandwidth of the M1, along with up to four times faster GPU performance.
The M1 Max is rumored to provide nearly six times the memory bandwidth of last year’s M1 chip Photo Credit: Apple.
Apple has packed the memory in its CPU package as a single chip that helps deliver better performance and high power efficiency. There is also a Neural Engine for artificial intelligence (AI) acceleration.
In addition to the new chips, we are talking about the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2021) and 14-inch MacBook Pro (2021). The new machines have improved specs, design,, and extra ports over what we had before. You get an HDMI port and an SDXC card slot.
MacBook Pro (2021) price in India starts at Rs. 1,94,900 for the 14-inch variant, while the 16-inch model starts at Rs. 2.39.900.
As a distinguishing move, the new MacBook Pro models have a notch – just like the latest iPhone models. The gap helps Apple provide a better screen-to-body ratio and pixel count. It’s also not as prominently visible as the notch on the iPhone when the MacBook Pros are in use – thanks to the top bar that usually appears in all apps.
The new MacBook Pros also come with mini LED screens that are expected to help improve the viewing experience. There are also physical function keys on the keyboard as Apple has decided to ditch the Touch Bar.
After talking about the new MacBook Pro models, let’s move on to the AirPods (3rd generation), which come as the successor to the AirPods (2nd generation) and resemble the AirPods Pro. Ali joins the discussion to tell us about the major updates and whether to go with the new AirPods or continue with the existing model.
The price of AirPods (3rd generation) in India is Rs. 18,900. However, you can get the AirPods Pro for an even lower price – thanks to ongoing festive sales.
AirPods (3rd generation) price in India is set at Rs. 18.900. Photo Credit: Apple
We also discuss the Apple Music Voice subscription, which costs Rs. 49 per month. It is specifically for accessing the Apple Music collection via Siri – with your voice. The arrival of the new plan looks more like a marketing gimmick to expand the use of Siri and project it as a strong competitor against Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
There are also the new HomePod mini colors, namely blue, orange, space gray, and yellow. These are intended to attract people looking for colorful accessories in their rooms. The HomePod mini price starts at Rs. 9,900.
You can listen to the full discussion by pressing the play button on the embedded player above.
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