Apple has released updated models of the MacBook Air and the Mac Studio with new Apple silicon to provide dramatic speed and performance improvements.
Apple has also introduced an all-new M3 Ultra chip which takes things to an all-new level with support for more than half a terabyte of unified memory – what Apple now calls RAM – the most ever for a personal computer.
MACBOOK AIR WITH M4
The world’s most popular laptop just got a little faster thanks to the addition of Apple’s new M4 chip which now has the power to support up to two external displays as well as the built-in display.
And while the thin and light design of the 13-inch and 15-inch models hasn’t changed, there has been one more colour added to the MacBook Air line-up – Sky Blue.
This is an additional colour on top of Midnight, Starlight and Silver.
With M4 under the hood the MacBook Air goes to another level and can handle even more demanding tasks like intensive photo and video editing.
The M4 chip has a 10-core CPU, up to 10-core GPU and support for up to 32GB of unified memory.
Add all that up and the new MacBook Air with M4 is 2x faster than the M1 model and 23x faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Air.
Naturally, the new MacBook Air with M4 is also built for Apple Intelligence to be more creative and productive while using writing tools, Image Playground and a new and improve Siri.
There is also a new 12MP Centre Stage camera so you get an enhanced experience on the MacBook Air for video calls.
It will help keep users centred in the frame and help you look your best with support for Desk View which is able to show the user and a top down view of their desktop.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
The 13-inch MacBook Air with M4 start at $1699 and the 15-inch MacBook Air with M4 starts at 2099 dollars. They go on sale on March 12, 2025.
MAC STUDIO WITH M4 MAX AND M3 ULTRA
The Mac Studio – Apple’s most powerful Mac – has been upgraded to include M4 Max and the brand new M3 Ultra chip.
This professional desktop solution offers unparalleled performance and extended connectivity now with Thunderbolt 5.
Mac Studio is designed for customers who have intense workloads which the unit can easily handle thanks to its powerful CPU and Apple’s advanced graphics architecture, higher unified memory capacity and super-fast SSD storage.
“The new Mac Studio is the most powerful Mac we’ve ever made,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering.
“A complete game-changer for pros around the world — powering both home and pro studios — Mac Studio sits in a class of its own, offering a staggering amount of performance in a compact, quiet design that fits beautifully on your desk.
“With this new Mac Studio, we’re delivering even more extreme performance with M4 Max and M3 Ultra, support for half a terabyte of unified memory, up to 16TB of superfast storage, and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. Mac Studio truly is the ultimate pro desktop.”
Mac Studio is a powerful computer that can easily handle AI and run large language models (LLMs) with over 600 billion parameters entirely in memory thanks to the upgraded GPU and up to 512GB of unified memory with the latest M3 Ultra chip.
It is also built for Apple Intelligence which can shape and transform how users work, create, communicate and express themselves.
The M4 Max chip has up to 16 cores CPU, up to 40 core GPU, over half a TB per second of unified memory bandwidth and a Neural Engine that’s 3x faster than the M1 Max.
With this much power, Mac Studio M4 Max can run on-device AI models faster than ever.
The Mac Studio with M4 Max is up to 3.5x faster than Mac Studio with M1 Max and up to 6.1x faster than the most powerful Intel-based 27-inch iMac.
Mac Studio with M4 Max enables:
– Up to 1.6x faster image processing in Adobe Photoshop when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Max, and up to 2.9x faster when compared to the 27-inch iMac with Core i9.
– Up to 2.1x faster build performance when compiling code in Xcode when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Max, and up to 3.1x faster when compared to the 27-inch iMac with Core i9.
– Up to 1.2x faster ProRes transcode performance in Compressor when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Max, and up to 2.8x faster when compared to the 27-inch iMac with Core i9.
– Up to 1.6x faster video processing performance in Topaz Video AI when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Max, and up to 5x faster when compared to the 27-inch iMac with Core i9.
The Mac Studio with M3 Ultra is in a class of its own and is nearly 2x faster than the M4 Max in workloads that utilised the high GPU and CPU core counts and the huge amounts of available unified memory.
With M3 Ultra it is up to 2.6x faster than Mac Studio with M1 Ultra and up to 6.4x faster than the 16-core Intel Zeon W-based Mac Pro.
Mac Studio comes with 96GB of unified memory and can be configured up to an amazing 512GB – that’s the highest amount of unified memory ever in a personal computer.
It can also be configured with up to 16TB fast storage so you can store important information and data locally.
Mac Studio with M3 Ultra enables:
– Up to 16.9x faster token generation using an LLM with hundreds of billions of parameters in LM Studio when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Ultra, thanks to its massive amounts of unified memory.
– Up to 2.6x faster scene rendering performance in Maxon Redshift when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Ultra, and up to 6.4x faster when compared to the 16-core Intel-based Mac Pro with Radeon Pro W5700X.
– Up to 1.1x faster basecalling for DNA sequencing in Oxford Nanopore MinKNOW when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Ultra, and up to 21.1x faster when compared to the 16-core Intel-based Mac Pro with Radeon Pro W5700X.
– Up to 1.4x faster 8K video rendering performance in Final Cut Pro when compared to Mac Studio with M1 Ultra, and up to 4x faster when compared to the 16-core Intel-based Mac Pro with Radeon Pro W5700X.
The new Mac Studio models include Thunderbolt 5 ports that supports transfer speeds of up to 120GB per second – that’s up to 3x faster than the previous generation.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
The Mac Studio with M4 Starts at $3,499. Mac Studio with M3 Ultra starts at $6,999. They go on sale on March 12, 2025.
