Apple on Tuesday unveiled MacBooks powered by its new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, in a rare January product announcement (traditionally, the first launches of a new year come in March).
The new Mac mini starts at $599 and will be available from Jan. 24. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with the latest chips start at $1,999, compared with the $1,299 price tag for a 13-inch model fitted with the M2 chip.
The new Macbook Pro models were expected for months, but supply-chain issues meant the launch was delayed from last year to early 2023, Bloomberg News reported in October.
“This is all connected to the delayed chipset transition … With it being delayed, Apple has been faced with the questions to wait for the traditional, expected launch or actually do something a bit unexpected,” said Canalys analyst Runar Bjørhovde.
“This is a great way of throwing things around and surprising the consumers and competitors,” Bjørhovde said, adding that the announcement could generate some hype at a time when the broader personal computer market is in a slump.
MacDailyNews Note: Watch Apple’s announcement of the new M2 Pro, M2 Max, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro:
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Great to see Apple pushing forward on their chips and computers. Apple’s surge in personal computer market share is welcomed. Just think what they could accomplish if they focused more strategically on computers. With the success of iPhone and services, Apple could gain dominance in computers with models targeting professionals and great advertising. When was the last time you saw an Apple computer ad on TV?
I thought Apple would keep the M1 Mac mini going with $100 discount (like with M1 MacBook Air), and make new M2 version the performance option. But these new Mac mini choices are excellent, especially the “starting at” M2 model for $599; a desktop Mac can have affordable external storage without inconvenience. And good to have the higher-end M2 Pro choice without going all the way up to Mac Studio. Makes me believe there will soon be an M2 iMac with M2 Pro option, which also has larger 30-inch screen. Maybe March or April, along with the “surprise” new thing.
The dark Intel Mac mini appears to be gone from lineup (finally), so the only remaining Intel Mac is Mac Pro. Probably introduction at June 2023 WWDC with release 3-5 months later, the pattern used for last Intel Mac Pro (2019), iMac Pro (2017), and cylinder Mac Pro (2013).
New 14 inch Macbook Pro M2max on order. Was waiting for these to come out.
Looks like the new $1200 Mac mini out-performs the M1 Max Mac Studio I recently bought for twice the cost. Cool! I don’t see too many people buying a Mac Studio now, unless it gets an upgrade or a price reduction.
BS. The lowliest spec Studio blows any Mini out of the water with at least 4x memory access rate, better cooling, and several times the GPU power. The mini and the laptops are great for moderate tasks but it’s never going to compete against real workstations. Even overpriced Studios or antique Pros.
According to the business, the new M2 Pro chip brings pro-level performance to the Mac mini for the first time, allowing users to run high-performance workflows that were previously impractical in such a small size.