Apple announces new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros powered by M3 chips

Apple tonight announced the latest entries to the MacBook Pro. The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro features Apple's latest M3 series of chips, more RAM, and a new color.

The new MacBook Pros come with three options for the SoC: the base-level M3, the M3 Pro, and the top-of-the-line M3 Max. The base level Macbook Pro with a standard M3 can be configured with up to 24 GB of unified memory, the M3 Pro version supports up to 36 GB of RAM, and the M3 Max MacBook Pro supports up to a whopping 128 GB of unified memory. Storage for all three models can be configured up to 8 TB.

The new MacBooks also boast much more powerful graphics, with the M3 Pro model able to support two high resolution displays and the M3 Max version able to handle up to four high-res displays. (The base level M3 MacBook Pro can still only supports a single external high-res display.) The new notebooks also support Apple's "Dynamic Caching" technology, which actively adapts how much memory is reserved for graphical work so that RAM isn't sitting idle. 

Apple touted the prowess of the top-tier M3 Max MacBook Pro, claiming that the laptop is 2.5 times faster than the M1 Max MacBook Pro. The company also claims this model is 11 times faster than the fastest Intel-based MacBook Pro, incentivizing users of the older Intel-based MacBook Pros to upgrade their machines. 

The new Macbook Pros also have impressive displays. The laptops have a version of Apple's Liquid Retina XDR displays that supports HDR and gets incredibly bright. The displays can sustain a brightness level of 1000 nits with a peak up to 1600 nits, although SDR content is limited to 600 nits. 

The new MacBook Pros will be available in a new color, which Apple calls "Space Black." This is essentially a matte black-esque color scheme reminiscent of the iPhone 7. The new color is only available with the M3 Pro and M3 Max chip.

Other key points of the new laptops include a claimed battery life of 22 hours, a six-speaker setup, and a 1080p FaceTime camera. 

The MacBook Pro 14 will start at US$1599 (a $400 price cut from its M2-based predecessor), while its 16-inch brother will start at $2499. All models can be ordered today. The M3 and M3 Pro models will begin shipping next week, while the M3 Max variant will be available later in November.

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