Apple (AAPL) Event Introduces M1 Ultra Processor, Product Updates
Apple Inc. (AAPL) held its first event for the year on March 8 and launched a series of updates on existing models while also announcing the Mac Studio line and its most powerful processor to date, the M1 Ultra.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Apple's first event for 2022 unveiled the updated iPhone SE and iPad Air, which will feature better processors and 5G capabilities.
- The tech giant also introduced Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra—the most powerful Apple processor to date.
- The updated iPhone SE 3 and iPad Air 5 as well as the Mac Studio will be on sale starting March 18.
iPhone SE 3
The updated iPhone SE 3 comes with the latest 6-core A15 Bionic processor that the iPhone 13 sports, as well as 5G capabilities. Apple announced that the phone has a better battery life of up to 15 hours of video playback time due to the advanced chip, although the battery size itself remains unchanged.1 While the phone features no design updates, with a 4.7-inch screen and a TouchID fingerprint sensor like the SE 2, it now carries a 12-megapixel rear camera with Smart HDR 4, Deep Fusion, Photographic Styles, and slow-motion video.
The phone will be available starting March 18 at $429 and continues to be one of the best value iPhones and the cheapest iPhone with 5G.2
iPad Air 5
The iPad Air 5 carries Apple's most powerful processor to date, the M1, and a 12-megapixel front-facing camera with Center Stage. The M1's 8-core CPU was declared to deliver 60% faster performance, while graphics performance will be up 2x. Center Stage will allow the camera to pan and fit everything in front into its frame. The new version will feature a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display with 3.8 million pixels, full lamination, True Tone, and an anti-reflective screen coating. The update comes with several optional features, including 5G and compatibility with the Apple pencil, Magic Keyboard, and Smart Keyboard Folio. Improved data transfer speed of 10gbps and the latest iPadOS15 will also be available on the Air.
Earlier, the iPad Air featured the A14 Bionic processor.3 The basic Air 5 model is priced at $599 and will be available to order on March 11 and on the shelves on March 18.
Mac Studio
Apple also announced the launch of its newest product line, the Mac Studio. The new Studio features the M1 Ultra processor that is claimed to be eight times faster than the M1 that the company introduced in 2020.
Basic models of the Mac Studio run from $1,999 and feature the older but still powerful the M1 Max chip, 32 GB of memory, and 512GB of storage. The cheapest Mac Studio with the M1 Ultra chip comes at $3,999 with 64GB of memory and 1TB of storage. The fully fitted top-line Mac Studio will feature a 64-core GPU, 128GB of memory, and 8TB SSD along with the M1 Ultra, running the price north of $8,000.
The new Studio Display now comes with a stand whose angle can be tilted with the option to adjust the height as well. Each Mac Studio can support four Studio Displays.
The M2 chip that is still awaited may be announced at a later event this year and may be fitted into an updated Macbook Pro or Air.
Apple (AAPL) Event Introduces M1 Ultra Processor, Product Updates. (2022, March 9). Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/apple-introduces-m1-ultra-processor-product-updates-5221566