Apple's Spring Event 2022 lived up to the standards set by its predecessors dating back to the 2007 announcement of the iPhone, with the launch of the revolutionary new M1 Ultra chip, the new Mac Studio desktop, and the new Studio Display.
M1 Ultra
Less than 6 months ago, Apple announced the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips for the MacBook Pro range of products. These chips were essentially super-powered versions of Apple's first homegrown chip, the M1, which threatened to blow a hole in their competitor's hardware advantage.
However, with the announcement of the M1 Ultra, Apple may just have blown the entire industry out of the water.
In simple terms, the M1 Ultra is two M1 Max chips fused together using Apple's proprietary Ultrafusion technology.
However, the fact that Apple was able to boast speeds and graphics at multiples of its own M1 Max chip, at an energy consumption rate smaller than seen on its own or competitors chips means that the M1 Ultra stands alone for now.
The M1 Ultra has so far only been announced for one product, the brand new Mac Studio.
The Mac Studio
For the first time in a decade, Apple has announced a brand new desktop product line in the Mac Studio.
The Mac Studio is set to immediately become the most powerful Apple product, and the most powerful commercially available desktop on the planet.
With the industry-leading M1 Ultra at its core, Apple focused on the other big problem users have had for a while. Unlike recent iterations of their phones, laptops, and desktops, the Mac Studio comes with an abundance of connectivity options.
Not only do you get 4 USB-C or Thunderbolt ports, but also 2 USB-A ports, an ethernet port, a HDMI port, and even a 3.5mm audio jack! And, that's just on the back. On the front, there are another 2 USB-C ports for connecting up to 4 displays and a 4K TV, plus a SD card reader.
The Mac Studio is a 3.7-inch tall aluminium block with internal cooling, which comes with either the M1 Max or M1 Ultra chips. The M1 Max model starts at $1,999 (around Rs. 1.5 lakh), and the M1 Ultra model starts at $3,999 (around Rs. 3.07 lakh) in America.
The Studio Display
You will need to buy a display (or displays!) to use the all-powerful Mac Studio, and Apple has thoughtfully built the brand new Studio Display to help you out.
The display, which comes with an in-built A13 bionic chip to run processes such as centre stage, has a 27-inch display, and comes with six high fidelity speakers and three studio-quality mics.
Additionally, it has 3 USB-C ports, as well as a Thunderbolt port providing 96 watts of power that can be used to charge any apple device including the high end MacBook Pros. In fact, you can connect up to three Studio Displays to a MacBook Pro should you wish to skip the Mac Studio for now.
The Studio Display launches at $1,599 (around Rs. 1.23 lakh). Also announced were new Silver and Black options for the Magic Keyboard, Trackpad and Mouse, which can be used as Studio Display add-ons.
Edited by Teja Lele Desai