It’s been quite a busy couple of weeks for Apple – following the arrival of the new iPhone 16e and a couple of upgraded iPad models, the Cupertino tech giant recently announced some big changes to a handful of other products which include the new M3 Ultra chip, the M4-powered MacBook Air, and a more powerful Mac Studio. If you’re in the market for a new upgrade, then now might be the best time to look into Apple’s latest releases.
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Meet the M3 Ultra Chip
First up is the M3 Ultra – according to Apple, the new chip provides “the most performance” of any Mac chip at the moment, claiming that it’s up to 2.6 times faster than the older M1 Ultra (kind of an odd comparison given how old the M1 Ultra is). The M3 comes with up to a 32-core CPU consisting of 24 performance cores, which work alongside eight efficiency cores – Apple claims that this setup outperforms the M1 Ultra by as much as 1.8 times, and 1.5 times of the M2 Ultra’s performance. The M3 Ultra also features up to 80 graphics cores.
There’s also a 32-core Neural Engine for AI and machine learning (ML), allowing users to run large language models (LLMs) with over 600 billion parameters directly on their device. As with other M-series Apple chips, the M3 Ultra uses a unified memory architecture, with configurations ranging from 96GB to 512GB that lets it keep up with workloads including 3D rendering, visual effects, and AI that require substantial graphics memory. Other details include compatibility with Thunderbolt 5, support for Apple’s UltraFusion packaging technology, support for up to eight Pro Display XDRs, and Secure Enclave for added user security.
The MacBook Air Turns… Blue?
Apple has also refreshed its most “budget-friendly” laptop with the new MacBook Air, which now comes with the M4 chip which was launched last year. In terms of design, not much has changed with the laptop, as it still comes with the same overall look and hardware components, although Apple has now added a new blue variant to the lineup. Starting at £999, the MacBook Air M4 is available in either 13-inch and 15-inch display versions, with the larger model starting at £1199.
In addition to the M4 chip, you’re also getting an upgraded 12MP front camera, which Apple refers to as the “Center Stage Camera.” It’s the same version seen on the MacBook Pro models, with support for 1080p video capture. Apple also claims that the new MacBook Air will be able to last up for 18 hours on a single charge, although of course this will still vary based on actual usage.
The Mac Studio Gets Two Variants
Finally, Apple also upgraded its Mac Studio desktop computer, which now comes with the M4 Max and the M3 Ultra chips. With that in mind, the base model Mac Studio comes with the M4 Max chip with a configurable 14-16-core CPU, 32-40-core GPU and 16-core Neural Engine. With 36GB of unified memory as standard, which maxes out at 128GB; meanwhile storage starts at 512, maxing out at 8GB. Should you prefer the M3 Ultra version though, you’ll instead get a configuration with a 28-32-core CPU, 60-80-core GPU and 32-core Neural Engine, with 36GB of unified memory, maxing out at 512GB; there’s also an option for a souped-up storage setup of a whopping 16TB.
As for other hardware components, both versions of the M4 Max and M3 Ultra Mac Studios come with four Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports on the back, with a couple extra ports for the M3 Ultra version. You’re also getting a pair of USB Type-A ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, a 10GB/s Ethernet port and a 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as a UHS-II SD card slot.
