Apple reveals new Macs, including a $600 Mac Mini

Apple’s MacBooks deliver some impressive horsepower and efficiency thanks to the company’s in-house Arm processors. Now, the company has announced new processors, along with new MacBook Pro models and a refreshed Mac Mini.

New Apple chips debut

The new MacBook Pro models are powered by new Apple chips, namely the M2 Pro or M2 Max. The 5nm M2 Pro brings a 10 or 12 core CPU (up to eight performance cores and four efficiency cores) and a 19-core GPU. Meanwhile, the M2 Max offers the same 12-core CPU but up to 38 cores for the GPU.

Apple claims that the M2 Pro brings a 20% CPU performance boost over the M1 Pro, a 30% boost for the GPU, and a 40% boost for the AI silicon. The company asserts that the M2 Max delivers a 20% CPU performance boost over the M1 Max and a 30% performance boost for the GPU.

New MacBook Pros

Along with the new chips, Apple also announced two new MacBook Pro models, namely 14-inch and 16-inch laptops. The new MacBooks are powered by either the M2 Pro or M2 Max processors. In fact, the MacBook Pro models powered by the M2 Pro support up to 32GB of RAM, while M2 Max-powered models can be configured with up to 96GB of RAM.

Apple is also claiming other notable features on these new laptops, namely up to 22 hours of battery life, Wi-Fi 6E (up from Wi-Fi 6), and HDMI 2.1 (supporting 8K/60Hz or 4K/240Hz).

Otherwise, you can expect features like a 1080p webcam in a notch, a six-speaker setup, fingerprint scanner, SD card slot, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, MagSafe 3 charging, and Mac OS Ventura.

A new Mac Mini appears

It’s been a while since we’ve seen a refreshed Mac Mini, dating back to the M1 Mac Mini back in 2020. Now, Apple has indeed announced a new model, powered by either the M2 or M2 Pro silicon.

The new Mac Mini delivers a healthy variety of ports and connectivity options too, namely two Thunderbolt 4 ports (or four ports on the M2 Pro model), two full-sized USB ports, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet port, a 3.5mm port with support for high-impedance headphones, Bluetooth 5.3, and Wi-Fi 6E.

MacBook Pro and Mac Mini pricing

Apple confirmed that the new MacBook Pro models and refreshed Mac Mini are available to order from January 17 in 27 markets and should ship by January 24. The 14-inch model starts at $1,999, while the 16-inch variant starts at $2,499. Want the M2 Max models, instead? Then you’ll be paying $3,099 and $3,499 respectively.

Meanwhile, the M2-powered Mac Mini starts at just $599, albeit with 8GB of RAM. You’ll need to splash out $200 extra for a model with 16GB of RAM. Otherwise, those wanting an M2 Pro-toting Mac Mini will need to spend $1,299.

Nevertheless, the $599 starting price is $100 cheaper than the base M1 Mac Mini was at launch back in 2020. So those on the hunt for a more affordable Mac experience should keep this model in mind.