…and a few things we never thought we wanted.
Apple’s marketing machine is full steam ahead with WWDC 2023. The Worldwide Developers Conference has evolved into a spectacle that reveals some of the biggest products Apple has in store.
2023 is no different.
This year, Apple is bringing some welcome updates all professional creatives have been asking for, as well as a few interesting additions to the Mac lineup we never knew we wanted.
M2 Ultra Completes the Transition
When Apple Silicon was announced a few years ago, Apple claimed it would take a few years for the company to transition all of its products.
Now, we have the M2 Ultra, which is two chips taped together using something called UltraFusion. It’s a powerhouse to be reckoned with and finally helps finish the transition from Intel.
This new chip is the peak of what Apple is currently able to achieve with its own Silicon, and this new chip is the foundation for an upgrade we’ve all been requesting for years.
The Mac Pro
So, we buried the lead a little bit. The Apple Silicon with Mac Pro is finally here. Externally, not much has changed, but internally, the Mac Pro sports an M2 Ultra as well as support for six PCIe Gen-4 slots for all those expansion cards we’ve been dying to use.
With up to 192GB of unified memory and the ability to support up to six Pro Display XDRs, the new Mac Pro is said to be up to three times faster than the fastest Intel-based Mac Pro. How that’s quantified remains to be seen, but if true, that’s blazing fast.
The Mac Pro will start at $6999. Pre-orders are now available, and creatives can expect delivery in a few weeks.
The Mac Studio
According to Apple, the Mac Studio was a runaway success. But that’s the marketing spin I’ve been smoking. However, with the compact size and M2 Pro and M2 Max SoC support, the Mac Studio is definitely a powerful machine.
Now, the Mac Studio is also getting support for M2 Ultra. Much like the Mac Pro, the Studio will get up to 192GB of unified memory and will be up to 6x times faster than the fasted Intel-based iMac.
Between the Mac Studio and Mac Pro, I think we can finally say goodbye to a professional-level iMac. The new Mac Studio is now available for pre-order at $1999 and should be delivered in a few weeks.
MacBook Air? More Like ChonkBook Air
One last hardware update from this year is the 15” MacBook Air with M2. Like its smaller cousin, the new Air will get a 15.3” Liquid Retina display, 18 hours of battery life, and keep the same silent no-fan design.
I’m not a big fan of the bigger screen, but if that doesn’t bother you, the new 15” MacBook Air should be a massive hit. I upgraded from a souped-up 2017 MacBook Pro, and my 13” MacBook Air M2 feels like a race car flying past a bicycle. It also puts out less heat than my previous laptop.
Like the Studio and Pro, the 15″ MacBook Air is available for pre-order. Starting at $1299, it should be delivered to you in a few weeks. This addition also makes the smaller M2 Air and the M1 Air a bit cheaper, which is nice if you want a silent yet powerful Apple laptop.
macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and Everything Else
Software is an equal part of what Apple delivers. The iPod wouldn’t have been what it was without iTunes, right? This year, there is a myriad of iOS, iPadOS, and WatchOS updates, including Message and Health app updates, quality of life extras, and widgets support for all the mobile apps.
The new macOS Sonoma is also a welcome update to make the Apple operating system and hardware more gaming-friendly. Hideo Kojima himself showed up to announce Death Stranding for the Mac.
But for us filmmakers, finally seeing a Mac Pro with M2 Ultra is the most exciting update today. Getting that kind of power in the Mac ecosystem is a welcome addition as cameras embrace 8K, and free software suites like DaVinci Resolve and Blender give us the ability to create anything we want.
Which one do you want? Let us know in the comments!
