CNET
Macs are about to get an upgrade. Apple is expected to announce its next generation of computers today, powered by its rumored M1X chips. The new devices follow last year’s M1-powered Macs, which were the first Apple lineup not powered by a chip made by Intel. Instead, Apple is using ones similar to the chips that power the iPhone, and so far has been getting positive reviews for them, too.
Apple’s new Mac computers already have well-regarded battery life, and are able to run iPhone and iPad apps. This new lot is expected to use Apple’s upgraded M1X chips, which are rumored to be faster and may go further to replace the “Pro” performance computers still currently powered by Intel chips.
Follow along below for our latest updates from the event.
So far
9 a.m. PT
Apple’s revamp for its MacBook Pros follows earlier upgrades for its computer lines. Earlier this year, Apple upgraded its iMac line with a new entry-level $1,299 M1-powered version that came in seven colors including orange.
Aside from that, Apple’s also released upgraded versions of its $999 MacBook Air, $699 Mac Mini and entry-level $1,299 MacBook Pro. Those upgraded machines didn’t look different on the outside, but CNET’s computer reviewer Dan Ackerman found they offered impressive battery life while still running apps well.
Customers seem to be gobbling them up so far. Apple said it sold so many M1 Macs that the product line helped push its desktop and laptop revenues to an all-time high of $9.1 billion during the first three months of this year. That was up 70% from the same time a year earlier, a dramatic change in an otherwise slow-going market. “Keep in mind, in the five years prior to the pandemic, the Mac was essentially a flat business, growing on average 1% annually,” Loup Ventures analyst Gene Munster wrote in May.
Read more: All the MacBook Pro rumors out there
And it begins
8 a.m. PT
Hi everyone, welcome to CNET’s liveblog for Apple’s second major product release event this fall. As with events for the past year and a half, Apple will be broadcasting remotely over the internet.
At one point, before the delta variant of the coronavirus really started to surge, I’d wondered whether Apple would return to in-person events this fall. I started preparing in my head about whether I’d be comfortable traveling on a plane, knowing that even though I’m fully vaccinated, there’s a chance I could bring the virus back to my young children. Of course, I could bring it back from the grocery store too, but getting on a plane and traveling across the country seemed like it was a different level of risk.
Fortunately, while parents like me anxiously wait for the government to clear the vaccine for children, I won’t have to face down that choice. Pandemic or no, CNET’s team is here and ready for whatever Apple has to announce today.
All told, Apple’s event promises to be interesting. It’s the second big product unveiling that Apple has held this fall, and it’s being held online due to the ongoing pandemic.
While the Mac will be a key product at Apple’s event, and likely what most people focus their attention on, the company may have other devices to show off. Those include new lower-priced AirPods, which are rumored to be similar in design to the AirPods Pro, allowing users to change earplug tips. And a long-shot possibility is a smart headset, which Apple still hasn’t publicly discussed.
When
Apple’s event starts at 10 a.m. PT Monday. (That’s 1 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. BST — and 4 a.m. Tuesday AET. Sorry, Australia.)
Where
You’ll be able to stream Apple’s event straight from the company’s website. We’ll also be following along here at CNET with live video starting at 9:30 a.m. PT. We’ll give you all the details and our expert analysis as the event is happening.
What we can expect
Apple’s digital events are fast-paced, but they’re also packed with info. And expect high production values. For the HomePod Mini announcement last year, Apple built a multifloor faux house. And last month, it brought on Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow to dramatize the capabilities of the cameras on its iPhone 13 Pro.
