07 JUNE 2022 - Apple on Monday introduced the first big upgrade to Apple Silicon, starting the move from M1 processors to the very cleverly titled M2. Sounds like I’m being snarky, but so was Apple Senior VP of Software Engineering Craig Federighi, so I feel okay about it. According to Apple’s press release on the processor, M2 sports a CPU that’s 18% faster than M1, a GPU that’s 35% more powerful, and a Neural Engine that’s 40% faster. “It also delivers 50 percent more memory bandwidth compared to M1, and up to 24GB of fast unified memory,” according to the company.

Sounds impressive at first, before quickly becoming just… numbers. More illustrative, perhaps, to say:

Compared with the latest 10-core PC laptop chip, the CPU in M2 provides nearly twice the performance at the same power level. And, M2 delivers the peak performance of the PC chip while using just a quarter of the power. When compared to the latest 12-core PC laptop chip — (…) — M2 provides nearly 90 percent of the peak performance of the 12-core chip while using just one-fourth the power.

You know… without the bulk and the heat and the noisiness. Specs are still hard to get the head around, though. Better perhaps to talk about the first machines M2 will power.

Detail of M2 MacBook Air - Image via Apple

Two New(ish) MacBooks

Apple on Monday announced a couple of laptops - one that was totally expected and another that was somewhat expected. The Cupertino-company offered up redesigns of the world’s bestselling laptop - MacBook Air, and the world’s second bestselling laptop - the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

According to Apple’s press release, MacBook Air got a new, thin design, a larger 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display that’s 25% brighter and able to support a billion colors, a 1080p FaceTime camera, and four finishes - Silver, Space Gray, Starlight, and Midnight (that last one being the blue machine referred to over the weekend by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman).

Less doorstop, more laptop this one. Gone is MacBook Air’s signature wedge shape. “It measures just 11.3 mm thin,” according to the company, and weighs in at 2.7 pounds. The redesign results in a “20 percent reduction in volume,” according to Apple. Despite the reduction in volume, MacBook Air welcome MagSafe Charging back to the fold, while still holing onto its two USB-C ports and its 3.5mm audio jack. Also - function keys, Touch ID, and a Force Touch trackpad.

As for performance, Apple says for intensive workloads like editing videos in Final Cut Pro, the new MacBook Air is 40% faster than an M1 MacBook Air and “up to 15x faster for customers that haven’t upgraded to Apple silicon.” All of that with the same all-day battery life with up to 18 hours of video playback, according to the company.

And what can we say about the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2? According to Apple, the faster 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU make intensive photo work nearly 40% faster than an M1 machine and nearly three-and-a-half times faster for folks moving from Intel to Apple Silicon. Same goes for playing AAA video games. Upping the specs ups performance, of course. That said Apple says the machine delivers “phenomenal battery life with up to 20 hours of video playback.”

Fun (and Not Fun) Facts Around the New Macs

If you’re a fan of Touch Bar for Mac in the market for a new machine, you’re actually in luck. A piece from TechCrunch say the much maligned mini-screen lives to fight another round on the M2 MacBook Pro. Despite being removed from the 14” and 16” M1 counterparts, it’s not an option on the new 13” machine. It’s the only option. TechCrunch doesn’t see a resurgence for the input device. Rather, the site figures Apple just wasn’t “ready for a full-body redesign…”

Something that disappointed a few people in my Twitter timeline - despite the more powerful M2, the new MacBook Air and 13” MacBook Pro still support one external display. Anyway, that’s the official line. Unofficially, a piece from MacRumors says it was discovered with their M1 counterparts that multiple displays could be connected using DisplayLink adapters. While that’ll probably still be true for M2, officially it’s only the higher-end 14” and 16” MacBook Pros that support more than on external display.

You’ll Get a Charge Out of This

Remember a couple of months ago when Apple posted, then quickly removed, a support doc covering a dual USB-C 35W Power Adapter? Guess who’s back. In the press release on the MacBooks, Apple heralds “a number of charging options” for MacBook Air, “including an all-new 35W compact power adapter with two USB-C ports, so users can charge two devices at once.”

Go figure!

Also, the release says the new Air “supports fast charge for charging up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes with an optional 67W USB-C power adapter.”

WHEN How Much Would You Pay?!?

If you’re wondering about pricing and availability, pricing we can do. The old M1 MacBook Air sticks around for a starting price of $999. It’s available now. The MacBook Air with M2 starts at $1,199, with education pricing starting at $1,099. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 starts at $1,299, with an education starting price of $1,199.

I saw something online that said you could order the M2 MacBook Air now, though that does not appear to be the case. Rather, Apple says both the M2 Air and the M2 Pro “will begin arriving to customers, and will be in select Apple Store locations and Apple Authorized Resellers, next month.”

As for powering the machines, the 67W USB-C adapter is available form Apple now for $59. There are two models of the 35W Dual USB-C Port Power Adapter - one compact, one less so. They will run buyers $59 each. Both are listed on Apple’s site as “Coming Soon.”