Apple unveils most affordable MacBook, and more

Tech giant Apple has launched a range of products spanning from a budget-friendly newcomer to a professional display that rivals high-end cinema screens, in an attempt to make advanced artificial intelligence and high-performance computing more accessible.

These launches come after Apple introduced iPhone 17e with A19 power alongside the M4 iPad Air.

MacBook Neo

The most interesting addition to the lineup is the MacBook Neo. It is the most affordable laptop the company has ever produced, designed to bring the Mac experience to a much wider audience.

Starting at Rs 69,900, and a special education price of Rs 59,900, it features an aluminium enclosure and comes in a variety of colours including blush, indigo, silver, and citrus.

Inside, it is powered by the A18 Pro chip. This chip includes a 16-core Neural Engine, which is a specialised part of the processor designed to handle AI tasks like translating languages or automatically organising notes.

Even though it is an entry-level model, Neo is significantly faster than many competing PC laptops for everyday tasks like web browsing.

It features a 13-inch Liquid Retina display, which is a high-resolution screen that supports one billion colours. With up to 16 hours of battery life and a fanless design that stays completely silent, it is aimed at students and families who need a reliable and portable machine.

MacBook Air

Moving up the range, the MacBook Air has been updated with the new M5 chip. The Air remains one of the most popular laptops in the world because it balances portability with high performance.

The M5 chip provides a massive boost to AI tasks, making it up to 9.5 times faster for AI tasks than the original M1 model.

A significant practical update for the Air is that the starting storage has doubled to 512GB. It also includes the new N1 wireless chip, which enables Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. Wi-Fi 7 is the latest standard for internet connectivity, offering faster speeds and more stability in crowded areas.

The MacBook Air is available in 13-inch and 15-inch sizes and offers up to 18 hours of battery life, making it a strong choice for those who work on the move.

The 13-inch MacBook Air is priced at Rs 1,19,900 with an education price of Rs 1,08,900. The larger 15-inch model starts at Rs 1,44,900 while the education version is Rs 1,33,900. Both sizes are offered in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver. 

MacBook Pro

For users with the most demanding workloads, the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models have arrived. These machines are described as the ultimate powerhouse for professionals such as 3D animators and researchers.

They feature incredibly fast storage with SSD speeds reaching 14.5GB/s, which means massive video files or complex datasets open almost instantly.

The battery life on these Pro models has reached a new peak of 24 hours. This allows professionals to work through a full day and night without needing a power outlet.

The screen is a Liquid Retina XDR display, which uses Extreme Dynamic Range technology to make images look incredibly lifelike with deep blacks and bright highlights. There is also a nano-texture glass option, which is a special matte finish that reduces glare and reflections in bright offices or outdoor settings.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro featuring the M5 chip starts at Rs 1,89,900 and Rs 1,78,900 for education. For models with the M5 Pro chip, the 14-inch version starts at Rs 2,49,900 and the 16-inch version starts at Rs 2,99,900. The high-performance M5 Max models begin at Rs 3,99,900 for the 14-inch size and Rs 4,29,900 for the 16-inch size. These laptops come in two finishes which are space black and silver.

M5 Pro and M5 Max

The power behind these professional laptops comes from the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. These chips are built using a new Fusion Architecture. This design connects two separate chip pieces, known as dies, into a single system, allowing the chip to act as one giant processor while staying power-efficient.

The chips feature an 18-core CPU, which is the brain of the computer that handles general tasks. This includes six super cores, which are currently the fastest CPU cores in the world for single-threaded tasks.

The GPU, which handles graphics and video rendering, can have up to 40 cores. Each of these GPU cores now includes a Neural Accelerator, a dedicated booster that handles AI computations specifically. 

This architecture is designed to handle tasks such as training custom AI models or rendering complex 3D scenes in real time.

Studio Display

Finally, there are the new standalone screens designed for desk setups. The Studio Display has been updated with a 12MP Center Stage camera. This camera uses software to keep the user centered in the frame even if they move around during a video call.

It also features Thunderbolt 5, which is a high-speed connection that allows for much faster data transfer from external drives or the ability to chain several displays together using a single cable.

The all-new Studio Display XDR represents a major leap forward in display technology. It uses a 27-inch 5K Retina XDR screen with a mini-LED backlight. Mini-LED technology uses thousands of tiny lights behind the screen, allowing for precise control over which parts of the image are bright or dark. This results in a massive 1,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio. It can reach a peak brightness of 2000 nits, which is a standard measure of light output that is far higher than a typical office monitor.

It also features a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes motion on the screen look extremely smooth. This display is intended for the most rigorous visual work such as HDR video editing and professional 3D animation.

The new Studio Display begins at Rs 1,89,900 with an education price of Rs 1,77,900. The Studio Display XDR starts at Rs 3,99,900 and Rs 3,87,900 for education.

All of these new products share the same launch timeline. Customers can place pre-orders now. The products will be available in stores and begin arriving with customers from Wednesday, March 11.