Apple unveils $1,999 MacBook Pro, powered by M1 Pro 'fastest laptop chip'

Apple Inc. took the most aggressive step yet to strip Intel Corp. chips from its computers, announcing more powerful homegrown Mac processors alongside an end-to-end revamp of the MacBook Pro.

The company showcased the chips at an event Monday called "Unleashed" that also included its latest audio products. The new components, called the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, are 70% faster than its M1 predecessors, the company said.

New chips, devices

With the new processors and devices, Apple is aiming squarely at the high-end chips that Intel has provided for the MacBook Pro and other top-end Macs for about 15 years. Last year, Apple started transitioning its low-end Macs to its own M1 Apple Silicon chip. The new chips, however, are a bolder stroke, aiming at far outclassing Intel's highest-performing products.

The chips include 10 total CPU cores - the components that handle processing - up from the eight in the M1 chip. The 10 cores are split into eight high-performance cores and two cores for tasks that require less energy. That compares with four high-performance and four low-performance cores in the M1.

Graphics performance

Apple is also upping the graphics performance for the M1 Pro and M1 Max, which come with 16 and 32 graphics cores, respectively. That's up from the seven- or eight-core options offered with the M1 Macs.

Graphics performance is up to four times faster than on the earlier M1 chip, Apple said. The M1 Pro supports 32 gigabytes of memory, while the M1 Max has up to 64 gigabytes of memory. That's up from 8GB or 16GB offered with the M1.

New AirPods, $4.99 Siri-only Apple Music Plan

Apple Inc., upgrading its audio lineup, introduced the first overhaul of the entry-level AirPods since 2019, a new $4.99 music plan that only works through Siri and different colors for its HomePod mini speaker.

The company announced the new products Monday at an event called "Unleashed" that also included the latest Macs and chips. The new AirPods are the third generation of the original model and look similar to the AirPods Pro launched in 2019.

AirPods have quickly become one of Apple's fastest-growing and most important accessory lines. Since the product's introduction in 2016, Apple has dominated the wireless earbud market and has sparked competing devices from Samsung Electronics Co., Amazon.com Inc. and Alphabet Inc.'s Google. Last year, Apple launched pricey headphones under the AirPods brand.

The latest AirPods model includes a new audio driver and water resistance, but lacks features like noise cancellation that are part of the more-expensive version. It will cost $179. Apple plans to keep selling the older entry-level AirPods at a lower $129 price.

The new version also includes a redesigned case with MagSafe wireless charging that comes standard. Such functionality was previously a $40 upgrade. And it has a universal fit like the original AirPods and doesn't require special ear tips like the AirPods Pro. The company has also upped battery life to six hours.

Alongside the new AirPods, Apple announced deeper Siri integration for Apple Music. A new feature includes playlists that are optimized for usage via Siri, Apple's voice assistant. As part of that, the company launched a new $4.99-per-month Apple Music plan that only works through Siri. That's half the price of the standard $9.99 a month subscription.

Apple also introduced blue, yellow and orange colors for the HomePod mini - joining the existing white and gray - in November. Apple recently hired a new HomePod software head, Bloomberg News has reported.

AirPods are part of Apple's wearables, home and accessories segment. That group of products generated about $13 billion in the previous holiday quarter, a sales record. Apple has cited AirPods as one of the biggest growth drivers of that category.

Bloomberg News reported on the new AirPods design last year. Apple is also working on an update to the AirPods Pro that will make the earbuds smaller and add new fitness functionality. Those are expected to be announced next year.