Apple has listened to Mac users who often complain about Mac mini being too under-powered and the Mac Pro being too expensive. Its solution is the “mid-range” Mac Studio.
This desktop Mac features the M1 Max chip (the same as the 2021 MacBook Pro) and a new variant of the Apple Silicon chip called M1 Ultra.
In terms of performance, the M1 Max Mac Studio is said to be 2.5 times faster than the fastest 27-inch iMac. Comparatively, the M1 Ultra model is up to 3.8x faster than the fastest 27-inch iMac.
Regardless of the chip, Mac Studio’s design is no different from the Mac mini. But the Mac Studio stands taller than the Mac mini. Built from a single aluminium extrusion with a square footprint of 19.7cm – similar to Mac mini – the Mac Studio has a height of only 9.5cm compared to Mac mini’s 3.6cm.
However, the Mac Studio offers more ports with two USB-C ports and a SD card slot in front. At its rear, there are four Thunderbolt 4 ports, a 10Gb Ethernet port, two USB-A ports, a HDMI port and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The Mac Studio is said to be able to connect up to four Pro Display XDR monitors and a 4K TV. A dream come true for video editors.
Pricing starts from S$2,899 for the M1 Max Mac Studio, while the M1 Ultra model starts from S$5,899. The Mac Studio will be available for pre-order on Mar 14, 9am Singapore Time. Exact local availability is not confirmed at this moment.
At the same time, Apple also announced a new 27-inch monitor called Studio Display, which will not cost as much as its S$7,000-plus Pro Display XDR.
The new Studio Display comes with a 27-inch 5K Retina Display that offers 600 nits of brightness, P3 wide colour gamut, and support for over one billion colours for colour accuracy. It sports a similar all-aluminium enclosure like the Pro Display XDR. And its built-in stand is said to be able to tilt the display up to 30 degrees.
But the biggest surprise is that the Studio Display features an A13 Bionic chip as well as a 12MP Ultra Wide camera that supports Centre Stage.
So, you can use it with a Mac mini or Mac Studio, and still ensures you will always be in frame during your video calls. Not to mention, the Studio Display also includes a studio-quality three-microphone array for clear calls and voice recordings. It even features a six-speaker sound system with spatial audio.
Like the Mac Studio, the Studio Display will be available for pre-order on Mar 14, 9am Singapore Time, with a starting price of S$2,299. But its exact local availability is unknown at this moment.
One more thing that many might miss out during the “Peek Performance” event is the introduction of a new silver-and-black colour option for Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse. The grey-and-black colour option for these Apple peripherals were discontinued previously.
The new silver-and-black Magic Keyboard with Touch ID retails for S$269, while the black Magic Trackpad goes for S$199 and the new black Magic Mouse selling at S$129.
