JAKARTA - Apple Inc on Tuesday, January 17 launched a MacBook powered by the new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips and claimed to be ahead of its time in a surprise launch a few weeks ahead of the usual schedule.
The launch of Apple's newest version of the M2 chip weekly, launched last year, is the result of the tech giant's decision in 2020 to use self-designed semiconductors after 15 years of relying on technology from Intel.
The new Mac mini starts at 599 US dollars and will be available from January 24th. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with the latest chip start at $1.999, compared to the $1.299 price tag for the 13-inch model equipped with the M2 chip.
According to Bloomberg News in October 2022, a new Macbook Pro model had been expected for months, but supply chain issues meant the launch was postponed from last year to early 2023.
"This is all related to the delayed transition of the chipset. With the delay, Apple is faced with the question of waiting for the traditionally expected launch or actually doing something slightly unexpected," said Canalys analyst Runar Bjørhovde.
"This is a great way to throw things around and surprise consumers and competitors alike," said Bjørhovde. He also added that the announcement could generate some hype at a time when the broader personal computer market has been slumping recently.
Apple shares were up about 1%, outperforming a broadly weaker market. The stock lost about 27% in 2022, which would be its biggest drop since the 2008 financial crisis.
Apple says the new M2 Pro has almost 20% more transistors than the M1 Pro and double the number in the M2, which could help programs like Adobe Photoshop run heavy workloads "faster than ever".
According to a Gartner report last Tuesday, Apple, which has its chips manufactured by Taiwan's TSMC, replaced chip maker Nvidia as one of the top ten semiconductor vendors based on last year's revenue.
"We estimate that the value of these (Apple) chips is equivalent to US$17.6 billion by 2022. This growth is coming from the increasing cost of increasingly complex chips," said Andrew Norwood, VP Analyst at Gartner.
Apple usually holds its first event of the year in March, when it unveils the iMac and its accessories. This year's spring events could include the launch of the long-awaited augmented reality headset.
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