Apple unveils new Macbook Air, Pro with upgraded M2 chip: Price, features and availability

Apple, today, unveiled the next version of its new M-series processors. The new Apple M2 chip will be coming to the company’s Macbook Air and 13-inch Macbook Pro first, and is an upgrade to the M1 chip introduced last year. The company hasn’t yet confirmed whether the M1 Pro, M1 Max and the M1 Ultra chips will also be updated.

According to the firm, the new M2 chip uses 5nm fabrication technology like its predecessor and has an 8-core CPU, along with a 10-core GPU, with a total of 20 billion transistors. Its memory controllers can support up to 100GB/sec bandwidth, which is 50% higher than the M1, and the chip will support up to 24GB of memory.

The company also said that the M2 chip will be 18% faster than the M1, and provides 90% of the performance of ‘the latest’ 12-core PC chip while only using a fraction of the power. The GPU, on the other hand, will provide 25% more performance at the same power level when compared to the M1, while its peak performance is increased by 35%, Apple claimed.

Macbook Air

The Macbook Air, which is Apple’s entry-level laptop, will be the first to get the new M2 chip. The company also unveiled a new version of this device along with the chip, with a design similar to the 14-inch Macbook Pro that was launched last year.

Other than using the M2 chip, the Macbook Air has a 13.6-inch display that the company claimed will be 25% brighter than its predecessor. It also has a 1080p front-facing webcam and a speaker system that supports the company’s Spatial Audio feature.

Apple said that the new Macbook Air will have 20% better performance on image editing, while video editing performance will jump by 40%. The battery life remains rated for 18 hours video consumption at a stretch, and the device will include the company’s MagSafe port for charging, along with a new dual-port USB-C port that can also charge the device. Fast charging is supported too, and Apple said the laptop will charge to 50% in 30 minutes.

The device will be sold at a starting price of Rs. 1,19,900 in India, and will be available from next month. The company is slashing Rs. 10,000 off the price for student buyers.

Macbook Pro

The 13-inch Macbook Pro, on the other hand, doesn’t have as many changes as the Macbook Air. The new device will, of course, sports the M2 chip, but retains the features of its predecessor, including the touchbar.

This one will be sold in India at a starting price of Rs. 1,29,900 in India, and will be available from next month. Both the new laptops will be sold on Apple’s online stores and “select” Apple authourized resellers.