There’s a new MacBook range arriving later this week with Apple unveiling a batch of upgraded laptops which are powered by the firm’s latest, and mightily impressive, M3 silicon. These portable PCs are not only much, much faster and more efficient but also feature a stunning new Space Black finish along with bright Liquid Retina XDR displays.
It’s another blockbuster upgrade from Apple but it has come at a cost to one of the firm’s older devices.
Apple quietly confirmed that its popular 13-inch MacBook Pro has now been consigned to the history books. That not only means this screen size is no more but it also spells the end of the magic Touch Bar.
This technology, which was first introduced all the way back in 2016, offered users a long OLED display across the top of the keyboard rather than physical function keys.
This ever-changing screen switched depending on what applications were being used on the main display. It could also be customised to suit the needs of the user and offer other useful features such as a scrubbing timeline for whizzing through videos or offering up favourite emojis to make sending messages faster.
The Touch Bar certainly divided opinion with some loving what it was capable of whilst others longed for normal keys to return to their MacBook.
The move away from the Touch Bar started when Apple released its first M1-powered Pros back in 2021. Since then, all new MacBooks have arrived without this technology.
The only exception was the 13-inch M2 Pro (launched last year) which continued to include that mini keyboard screen.
That’s now changed with Apple also now discontinuing that model as well.
If you need a new Pro there are numerous configurations to choose from including 14 and 16-inch displays.
There are also three different chipsets including the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max which each offering improved levels of performance.
Apple is promising that all of these chips will bring extra speed to your daily digital tasks with entry-level 14-inch M3 machines around 60 percent faster than the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with M1.
Along with that additional oomph, there should be better battery life as well with the M3 chip now even more efficient than before. In fact, owners can expect around 22 hours of playtime without ever going near a plug.
“With the next generation of M3 chips, we’re raising the bar yet again for what a pro laptop can do,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. We’re excited to bring MacBook Pro and its best-in-class capabilities to the broadest set of users yet, and for those upgrading from an Intel-based MacBook Pro, it’s a game-changing experience in every way.”
They all go on sale from November 7.
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
