EDITED BY ROB MEAD-GREEN

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Apple unveils M3 Macs

MacBook Pro and iMac get ‘scary fast’ upgrades

Apple has unveiled incredible new versions of its MacBook Pro and iMac computers – powered by a new generation of Apple silicon chips: the M3, the M3 Pro and M3 Max.

At a suitably spooky-looking Apple Park and arranged for the night before Halloween, Apple used its Scary Fast special event to first unveil its latest line of Apple silicon M3 chips (the first time it’s introduced an entirely new family of chips in one go), before moving on to the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro. This was followed by the launch of the new M3-powered iMac. The whole thing took just 30 minutes.

While the arrival of new M3-powered Macs had long been anticipated, the timing wasn’t – with most Apple watchers convinced that new Macs wouldn’t arrive until early 2024. But a week ahead of the actual event, Apple made the surprise announcement with the Mac’s Finder icon featuring prominently in promos on social media and on Apple’s home page.

Spooky goings on

While the arrival of new Macs with next-gen Apple silicon is welcome, there was some disappointment too. Anyone hoping for a big screen iMac to replace the discontinued 27-inch model was left empty-handed, while Apple also conspicuously failed to launch new USB-C versions of its accessories: the Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse. There was one final nail in the coffin: the 13-inch MacBook Pro was also discontinued.