Apple announces new Macs with its most powerful chips yet

Apple announced new Macs on Tuesday that can be purchased with either M2 Pro or M2 Max chips, the most powerful Apple processors yet.

The company unveiled refreshes to its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops, both of which can now be configured with the latest processors. Apple also announced an update to its Mac mini computer with support for the M2, M2 Pro or M2 Max chips. Apple no longer sells an Intel version of the Mac mini, which means the Mac Pro is the last computer that can be configured with an Intel processor.

The launches come after Apple’s chief financial officer Luca Maestri warned in October that the company’s Mac sales would decline in the December quarter on an annual basis. That may be in part because Apple didn’t ship these computers in time for the holiday shopping season.

The updated Macs are launching into an uncertain economic environment for the consumer, as customers may feel the pinch from inflation or spend more cautiously against fears of a potential recession.

Apple is set to report earnings later this month. In January 2022, it reported December quarter Mac revenue of $10.85 billion, up 25% year-over-year.

The Mac mini starts at $599 with an M2 chip, $100 less than the prior version, or $1,299 with the M2 Pro. The new 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999. The $16-inch MacBook Pro model will cost at least $2,499. All will be available beginning Jan. 24, although customers can order the computers beginning Tuesday.