Everything Apple Unleashed at today’s event – Music and Mac

The Apple Unleashed event today was all about the M! Where the M denotes – Music, Mac and M1 Pro/Max. The event started with Apple CEO, Tim Cook welcoming us all from the outdoors of the Apple HQ. Talking about how music, creativity, art and culture are an integral part of Apple. The next shot took us to a garage where a music creator creates the ‘Start Up‘ track comprising of 45 years of sound from Apple devices. It really gave me goosebumps and I wish Steve Jobs was there to experience it and cherish it. It really was a nostalgic trip down memory lane and I hope Apple releases it on Apple Music so that I can loop it forever and also set it as my ringtone.

Right after this nostalgic break, it was time to unleash all the announcements of the day, starting with Apple Music.

Apple Music Voice Plan

The event started with Apple introducing the Apple Music Voice Plan that starts at just US $4.99 or INR 49 per month. The Apple Music Voice Plan offers subscribers access to the Apple Music catalogue of 90 million songs; tens of thousands of playlists, including hundreds of brand new mood and activity playlists, personalised mixes, and genre stations; as well as the award-winning Apple Music Radio — all through Siri for just INR 49 per month.

Users can subscribe to the Apple Music Voice Plan through Siri by saying “Hey Siri, start my Apple Music Voice trial,” or by signing up through the Apple Music app. A one-time, seven-day free preview with no auto-renewal is offered to nonsubscribers who request music through Siri. Once subscribed to the Apple Music Voice Plan, users can request music be played across all of their Siri-enabled devices, including HomePod mini, AirPods, iPhone, or any other Apple device, and when using CarPlay.

The Apple Music Voice Plan will be available later this fall in 17 countries and regions, including Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

But if you need access to Apple Music’s premium offerings, including Spatial Audio and Lossless Audio, Lyrics, Music Videos, and more, subscribers can easily switch to Apple Music’s individual plan for INR 99 per month or family plan with up to six accounts for INR 149 per month at any time.

The next generation of AirPods

Right after the Apple Music Voice Plan announcement it was time for some hardware announcements. And as rumoured the next generation of AirPods (3rd generation) were unveiled. The third generation of AirPods feature spatial audio, advanced features and a new contoured design.

By combining the power of the H1 chip with an Apple-designed acoustic system, the new AirPods use computational audio to deliver sound with Adaptive EQ. Users can enjoy spatial audio featuring Dolby Atmos in Apple Music, movies, and tv shows, along with dynamic head tracking, across Apple devices. The new AirPods are resistant to sweat and water, and feature a force sensor for easy and intuitive control of music and phone calls. The extended battery life enables up to six hours of listening time1 and up to 30 hours of total listening time with the convenient charging case. AirPods (3rd generation) join the world’s most popular family of headphones and are available to order starting today, and in stores beginning Tuesday, October 26.

AirPods (3rd generation) will be available for INR 18,500 and are available to order from apple.com/in/store and more than 26 other countries and regions starting today, with availability in stores beginning Tuesday, October 26. The AirPods (2nd generation) will be available at the new price of INR 12900 and lastly, the AirPods Pro now come with a MagSafe Charging Case for the same price of INR 24900.

HomePod mini in new bold and expressive colours

Apple today introduced the HomePod mini in three new colours — yellow, orange, and blue — giving users more ways to express their personality and style in any space. At just 3.3 inches tall, HomePod mini offers a great music-listening experience, the intelligence of Siri, and smart home capabilities, with privacy and security built-in. Its seamless integration across Apple’s products and services make HomePod mini the ultimate smart speaker for anyone with an Apple device. HomePod mini will be available in these new colours, along with white and space grey, with colour-matched details throughout, including the tinted touch surface, mesh fabric, volume icons, and woven power cable, starting in November for just INR 9900.

The new colours really add to the vibe and also if you have the colourful M1 iMac then you could pick a pair and place them next to the M1 iMac. Honestly, I really want to buy a bunch of them and set them up as Rangoli decorations this Diwali. A vibrant, soulful and musical Diwali 🙂 

M1 Pro and M1 Max: the most powerful chips Apple has ever built

As I type this on my MacBook Pro M1, I really can’t fathom how fast can something be compared to the super-fast M1. That said Apple today took a giant leap and announced M1 Pro and M1 Max, the next breakthrough chips for the Mac. Scaling up M1’s transformational architecture, M1 Pro offers amazing performance with industry-leading power efficiency, while M1 Max takes these capabilities to new heights. The CPU in M1 Pro and M1 Max delivers up to 70 percent faster CPU performance than M1, so tasks like compiling projects in Xcode® are faster than ever. The GPU in M1 Pro is up to 2x faster than M1, while M1 Max is up to an astonishing 4x faster than M1, allowing pro users to fly through the most demanding graphics workflows.

M1 Pro and M1 Max introduce a system-on-a-chip (SoC) architecture to pro systems for the first time. The chips feature fast unified memory, industry-leading performance per watt, and incredible power efficiency, along with increased memory bandwidth and capacity. M1 Pro offers up to 200GB/s of memory bandwidth with support for up to 32GB of unified memory. M1 Max delivers up to 400GB/s of memory bandwidth — 2x that of M1 Pro and nearly 6x that of M1 — and support for up to 64GB of unified memory. And while the latest PC laptops top out at 16GB of graphics memory, having this huge amount of memory enables graphics-intensive workflows previously unimaginable on a notebook. The efficient architecture of M1 Pro and M1 Max means they deliver the same level of performance whether MacBook Pro is plugged in or using the battery. M1 Pro and M1 Max also feature enhanced media engines with dedicated ProRes accelerators specifically for pro video processing. M1 Pro and M1 Max are by far the most powerful chips Apple has ever built.

Utilising the industry-leading 5-nanometer process technology, M1 Pro packs in 33.7 billion transistors, more than 2x the amount in M1. A new 10-core CPU, including eight high-performance cores and two high-efficiency cores, is up to 70 percent faster than M1, resulting in unbelievable pro CPU performance. Compared with the latest 8-core PC laptop chip, M1 Pro delivers up to 1.7x more CPU performance at the same power level and achieves the PC chip’s peak performance using up to 70 percent less power. Even the most demanding tasks, like high-resolution photo editing, are handled with ease by M1 Pro.

M1 Pro has an up-to-16-core GPU that is up to 2x faster than M1 and up to 7x faster than the integrated graphics on the latest 8-core PC laptop chip.1 Compared to a powerful discrete GPU for PC notebooks, M1 Pro delivers more performance while using up to 70 percent less power. And M1 Pro can be configured with up to 32GB of fast unified memory, with up to 200GB/s of memory bandwidth, enabling creatives like 3D artists and game developers to do more on the go than ever before.

M1 Max features the same powerful 10-core CPU as M1 Pro and adds a massive 32-core GPU for up to 4x faster graphics performance than M1. With 57 billion transistors — 70 percent more than M1 Pro and 3.5x more than M1 — M1 Max is the largest chip Apple has ever built. In addition, the GPU delivers performance comparable to a high-end GPU in a compact pro PC laptop while consuming up to 40 percent less power, and performance similar to that of the highest-end GPU in the largest PC laptops while using up to 100 watts less power. This means less heat is generated, fans run quietly and less often, and battery life is amazing in the new MacBook Pro. M1 Max transforms graphics-intensive workflows, including up to 13x faster complex timeline rendering in Final Cut Pro compared to the previous-generation 13-inch MacBook Pro.

M1 Max also offers a higher-bandwidth on-chip fabric and doubles the memory interface compared with M1 Pro for up to 400GB/s, or nearly 6x the memory bandwidth of M1. This allows M1 Max to be configured with up to 64GB of fast unified memory. With its unparalleled performance, M1 Max is the most powerful chip ever built for a pro notebook.

M1 Pro and M1 Max include an Apple-designed media engine that accelerates video processing while maximising battery life. M1 Pro also includes dedicated acceleration for the ProRes professional video codec, allowing playback of multiple streams of high-quality 4K and 8K ProRes video while using very little power. M1 Max goes even further, delivering up to 2x faster video encoding than M1 Pro, and features two ProRes accelerators. With M1 Max, the new MacBook Pro can transcode ProRes video in Compressor up to a remarkable 10x faster compared with the previous-generation 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Both M1 Pro and M1 Max are loaded with advanced custom technologies that help push pro workflows to the next level:

• A 16-core Neural Engine for on-device machine learning acceleration and improved camera performance.
• A new display engine drives multiple external displays.
• Additional integrated Thunderbolt 4 controllers provide even more I/O bandwidth.
• Apple’s custom image signal processor, along with the Neural Engine, uses computational video to enhance image quality for sharper video and more natural-looking skin tones on the built-in camera.
• Best-in-class security, including Apple’s latest Secure Enclave, hardware-verified secure boot, and runtime anti-exploitation technologies.

Honestly, Apple could have easily launched just the M1 Pro this year as an upgrade for the M1 and reserved the M1 Max for next year. But they decided to really unleash it all this year. While the competition was still catching up with the prowess of M1, Apple has decimated everything else with the M1 Max. 

Game-changing MacBook Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max

The real showstoppers of the event were the 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro powered by the M1 Pro and M1 Max. Finally since 2015, a MacBook Pro worthy of the ‘Pro’ moniker thanks to the return of all the ports that a pro user would need. And boy what a supercharged return thanks to M1 Pro and M1 Max silicon by Apple. ‘Return of the Mac(k)’ playing in my head as I type this 😉

The new MacBook Pro also features a Liquid Retina XDR display, a wide range of ports for advanced connectivity, a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, and the best audio system in a notebook. Combined with macOS Monterey, which is engineered down to its core to take full advantage of M1 Pro and M1 Max, the user experience is simply unrivalled. Shattering the limits of what a notebook can do, MacBook Pro is designed for developers, photographers, filmmakers, 3D artists, scientists, music producers, and anyone who wants the world’s best notebook. The new MacBook Pro joins the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 to form the strongest lineup of pro notebooks ever. Customers can order the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models today, and they will be available beginning Tuesday, October 26.

When compared to the previous-generation high-end 13-inch model, the all-new 14-inch MacBook Pro is immensely more powerful.
With the 10-core CPU in M1 Pro and M1 Max, the 14-inch MacBook Pro enables:

• Up to 3.7x faster project builds using Xcode.
• Up to 3x more Amp Designer plug-ins in Logic Pro.
• Up to 2.8x faster computational fluid dynamics performance in NASA TetrUSS.

Featuring the 16-core GPU in M1 Pro and the 32-core GPU in M1 Max, the 14-inch MacBook Pro transforms graphics-intensive workflows with:

• Up to 9.2x faster 4K render in Final Cut Pro with M1 Pro, and up to 13.4x faster with M1 Max.
• Up to 5.6x faster-combined vector and raster GPU performance in Affinity Photo with M1 Pro, and up to 8.5x faster with M1 Max.
• Up to 3.6x faster effect render in Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Studio with M1 Pro, and up to 5x faster with M1 Max.

Both M1 Pro and M1 Max are supercharged with a 16-core Neural Engine, allowing users to enjoy faster ML tasks, including:

• Up to 8.7x faster object tracking performance in Final Cut Pro with M1 Pro, and up to 11.5x faster with M1 Max.
• Up to 7.2x faster scene edit detection in 1080p ProRes 422 video in Adobe Premiere Pro.
• Up to 2.6x faster performance when selecting subjects in images in Adobe Photoshop.

When compared to the previous generation, the new 16-inch MacBook Pro delivers massive gains in performance for the most complex workflows in areas that matter most for pros.

Featuring the same powerful 10-core CPU in M1 Pro and M1 Max, the 16-inch MacBook Pro delivers:

• Up to 3x faster computational fluid dynamics performance in NASA TetrUSS.
• Up to 2.1x faster project builds in Xcode.
• Up to 2.1x faster publish performance in Vectorworks.

With the 16-core GPU in M1 Pro and 32-core GPU in M1 Max, the 16-inch MacBook Pro offers faster graphics performance with:

• Up to 2.9x faster-combined vector and raster GPU performance in Affinity Photo with M1 Pro, and up to 4.5x faster with M1 Max.
• Up to 2.5x faster render in Maxon Cinema 4D with Redshift with M1 Pro, and up to 4x faster with M1 Max.
• Up to 1.7x faster 8K render in Final Cut Pro with M1 Pro, and up to 2.9x faster with M1 Max.

With the 16-core Neural Engine on both M1 Pro and M1 Max, ML tasks are faster than ever on the 16-inch MacBook Pro, including:

• Up to 4.4x faster scene edit detection in 1080p ProRes 422 video in Adobe Premiere Pro.
• Up to 3.6x faster object tracking performance in Final Cut Pro with M1 Pro, and up to 4.9x faster with M1 Max.
• Up to 1.5x faster performance with M1 Pro and up to 2x faster with M1 Max when selecting subjects in images in Adobe Photoshop.
  

The new MacBook Pro models with M1 Pro and M1 Max are available to order today on apple.com/in/store. They will begin arriving to customers and will be in select Apple Store locations and Apple Authorised Resellers starting Tuesday, October 26. The new 14-inch MacBook Pro model starts at INR 194900, and INR 175,410 for education; the 16-inch MacBook Pro model starts at INR 239,900, and INR 215,910 for education. Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options, and accessories are available at apple.com/in/mac.

Also, the TouchBar is gone from these new Macs so the only Mac with TouchBar is the M1 13″ MacBook Pro.

Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro updated 

Apple also silently updated its Pro creative software – Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro with powerful new features to make use of the unprecedented performance on the all-new MacBook Pro with M1 Pro and M1 Max. The updated Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro with powerful new features for creative professionals, and optimizations that take full advantage of the power and performance of the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips in the all-new MacBook Pro. Professional video editors using Final Cut Pro on the new MacBook Pro can perform tasks never before possible on a Mac, like the ability to play seven streams of 8K ProRes™ or colour grade 8K HDR video with the new Liquid Retina XDR™ display — a first for any notebook.

Final Cut Pro also introduces a new Object Tracker that uses machine learning to automatically detect faces and objects, and match their movement to create beautiful, cinema-quality titles and effects on any Mac. Logic Pro, Apple’s pro music creation software, now comes with a complete set of tools for authoring spatial audio music — allowing anyone to mix and export their songs in Dolby Atmos for Apple Music. And musicians can use up to 3x as many plug-ins for recording on the all-new MacBook Pro with M1 Max. Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro are Universal apps that build upon the breakthrough performance and pro capabilities of macOS Monterey, and both are available today on the Mac App Store.

Final Cut Pro 10.6
Final Cut Pro comes with innovative new features that allow editors to create beautifully tracked motion graphics and edit Cinematic mode videos recorded on iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro. The app also takes full advantage of the major performance gains enabled by M1 Pro and M1 Max in the all-new MacBook Pro. Video editors can now play seven streams of 8K ProRes at full resolution — over 230 million pixels — and export ProRes video over 5x faster than before. Today’s update also introduces a new Object Tracker that lets video editors quickly and easily create eye-catching animated graphics that follow the movement of faces or objects in a video. Object tracking analysis is up to 5x faster on the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, and takes advantage of the machine learning capabilities of the Neural Engine in Apple silicon to accelerate the detection of faces and objects in video.

Videos recorded in Cinematic mode on the new iPhone 13 lineup can be edited easily with Final Cut Pro and Motion, giving editors the ability to adjust the depth effect of any shot and use keyframes to change it over time. By simply clicking on a face or object in the viewer, editors can add or delete focus points, all without having to reshoot.

Final Cut Pro companion apps Motion and Compressor also received updates today. With Motion on the new MacBook Pro, a complex project renders up to 2x as fast and can play two streams of 8K video at 5x the frame rate. Graphic artists can now combine object tracking with masks, shapes, 3D objects, behaviours, and filters for stunning visual effects. And a new Neon filter adds an eye-catching glow to images, shapes, text, and more.

On the new MacBook Pro, Compressor can transcode HEVC video up to 2x as fast and transcode ProRes video up to 10x faster. Compressor can also transcode Canon Cinema RAW Light video files to other professional formats like ProRes and H.264 for the first time, and Watch Folders make it simple to automatically encode content placed in a selected folder in the file system.

Final Cut Pro 10.6 is available today as a free update for existing users, and for INR 27900  for new users on the Mac App Store. Also, Motion 5.6 and Compressor 4.6 are also available today as free updates for existing users, and for INR 4499 each for new users on the Mac App Store.

Logic Pro 10.7
Spatial audio represents the next generation of sound with its revolutionary audio experience and true multi-dimensional sound and clarity. Now with a complete set of mixing and rendering tools, Logic Pro allows anyone to author their songs as Dolby Atmos music files compatible with Apple Music. Musicians, producers, and mix engineers can expand their stereo projects to the surround channels supported by Dolby Atmos, using a new mixer and panner controls. In addition, 13 plug-ins within Logic Pro — including Space Designer, Limiter, Loudness Meter, and Tremolo — have also been updated to take advantage of this new creative capability. Once the songs are published to Apple Music, listeners will be able to enjoy the immersive audio experience on their devices with spatial audio support. With the new MacBook Pro, musicians get workstation-class performance for creating massive spatial audio mixes, can quickly load large sample libraries and can use up to 3x more plug-ins for recording.

Logic Pro now comes with all the new Producer Packs1 introduced in GarageBand this summer. Musicians can use beats, loops, and samples created by today’s biggest hitmakers, including Boys Noize, Mark Lettieri, Mark Ronson, Oak Felder, Soulection, Take A Daytrip, Tom Misch, and TRAKGIRL. Logic users now have access to 2,800 new loops, 50 new kits, and 120 new patches they can use in their own songs — all royalty-free. The update also features the original multitrack project of the hit song “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” by Lil Nas X — including a Dolby Atmos spatial audio mix of the track.

Logic Pro 10.7 is also available today as a free update for all existing users, and for INR 17900 for new users on the Mac App Store.

‘One More Thing’ – No! Sadly, Tim Cook didn’t say it this time but we had to as Apple also introduced a new polishing cloth for $19 with an Apple logo on it and I want it!

So that’s a wrap from the Apple Unleashed event from today. We also did a live coverage on @nikhilchawla twitter handle and @theunbiasedblog’s Instagram account.