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Reviewers of Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) updated Macs are loving the device’s battery life and the death of the 13-inch Pro and its “cursed” Touch Bar.
Critics opined in verbose articles about the M3 processor-powered Mac laptops, including 14-inch and 16-inch models, and praised Apple (AAPL) for honing its gaming skills. It still, however, has a ways to go.
Apple (AAPL) needs a Mac win. Last week, the tech giant reported that Mac sales dropped 27% in the fiscal 2023 year compared to the previous period. Additionally, its computers are facing increased competition for performance power after Qualcomm recently announced its own CPU and as Nvidia (NVDA) is reportedly working on Arm-based CPUs of its own.
The October reveal was the second Mac unveiling in 2023, with M2 Pro and M2 Max chip laptops introduced in January.
Apple (AAPL) isn’t alone in searching for buyers. Worldwide personal computing device shipments declined nearly 20% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2023, totaling 89.4M units, according to IDC. It was the sixth consecutive quarter of contraction brought on by macroeconomic headwinds, weak demand from both the consumer and commercial sectors, and a shift in IT budgets away from device purchases.
The following is a selection of recent Mac reviews. Mostly, critics love Apple, but there are some brown spots around the edges.
The Verge
The Verge reviewed a 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 processor, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, which retails for $1,999.
The display is pretty, the touchpad works great and, better yet, the webcam makes you look like a human and not a potato on calls, according to The Verge’s Victoria Song.
She was not, however, pleased with the two Thunderbolt ports, versus the three available on more expensive models.
“On the one hand, this is still a step up from the now-discontinued 13-inch and both Air models — all of which only have two Thunderbolt ports, a headphone jack, and nothing else. On the other hand, why?” Song said. “It still feels like an arbitrary line that’s drawn to encourage you to buy a more expensive model.”
The nifty new space black color option is also not available for the 14-inch model. Song called it “an arbitrary way to differentiate the upgrade models (and upsell you in the process).”
That said, the Pro Song tested is happily quiet, with fans rarely kicking in, and the M3 chip handles your average workload with aplomb.
MarketWatch
Ryan Shrout writing for MarketWatch focused on the lack of AI capabilities of the new devices, despite Apple (AAPL) being the first major silicon provider to integrate a neural processing unit, or NPU, in their laptop designs in earlier generations.
“Mentions of how AI is being utilized in the Mac application ecosystem, or how generative AI is coming to this platform, were missing,” Shrout said.
“It’s for these reasons that I believe the door is still wide open for competition from the PC space to gain back some of the Apple Mac market share and mindshare.”
Shrout also pointed to the competition, especially from Qualcomm, AMD and Intel.
“Qualcomm’s recent Snapdragon X Elite announcement, for example, was all about AI, huge CPU performance claims, and bringing Apple-like battery life to Windows in 2024. Both AMD and Intel have more coming this year about their visions for the ‘AI PC’ race.”
Engadget
Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar said Apple’s (AAPL) Pro machines are “truly geared towards professionals, while the Air models are meant for everyone else.”
Hardawar reviewed the 14-inch and 16-inch models together because they are practically the same machine with different screen sizes and weights; the smaller model weighs 3.5 pounds, while the 16-inch is a “back-aching” 4.7 pounds.
The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro is “a zippy little devil for general productivity work” whereas the 16-inch model “was practically begging for more serious workloads.”
While Apple still isn’t trying to court hardcore gamers much, it’s at least laying the groundwork for a better gaming experience, Hardawar said.
“Apple’s expansion into gaming could also open up the MacBook Pro to people who already own PC gaming desktops, but want the refinement of a Mac laptop,” Hardawar wrote. “I was able to seamlessly dive into my Baldur’s Gate 3 campaign across both machines. That’s something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.”
During real-world usage, both computers took almost two days before the critic had to recharge them.
Less impressive are the prices, Hardawar added.
TechCrunch
The 16-inch Pro is a big, heavy, powerful system, with a bright display, massive battery life and impressive power under the hood, according to TechCrunch’s Brian Heater. It “feels like a different species,” and more like a “portable desktop.”
With 48GB of memory and 1TB of storage by default, the version TechCrunch reviewed costs $4,000.
Apple (AAPL) has updated the camera, built a better keyboard and ditched “the well-meaning but ultimately ineffectual Touch Bar altogether,” Heater said.
Like The Verge’s Song, Heater agreed more ports is better.
“It’s simple math. People can’t get enough of the things,” Heater said. “Also, for some reason, all of the ports (save for the headphone jack) are all on the same side with the Air. Things can get crowded fast.”
Heater said the space black is a nice addition and gives off a nice glow when the light hits it.
“The biggest thing here, however, is the fingerprint factor,” Heater said. “The midnight Air is a notorious fingerprint magnet. There are pages and pages of conversations about it on Reddit, including ‘tips’ for a fingerprint-free midnight Mac. Have you tried typing in gloves? Not easy.”
Gaming is also increasingly becoming a part of Apple’s (AAPL) agenda, Heater said.
With Dynamic Caching, an industry first, only the exact amount of memory needed is used for each task. It is the cornerstone of new GPU architecture and dramatically increases the average utilization of the GPU, which significantly increases performance for the most demanding pro apps and games, he said.
“More simply put, the idea is allocating just the right amount of local memory to a given task. It’s something Apple has been working on for a while,” Heater said.
And, of course, Heater had much love for the battery. “This thing is going to get you through your next flight, no problem,” Heater said.
CNN
The M3 delivers more performance than you might know what to do with, CNN’s Henry Casey said. That also means it can finally “rock modern games.”
This is just the beginning for AAA-quality Mac games, but the question of “will people game on the Mac?” still lingers, Casey said.
“Personally, I already have the major consoles, and prefer them because my LG C2 OLED TV is bigger and better than any display I can connect to my MacBook Pro,” Casey said.
“This makes me wonder if there are other Mac owners like me, who simply decided they’re console gamers first and foremost. That said, devout Mac users who are gaming-curious can now get a better taste of modern blockbusters, and aren’t relegated to playing big-screen mobile games via Apple Arcade.”
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