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Apple Scary Fast Event: New M3 MacBook Pros And iMac
The latest chip upgrades promise huge power and efficiency increases.
Apple unveiled its latest Mac refresh at its “Scary Fast” live-streamed event on Monday, which, incidentally, was the first of its kind to be shot entirely on an iPhone (specifically, the new iPhone 15 Pro Max).
“We’ve got something special for you tonight. No tricks, just treats,” teased Apple chief executive Tim Cook on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, before the event.
The “Scary Fast” moniker turned out (rather unsurprisingly) to be a reference to the company’s M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips, which promise huge increases in power and efficiency while reducing the system’s reliance on memory.
“M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max are the most advanced chips ever built for a personal computer,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware technology.
“Apple silicon has completely redefined the Mac experience. Every aspect of its architecture is designed for performance and power efficiency”, he added.
The New 24-Inch iMac
Since its 2021 launch, the iMac hasn’t benefited from a single spec bump. That situation has now been rectified, with Apple boosting the tired M1 processors inside the colorful all-in-one PC for its latest M3 chip, doubling the already speedy device’s performance in the process.
Although the rest of the iMac 24 is largely unchanged, Apple claims to have tweaked the display quality, which now offers 11.3 million pixels and more than a billion colors, as well as adding faster wireless connectivity.
“We are excited to give iMac a big boost in performance with the M3 chip,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering.
“The new iMac with M3 is incredible for anyone, especially those who have not yet upgraded from Intel, providing a giant leap in performance and capabilities,” he added.
Online pre-orders for the new iMac are already being taken, with prices starting at $1,299 and deliveries expected to start from November 7.
The Latest MacBook Pros
Apple also announced a new MacBook Pro line-up with an M3 chip upgrade to both the 14 and 16-inch versions of the laptop, offering “phenomenal sustained performance” for machine learning programmers, 3D artists, and video editors.
Also Read: MENA Online Electronics Sales Grew By 7% In 2023
Starting at $1,599, the new MacBook Pros are now available for pre-order. Customers will begin to take delivery from November 7 to coincide with the laptops’ arrival in Apple stores.
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Samsung Smart Glasses Teased For January, Software Reveal Imminent
According to Korean sources, the new wearable will launch alongside the Galaxy S25, with the accompanying software platform unveiled this December.
Samsung appears poised to introduce its highly anticipated smart glasses in January 2025, alongside the launch of the Galaxy S25. According to sources in Korea, the company will first reveal the accompanying software platform later this month.
As per a report from Yonhap News, Samsung’s unveiling strategy for the smart glasses echoes its approach with the Galaxy Ring earlier this year. The January showcase won’t constitute a full product launch but will likely feature teaser visuals at the Galaxy S25 event. A more detailed rollout could follow in subsequent months.
Just in: Samsung is set to unveil a prototype of its augmented reality (AR) glasses, currently in development, during the Galaxy S25 Unpacked event early next year, likely in the form of videos or images.
Additionally, prior to revealing the prototype, Samsung plans to introduce…
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The Galaxy Ring, for example, debuted in January via a short presentation during Samsung’s Unpacked event. The full product unveiling came later at MWC in February, and the final release followed in July. Samsung seems to be adopting a similar phased approach with its smart glasses, which are expected to hit the market in the third quarter of 2025.
A Collaborative Software Effort
Samsung’s partnership with Google has played a key role in developing the smart glasses’ software. This collaboration was first announced in February 2023, with the device set to run on an Android-based platform. In July, the companies reiterated their plans to deliver an extended reality (XR) platform by the end of the year. The software specifics for the XR device are expected to be unveiled before the end of December.
Reports suggest that the smart glasses will resemble Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses in functionality. They won’t include a display but will weigh approximately 50 grams, emphasizing a lightweight, user-friendly design.
Feature Set And Compatibility
The glasses are rumored to integrate Google’s Gemini technology, alongside features like gesture recognition and potential payment capabilities. Samsung aims to create a seamless user experience by integrating the glasses with its broader Galaxy ecosystem, starting with the Galaxy S25, slated for release on January 22.