Apple has announced the Mac Studio, a high-end desktop powered by its own M1 chip, similar to the Mac Mini Professional, which can be connected to an external display. The M1 Max processor-powered Mac Studio starts at US $1,999 (approximately RM 8,358), while the M1 Ultra-equipped version starts at US $3,999 (approximately RM 16,720), Apple’s latest enhancement to the processor, and customers upgrading the Ultra version to 128 GB of RAM and 8 TB of storage will pay Customers upgrading the Ultra version to 128 GB of RAM and 8 TB of storage will pay US $7,999 (about RM 33,444), and this price does not include the display.
Analysis of CCS InsightsBen Wood points out that there are bound to be many consumers who will certainly be unhappy with these price tags. However, the reality is that they are affordable for post-production companies in the film and music industries, which are likely to be the biggest customers for Apple’s new computers. The price is not too high compared to the price of high-end production-grade equipment.
Also, Apple has released an upgraded version of the iPhone SE, which was updated in 2020.
The move comes as no surprise to consumers, as Apple’s portfolio lacks entry-level 5G models to compete with 5G Android phones priced below $300 (about RM 1254). The article also mentions that the iPhone SE 3 is designed to undercut Android’s lower-priced phone market and is priced at $429 (about RM 1794) to attract more Android users without impacting potential buyers of the higher-margin iPhone. The new iPhone SE is powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic chip, the flagship processor used in the iPhone 13.
Meanwhile, the phone utilizes Touch ID to unlock instead of face scanning, the 12-megapixel rear camera has only a single lens, and the screen is smaller. The performance of the new iPhone are highly controversial, some feel Touch ID and smaller models are good, some not so much. For this launch, many foreign media expressed dissatisfaction.
Bloomberg says the new iPhone does not meet Apple standards; the New York Times says the new iPhone does not meet Apple standards; and Techradar takes the position that Apple Silicon has taken precedence over Apple design.
Gartner’s data shows that the number of 5G-enabled phones has surged from 16.7 million in 2019 to 539 million in 2021.
