The ARM transition as well as new devices are not off topic at Low End Mac. It impacts the future of Apple, as the platform moves through its fourth hardware architecture with Macs. It will make Intel Macs and old iPhones low end sooner than you might like, but sooner or later the ARM Macs will be low end too. We didn’t ignore the Intel transition, and we will continue to support Apple devices regardless of CPU. That being said, there was a flurry of new devices this and the past few weeks.
It started with the iPhone 16e last month, followed by the release of spring colored iPhone accessories. Then this week a surprise flurry of new gadgets, the details of which can seem lost under the guise of what look to be minor updates. A new M4 MacBook Air with a new Sky Blue color, a refreshed Mac Studio, a new M3 iPad Air, and the 11th-gen iPad. This week Apple also announced 2 brand new chips – the first-gen Apple C1 modem which came with the iPhone 16e, and a totally unexpected new M3 Ultra chip.
iPhone 16e
Kicking things off before this week was the iPhone 16e – a spiritual successor to the iPhone SE. The SE was once heralded as a true budget iPhone, sporting modern hardware at the core yet retaining the design characteristics of prior iPhone models. By taking advantage of existing manufacturing processes for prior iPhone models, little to no money needs to be spent on R&D, redesign, supply chain, fabrication processes, etc; so the cost may be passed down to the consumer. The iPhone 16e bucks this trend by having a completely retooled design inside and out to be more in line with the design language of the modern iPhone. (See Apple press release)
- Announced February 19th, 2025
- Available February 28th, 2025
- Apple model number USA: A3212 (EMC 8725)
- Order MD0E4LL/A (White, 128 GB) – $599 / $24.95 mo 2yr
- Order MD0G4LL/A (White, 256 GB) – $699 / $29.12 mo 2yr
- Order MD0Q4LL/A (White, 512 GB) – $899 / $34.45 mo 2yr
- Order MD0D4LL/A (Black, 128 GB) – $599 / $24.95 mo 2yr
- Order MD0F4LL/A (Black, 256 GB) – $699 / $29.12 mo 2yr
- Order MD0J4LL/A (Black, 512 GB) – $899 / $34.45 mo 2yr
- Model number Canada, Mexico, South America – A3408 (EMC 8726)
- Global Model number – A3409 (EMC 8727)
- China Model number- A3410 (EMC 8728)
- Model ID: iPhone17,5
- See full iPhone 16e tech specs
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The iPhone 16e has a very similar design language to the iPad Pro 2018, but shrunken down – hold them side by side and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Leaping over the 2022 iPhone SE, the 16e gains USB-C, upgrades to an A18 chip with 4 GPU cores, has a whole new body, and gains Face ID. With the release of the 16e the entire iPhone lineup ditches the home button, making the 2022 SE 3rd generation the last iPhone with one.
Key takeaways:
- Is more powerful but more expensive than the outgoing base model iPhone.
- Gains some new safety features like Emergency SOS via satellite and crash detection.
- Has a good 48 MP camera but it’s only a single lens – dual lens cameras produce a depth perception effect that give photos a better sense of depth.
- Sports current-gen hardware on the inside that’s used in better models.
- New budget phone design, but only 2 colors.
- No magsafe, but does have slower wireless charging.
- First Apple device with C1 chip – cellular modem
M4 MacBook Air
On the week of March 5th 2025 a new color was introduced to the MacBook Air – Sky Blue. Available in both 13″ and 15″, the new base M4 MacBook Air takes a $100 price for both models ($999 13″, $1099 15″). On the surface it may look like an iterative update, but the M4 ‘Air gains some CPU and GPU performance over its predecessor. All models now have a 10-core CPU with 6 efficiency cores, and only the base $999 13″ ships with 8 GPU cores unless you add the (+$100) 10-core GPU option. (See Apple press release)
- Announced March 5th, 2025
- Available March 12th, 2025
- Colors Available: Sky Blue (new), Silver, Starlight, Midnight
- Sizes Available: 13″, 15″
- All models have a 10-core CPU
- Order: 13″, 8-core GPU, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD ($999)
- 13″, 10-core GPU, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD ($1199)
- 13″, 10-core GPU, 24 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD ($1399)
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- Order: 15″, 10-core GPU, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD ($1199)
- 15″, 10-core GPU, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD ($1399)
- 15″, 10-core GPU, 24 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD ($1399)
- See tech specs on Low End Mac
Key takeaways:
- The physical shape of the MacBook Air stays the same as the outgoing model
- Gains a slightly larger battery. more performance
- $100 less than previous model
- Brand new color
M4 Max / M3 Ultra Mac Studio
In conjunction with the MacBook Air saw the release of another Mac in the same week – the much awaited 3rd generation Mac Studio! A notable “new thing” is the release of an M3 Ultra chip alongside the new Mac Studio, a chip previously thought by many to have been skipped over or be overlooked. It was rumored that Apple was to discontinue UltraFusion interconnect starting on the M3 or M4 series moving forward, so the appearance of an M3 Ultra after the release of the M4 series is indeed a surprise. Nonetheless, the M3 Ultra chip does not disappoint despite being a numerical digit lower than the M4 Max – the benchmarks online show for it. (See Apple press release)
- Announced March 5th, 2025
- Available March 12th, 2025
- Colors Available: Silver
- Order: M4 Max, 14-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 36 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD ($1999) / $166.58 mo
- M4 Max, 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 48 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD ($2499) / $208.25 mo
- M3 Ultra, 28-core CPU, 60-core GPU, 96 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD ($3999) / $333.25 mo
- M3 Ultra, 32-core CPU, 80-core GPU, 96 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD ($5499) / $458.25 mo
- BTO: M3 Ultra, 32-core CPU, 80-core GPU, 512 GB, 16 TB SSD ($14,598.98) / $1216.58 mo
- See tech specs on Low End Mac
Key takeaways:
- More modern, more powerful hardware
- M3 Ultra still uses UltraFusion interconnect.
- Thunderbolt 5 available on all models, but only M3 Ultra has it on front ports.
- You can option up to 16 TB of storage but you can still also swap the SSD on your own when the aftermarket upgrades become available.
- For creative professionals, this Mac Studio now takes the throne as the most powerful.
M3 iPad Air & 11th Generation iPad
Following along the M-series generations, the iPad Air bumps up to the M3 Apple Silicon chip like it did to the M2 chip the prior year. The chips come with a 9-core GPU, an 8-core CPU with 4 performance / 4 efficiency cores, and now hardware accelerated ray tracing with the M3. The most important aspect is the CPU fabrication size leading to power consumption, the lower the better: The M2 is on 5 nm, whereas the newer M3 is on a 3 nm process like the M4.
The original iPad is now in its 11th generation featuring an A16 chip with a 5-core CPU and a quad-core GPU, the first update in two and a half years. Storage is bumped to 128 GB on the base model, up from the 64 GB of the 2022 model – price unchanged. Since the design is unchanged, you can use the Magic Keyboard from the 2022 model on the 2025, and vice versa.
- Announced March 5th, 2025
- Available March 12th, 2025
- Colors Available: Space Gray, Blue, Purple, Starlight
- iPad Air Order: 11″, 8-core CPU, 9-core GPU, 8 GB RAM, 128 GB SSD ($599) / $49.91 mo
- 11″, 256 GB SSD ($699) / $58.25 mo
- 11″, 512 GB SSD ($899) / $74.91 mo
- 11″, 1 TB SSD ($1099) / $91.58 mo
. - 13″, 128 GB SSD ($799) / $66.58 mo
- 13″, 256 GB SSD ($899) / $74.91 mo
- 13″, 512 GB SSD ($1099) / $91.58 mo
- 13″, 1 TB SSD ($1299) / $108.925 mo
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- iPad 11th-Generation Order: 11″, Available in Blue, Pink, Yellow and Silver
- 128 GB ($349) / $29.08 mo
- 256 GB ($449) / $37.41 mo
- 512GB ($649) / $54.08 mo
- See Info on Apple’s website
Key takeaways
- The 11th gen iPad has more power than the 10th gen but not a ton more. The A16 chip is the one used in the iPhone 14 Pro too, but the iPad’s A16 chip has reduced CPU/GPU cores.
- Both new iPads increase performance and performance-per-watt efficiency by moving to a lower fabrication size on their chip.
- Same physical shape/design as previous generations mean accessories work across multiple generations of devices.
- For performance – between the two, get the iPad Air.
- No Apple Intelligence on the new 11th-gen iPad.
New Accessories
In addition to the release of new Macs and iPads, Apple announced new accessories for the iPhone and Mac. Here are some new things which showed up at the Apple Store online.
- 1: Sky Blue USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable ($49)
- 2: iPhone 16 Silicon Case ($49)
- New Colors: Peony Pink, Aquamarine Green, Tangerine Orange, and Periwinkle Blue.
- 3: Smart Folio for new iPad (11th Gen) ($79)
- New Colors: Sky Blue, White, Watermelon Red, and Lemonade Yellow.
- 4: New Apple Watch bands
- Braided Solo Loop– in Peony Pink or Aquamarine Green, 42 mm or 46 mm ($99)
- Solo Silicone Loop- in Periwinkle or Northern Lights Green ($49)
- Sport Band- in Periwinkle or Tangerine ($49)
- Sport Loop- in Sage Green ($49)
- 5: Hermes Spring 2025 Collection
- 6: New Magic Keyboard for iPad Airs. Works on M2/M3 iPad Air 11/13″, and the 4th/5th gen iPad Air.
- 11″ ($269), 13″ ($319)
- No haptic feedback in trackpad or aluminum palm rest next to trackpad.
- Larger Trackpad, new function row
- (See Magic Keyboards on Apple Online Store)
