The wait is finally over. After months of speculation and confirmations, Apple has finally unveiled its first ARM-based Macs. However, before we get into specific devices, let’s go through the monster behind the wheel, the new M1 chip.

Touted as Apple’s most powerful chip to date, the M1 SoC sports four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. Built on just one chip, it is both powerful and energy-efficient, making it a versatile powerhouse for Apple’s lighter lineup of products.

According to Apple, the 5nm chip provides up to 3.5 times faster CPU performance, up to 6 times faster GPU performance, and up to 15 times faster machine learning, compared to the previous generation of Macs. Moreover, it can deliver up to twice as much faster CPU performance than the latest PC laptop chip. It can also reach a PC’s peak performance using only 25 percent of the chip’s power.

Complementing the new hardware, Apple has also optimized macOS Big Sur to take full advantage of the M1 chip. Apps can run faster and more responsive. During the chip’s launch, Apple boasted support for performance heavy hitters including developers from Adobe, Cinema4D, and Baldur’s Gate 3.

For now, Apple has announced new Macs and MacBooks with the new chip: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini.

With the new chip, Apple plans to go head-to-head with the PC once again. They even brought back one of the most iconic ad campaigns of the Steve Jobs era: John Hodgman as the slow PC.

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