Apple’s Peek Performance event: the 7 biggest announcements

Apple has just finished its Peek Performance event, where it introduced a new version of the iPhone SE with its latest mobile processor and 5G, a new desktop Mac aimed at creative professionals, and an external monitor that doesn’t have a $5,000 starting price (finally). If you’re looking for a quick round-up, here are the biggest announcements Apple made in its hour-long presentation.

*Apple now has four chips in its M1 lineup.*

Apple announced a new addition to its Apple Silicon lineup, with the M1 Ultra. The TL;DR is that it’s basically two M1 Max chips put together, supporting up to 128GB of RAM. Apple says it’s eight times faster than the standard M1 chip. The M1 Ultra will be available in the Mac Studio, and likely in the Mac Pro that Apple teased as an upcoming announcement. Speaking of…

*The M1 Ultra Mac Studio starts at $3,999, and includes two more Thunderbolt ports on the front — the ports on the front of the M1 Max version are “just” USB C.*

The Mac Studio is the latest entry in Apple’s Mac lineup — it’s basically like a Mac Mini aimed at creative professionals, with tons of I/O (it has at least four Thunderbolt ports and an SD card slot on the front), cooling, and processing power. The M1 Max version starts at $1,999, and the M1 Ultra version starts at $3,999.

*The Studio Display is significantly less expensive than the Pro Display XDR.*

The Studio Display has a 27-inch, 5K screen encased in an aluminum enclosure. The display can reach up to 600 nits of brightness, supports P3 wide color, and also works with macOS’s TrueTone feature. Above the screen is a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera for video conferencing. Apple’s first new prosumer monitor in years is available to order now, with shipments starting on March 18th.

iPhone SE (2022) — *The iPhone SE is getting a speed bump, but is keeping the tried-and-true design.*

The new iPhone SE brings the advanced features of Apple’s newest A15 CPU to a cheaper, smaller package with a price that starts at $429. Apple seemed to downplay the SE’s new 5G radio and instead focused on the fact that you can get an experience similar to its priciere iPhone 13 devices in the same 4.7-inch package — including Touch ID — when it launches on March 18th.

*The iPad Air now has the Mac’s processor.*

A year and a half after its last update, the iPad Air has another new version, but this time the improvements are mostly internal. Now it’s home to an 8-core M1 chip like the iPad Pro, 5G on cellular-equipped models, and a 12MP front-facing camera.

Apple’s streaming service will feature two Major League Baseball games on Friday nights during the regular season. In the US and Canada there’s also a new 24/7 MLB live stream with replays, news, highlights, and analysis, plus on-demand highlights and a new MLB Big Inning live show.

*The regular and Pro iPhones both get green finishes.*

The iPhone 13 lineup has a new green colorway, while the Pro phones will come in an “alpine green.” Expect preorders starting Friday, availability starting March 18th.

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