The new Apple Silicon platform for Macs brings various advantages, including improved battery life for laptops. But while iPhones are becoming more and more expensive, for Macs, thanks precisely to Apple Silicon, this year,the price curve inverts.
Several of the new Macs incorporating the in-house M1 chip actually cost less than their predecessor when they were released. And the price difference is not minimal, reaching 220 euros between the old and new generation of products. Let's see this in detail.
MacBook Air late 2020 vs older generation
The new MacBook Air has a price starting at1 129 euros. At this price, you are entitled to a machine integrating an 8-core Apple M1 chip, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB SSD storage. The old version of this model, with an Intel Core i3 CPU with two cores, with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD cost 1,199 euros.The reduction from one generation to the next for this model is therefore 70 euros, while the user gains computing power and autonomy.
Otherwise, the boosted version of the MacBook Air M1 with 8-core M1 chip and still 8 GB of RAM, but 512 GB storage costs1 399 euros. In comparison, the old equivalent mid-range model, with a quad-core Intel Core i5 CPU equipped with 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB SSD storage, cost 1,499 euros.The reduction is there from one generation to the next of 100 euros!
© Apple
Mac mini late 2020 vs older generation
As for the Mac mini, the new base model includes an 8-core Apple M1 chip, with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. This computer is sold799 euros. In comparison, for the old generation, the base price was 899 euros. However, the Intel Mac mini seemed much less powerful, with only 128 GB of SSD storage and a quad-core i3 processor in addition to 8 GB of RAM.
For the mid-range model, the price rose to 1,249 euros with 256 GB of SSD storage, still 8 GB of RAM and a 6-core Intel i5 processor. Today, Apple is offering a Mac mini M1 with 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage for just 1,029 euros.The difference is massive: -220 euros.
There is, however, one particularity to note. While for these two old Mac minis, the user could change the RAM himself by opening the computer, with the M1 chip, this is no longer possible, the RAM being integrated into the so-called SoC component, containing CPU and GPU in particular. Upgrading RAM after purchase is no longer possible with Mac mini M1, and the bill is steep to go from 8 to 16 GB in the Apple configurator: +230 euros.
Finally, note that an Intel model is still in the range, displayed at 1,259 with a hexa-core Intel i6 processor and therefore removable RAM.
© Apple
MacBook Pro 13″ vs old generation
Finally, on the 13″ MacBook Pro side, it costs you1 449 eurosfor the basic version of the new M1 model, equipped with an 8-core Apple M1 chip, with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. To double the storage, it's 230 euros more, or1 679 euros.
The old MacBook Pro 13″ model would display the following prices.1 499 eurosfor the quad-core Intel i5 configuration with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, and1 749 eurosfor the quad-core Intel Core i7 model with 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.
The reduction in the case of the first price model is therefore 50 euros and in the case of the 512 GB model 70 euros.
This drop in prices caused by the addition of the Apple M1 chip therefore not only has advantages in terms of performance and consumption, but also in terms of price on the machines. We hope to see this downward trend repeated for the integration of Apple Silicon chips on other Mac models, such as the iMac or the Mac Pro and the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Editor-in-chief for iPhon.fr. Pierre is like Indiana Jones, looking for the lost iOS trick. Also a long-time Mac user, Apple devices hold no secrets for him. Contact: pierre[a]iphon.fr.
