Apple still offering Intel-based MacBook Pro models alongside M1 Macs

Apple New Macbook Pro M1 Wallpaper Screen (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

Apple has announced a new MacBook Pro featuring its new M1 processor.
The new chip enables higher performance at lower power.
Intel-based MacBook Pro models are still available, however.

Today, Apple announced the new MacBook Pro featuring that company's M1 processor, Apple's first system-on-a-chip for the Mac. The new chip enables three times faster CPU performance and five times faster GPU performance.

The new laptop, powered by Apple's M1 processor, also achieves up to 17 hours of battery life for web browsing and 20 hours of video playback.

And with M1, the 13-inch MacBook Pro is up to 3x faster than the best-selling Windows laptop in its class.3 ML is up to 11x faster, and for on-device ML tasks that use the Neural Engine, the new 13-inch MacBook Pro is now the world's fastest compact pro notebook.4 With up to 17 hours of wireless web browsing and up to a staggering 20 hours of video playback, MacBook Pro delivers up to twice the battery life of the previous generation and the longest battery life ever on a Mac.

While the M1 chip brings new performance levels and capabilities to the Mac with macOS Big Sur, Apple recognizes that some Pro users still want or need an Intel chip to run their Mac for now. In order to meet those customer's needs as well, Apple is still offering Intel-based MacBook Pro models alongside the new MacBook Pro models powered by the M1 processor.

While Intel-based MacBook Pros are still available, you will no longer be able to get a base model MacBook Pro featuring Intel chips anymore. The Intel-based MacBook Pro model still available is the one with a 2.0GHz Intel Core i5 Quad-Core Processor with Intel Iris Plus Graphics starting at $1799. You can also upgrade to 1TB of storage for $1999.

It's clear that, while Intel-based MacBook Pro models are available, Apple plans to transition completely to M1-based MacBook Pros in the near future.

If Apple silicon isn't something you are ready for or are looking to save some money on the current generation MacBook Pro, there are some solid Black Friday deals going on right now.

13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 processor | From $1299 at Apple

Pre-orders are now open for the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1 chip. The new laptop will begin shipping next week.

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.