Apple debuts MacBook Pros, iMacs with faster M3 chips

Details: Here's what Apple announced:

• The company debuted three new M3 processors, all made with thinner 3-nanometer wiring that allows for better performance and improved battery life. The M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max also offer improved graphics, including hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
• The M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max chips will be available in new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops. The 14-inch MacBook Pro starts $1,599, while the 16-inch version starts at $2,499.
• The new machines also feature brighter displays and come in a new "space black" color of dark aluminum.
• The new iMacs retain the current design, available in 7 colors, but add the performance benefits of the faster M3 chips. It starts at $1,299.

Between the lines: Apple, which has largely been on the sidelines of the generative AI boom, touted the M3 Max-equipped models as being ideal for users developing the latest AI models and apps.

Of note: The evening timing of Monday's event was a sharp departure from decades of Apple tradition.

• The company has almost always launched major new products at mid-morning events and handled more modest debuts with an early morning press release.