Apple’s M3-series MacBook Professional was launched within the fall of 2023, however Apple has seemingly put the laptop computer on a extra frequent replace cycle, with studies of an M4 MacBook Professional coming earlier than the top of 2024 hitting the rumor mill.
On this article, we’re retaining observe of all of the rumors concerning the M4, M4 Professional and M4 Max MacBook Professional.
MacBook Professional M4 Launch date: When will Apple replace the MacBook Professional?
It’s solely been a yr because the M3-series MacBook Professional have been launched in October 2024, nevertheless it seems like Apple is on the point of replace them once more, even supposing the corporate appears to have forgotten to replace many desktop Macs to run on the M3 sequence chips. With the arrival of the M4 within the iPad Professional again in Might it seems like the corporate has already completed the groundwork, so certainly an M4 Mac will arrive quickly.
All of the indicators point out that Apple will launch new M4-powered Macs earlier than the top of the yr. It appears we will count on a brand new Mac mini, a brand new iMac, and new MacBook Professional fashions. In a mid-September 2024 publication Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman steered that Apple will launch Macs with the M4 chip “in the coming weeks.”
Gurman has been making predictions concerning the introduction of Macs with M4 chips for a while. Again in April, he wrote that the M4 rollout would start later in 2024 and proceed all through 2025. His prediction at the moment was that in late 2024 we’ll see the next:
- Entry-level MacBook Professional, M4, 14-inch: Late 2024
- iMac, M4, 24-inch: Late 2024
- MacBook Professional, M4 Professional/M4 Max, 14-inch and 16-inch: Late 2024/Early 2025
- Mac mini M4/M4 Professional: Late 2024/Early 2025
We may see simply the entry-level MacBook Professional in October, however we predict that separating the launch of the entry-level MacBook Professional from the higher-end fashions could be a curious transfer, so we count on to see the entire vary of MacBook Professional, together with the M4 Professional and M4 Max launched on the similar time. Alternatively, Apple could need to stagger the chips and separate the M4 Professional/Max from the M4 to provide the higher-end machines their very own highlight. After all, solely Apple is aware of what the plans are at this level.
There may be one indication that every one three MacBook Professional sorts are because of be up to date sooner quite than later. In June, analyst Ross Younger posted (subscription required) that show panel shipments for a brand new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Professional are scheduled for Q3 2024, which may imply {that a} new MacBook Professional with M4-series chips could occur by the top of the yr.
New Apple merchandise launch all year long, learn: when is the subsequent Apple occasion to study extra concerning the firm’s product launch plans.
MacBook Professional M4 Value: What’s going to the brand new MacBook Professional value?
We don’t count on that the costs of the MacBook Professional vary will change when the M4 fashions are launched. Right here’s how a lot they value proper now within the U.S. and U.Ok:
14-inch MacBook Professional
- $1,599/£1,699: M3 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU; 8GB unified reminiscence; 512GB SSD
- $1,799/£1,899: M3 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU; 8GB unified reminiscence; 1TB SSD
- $1,999/£2,099: M3 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU; 16GB unified reminiscence; 1TB SSD
- $1,999/£2,099: M3 Professional with 11-core CPU, 14-core GPU; 18GB unified reminiscence; 512GB SSD
- $2,399/£2,499: M3 Professional with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU; 18GB unified reminiscence; 1TB SSD
- 3,199/£3,299: M3 Max with 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU; 36GB unified reminiscence, 1TB SSD
16-inch MacBook Professional
- $2,499/£2,599: M3 Professional with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU; 18GB unified reminiscence; 512GB SSD
- $2,899/£2,999: M3 Professional with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU; 36GB unified reminiscence; 512GB SSD
- $3,499/£3,599: M3 Max with 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU; 36GB unified reminiscence; 1TB SSD
- $3,999/£4,099: M3 Max with 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU; 48GB unified reminiscence; 1TB SSD
Apple will seemingly supply comparable configurations and it stays to be seen if the costs will enhance or not.
MacBook Professional M4 Specs: How a lot better will the M4 MacBook be?
Thiago Trevisan
The AI market is scorching scorching proper now so that you might be positive Apple desires to make an enormous impression. In accordance with Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman again in April 2024, Apple desires to make an enormous splash with the M4 chip, which can have large AI enhancements.
We already know a few of what to anticipate from the M4 chip as a result of it has already made an look within the iPad Professional, which faired even higher than the M3 MacBook Professional in a few of our assessments. We all know to count on a 20 p.c multi-core CPU increase over the M3 (when evaluating 10-core CPUs), for instance.
The entry-level MacBook Professional might be the one getting the largest generational adjustments, with some updates addressing the disadvantages of the M3 MacBook Professional. The brand new entry-level mannequin may enhance the usual 8GB RAM to 16GB RAM, add extra Thunderbolt ports and introduce House Black as a coloration possibility.
A leaked picture propertied to be from the field for the brand new M4 mannequin reveals that the mannequin can have 16GB RAM as customary, three Thunderbolt ports, and a House Black coloration possibility. The M3 Professional mannequin at the moment ships with 18GB RAM as customary.
The M4 Professional and M4 Max might be variants of the bottom M4, implementing extra CPU and GPU cores and extra unified reminiscence.
Mark Gurman reported in April that Apple could enhance the higher reminiscence restrict of its high-end desktop Macs. He didn’t say something about MacBooks, nevertheless it’s not a attain to conclude that the M4 and its enhanced AI capabilities may result in extra RAM on the chip for MacBooks, too. Nevertheless, design constraints may forestall the MacBooks from having an higher restrict enhance as large as on desktop Macs.
Wi-Fi 7 assist could also be added now that the Wi-Fi Alliance has made the usual official.
One other characteristic that might change is battery life. The M4 might be extra environment friendly, or it might be extra power-hungry, affecting battery life. On the premise that the A17 chips within the iPhoen 16-series introduced with them higher battery life we hope to see the identical results on battery life with the M4 sequence.
MacBook Professional M4 Design: Will Apple replace the design of the MacBook Professional?
The M4 improve could be the fourth technology of this explicit MacBook Professional design, first launched in 2021. Apple isn’t anticipated to vary it in any respect, so the 2024 launch will seemingly be a chip improve solely.
As talked about above, it seems just like the House Black coloration possibility could also be accessible for the entry-level MacBook Professional. With the M3 mannequin solely silver or House Gray is obtainable. That entry-level mannequin might also get extra ports: it’s at the moment restricted to 2 Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, an HDMI port and SDXC card slot, headphone jack and MagSafe 3 port for charging, whereas the opposite MacBook Professional get three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port and SDXC card slot, headphone jack and MagSafe 3 port.
House Black made its debut with the M3 Professional/Max MacBook Professional final fall.
Foundry
MacBook Professional M4 Display screen: Will the brand new MacBook Professional have a greater display?
Apple elevated the show brightness from 500 to 600 nits with the M3 MacBook Professional, so this in all probability gained’t change with the M4. The scale, weight, digital camera, mics, audio system, ports, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are prone to keep the identical.
Apple isn’t anticipated to improve the Liquid Retina XDR show. Analyst Ross Younger of Show Provide Chain Consultants tweeted in August on X that show panel shipments for the MacBook Professional “are starting in July/August.”
A report by Omdia states that Apple is probably going to make use of OLED shows within the MacBook Professional, however not till 2026.