Highlight

• New Mac models with M4 chips are set to launch later this year.
• MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro updates coming in 2025.
• The 24-inch iMac will likely get USB-C accessories and new M4 chips.
• Significant design changes are expected for either the Mac Pro or Mac Mini.

 Another confirmation of the arrival of the M4 MacBook Pro has hit the newsstands.

Mark Gurman, technology journalist for Bloomberg News focused on reporting on Apple Inc., has confirmed in his latest newsletter that new Mac models with the M4 chip are set to launch later this year.

Gurman also revealed that we can expect M4 updates for MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro in early 2025.

It was last October in its “Scary Fast” event that we saw Apple update the MacBook Pro and iMac models, introducing M3 chips.

The MacBook Pro got a new Space Black finish and a cheaper entry-level model replacing the old 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar.

However, the 24-inch iMac stayed mostly the same, and its Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Keyboard still use Lightning instead of transitioning to USB-C.

With the upcoming updates this fall, Gurman expects the introduction of new M4 chips, which first debuted in the iPad Pro in May.

The 24-inch iMac with M4 is also expected to include USB-C accessories.

Gurman also mentioned that a Mac mini update is coming later this year.

The Mac mini skipped the M3 series of chips and was last updated in January 2023 with a new model featuring the M2 Pro chip.

Since the switch to Apple Silicon, most of Apple’s Mac lineup has received new designs, except for the Mac Pro and Mac mini.

The Mac Pro was last refreshed in 2022 with the same design as the 2019 Mac Pro, which focused on modularity and upgradability.

The 2019 Mac Pro chassis isn’t ideal for Apple Silicon due to its large empty space.

The Mac mini’s design has remained mostly unchanged since 2010, losing the DVD drive and changing most ports but still maintaining a 7.7-inch aluminum square design.

Gurman further suggests that one of these models might get the “dramatic changes” he mentions, though it could also be another model, considering the MacBook Pro tends to follow a 4-5 year redesign cycle.

FAQs

Q1. When to expect the launch of the MacBook M4?

Answer. “The M4 iMacs, MacBook Pros (low- and high-end versions) and Mac minis (low- and high-end models as well) are due between the end of 2024

Q2. How much will a MacBook Pro M4 cost?

Answer. The expected launch price is $1,599 for the base model.  The M4 MacBook Pro will hopefully bring significant upgrades without a price increase.

Q3. What features are expected in M4 MacBook Pro?

Answer. MacBook M4 will likely retain the same designs we have in the M3 versions, featuring the entry-level 14-inch and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch screen models.

The three models are expected to feature the standard M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, respectively.

The MacBook M4 will also see improvements in the CPU and GPU power, entering in to the Apple Intelligence era.

Apple already stated that the M4 chip in the “upcoming MacBook Pro will feature the fastest 16-core Neural Engine ever, capable of 38 trillion operations per second, and will be faster than any AI PC we have today.”

Q4. Why is Apple switching from Lightning to USB-C?

Answer. The switch is mostly a direct result of a new European Union law requiring universal USB-C phone chargers by 2024.

While it will require users to get new cables for their iPhones, they’ll also be able to use those cables to charge more things, and many people probably already own USB-C cables.

Q5. Is a new Mac mini coming out in 2024?

Answer. Yes, According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the ‌Mac mini‌ will be refreshed alongside the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models in late 2024.

Q6. What is the M4 Apple chip?

Answer. The M4 chip features a 10-core design with four performance cores and six efficiency cores (one performance core is disabled in binned models).

It also has a 10-core GPU that supports hardware-accelerated ray tracing, dynamic caching, and mesh shading, introduced with the M3.

The M4 includes a 16-core Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for AI tasks, making it Apple’s most powerful Neural Engine to date.

This Neural Engine can handle up to 38 trillion operations per second, which is 60 times faster than the first Neural Engine in the A11 Bionic.

Also Read: Apple to Possibly Unveil Foldable iPhone or iPad by 2026-2027

Also Read: Apple To Reportedly Refresh iPad Pro, iPad Air and MacBook Air with a Quiet Launch This Week

Also Read: iPad Pro (2024): Design, Processor, Cameras, Display, and, What To Expect

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