Apple’s M3 series MacBook Pro was released in fall 2023, but Apple has apparently put the laptop through a more frequent update cycle, with rumors pointing to an M4 MacBook Pro.
We’ll see more rumors between now and the release of the M4 MacBook Pro. This article will keep track of what is reported and offer perspective based on Apple’s current lineup.
MacBook Pro M4: release date
Apple has yet to make a strong impression on the AI market, which is currently booming. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple wants to make a splash with the M4 chip, which will bring big improvements in AI and Apple wants to launch the M4 as soon as possible. Gurman says Apple plans to release M4 MacBook Pro models later this year.
Apple could deliver in fall 2024, about a year after the release of the M3 series MacBook Pro. Gurman cautions that plans could change — whether he meant they might ship sooner or later, he wouldn’t say.
MacBook Pro M4: design and features
The M4 upgrade would be the fourth generation of this particular MacBook Pro design. Apple isn’t expected to change it at all, so the 2024 versi on will likely just be a chip upgrade.
The M4 could, however, change its memory configuration. Mark Gurman reported in April that Apple might increase the upper memory limit of its high-end desktop Macs. He didn’t say anything about MacBooks, but it’s not possible to conclude that the M4 and its improved AI capabilities could also lead to more RAM on the MacBook chip. However, design constraints could prevent MacBooks from having as large an upper limit increase as desktop Macs.
Another feature that might change is battery life. The M4 could be more efficient or more power hungry, which would affect battery life. Reports on the M4’s power consumption have not yet been made.
Apple could offer a new color. With the M3 Pro/Max version, Apple introduced Space Black, which replaced Space Grey, with the other color option being Silver. The base MacBook Pro M3 comes in Space Gray or Silver, not Space Black.
Foundry
Apple increased the screen brightness from 500 to 600 nits with the M3 MacBook Pro, so that likely won’t change with the M4. The size, weight, camera, mics, speakers, ports, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth will likely remain the same.
MacBook Pro M3: specs and price
Here are the prices of current standard configurations of the MacBook Pro M3 for reference.
14-inch MacBook Pro
- $1,599/£1,699: M3 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU; 8 GB unified memory; 512 GB SSD
- $1,799/£1,899: M3 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU; 8 GB unified memory; 1TB SSD
- $1,999/£2,099: M3 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU; 16 GB unified memory; 1TB SSD
- $1,999/£2,099: M3 Pro with 11-core CPU, 14-core GPU; 18 GB unified memory; 512 GB SSD
- $2,399/£2,499: M3 Pro with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU; 18 GB unified memory; 1TB SSD
- £3,199/£3,299: M3 Max with 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU; 36 GB unified memory, 1 TB SSD
16-inch MacBook Pro
- $2,499/£2,599: M3 Pro with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU; 18 GB unified memory; 512 GB SSD
- $2,899/£2,999: M3 Pro with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU; 36 GB unified memory; 512 GB SSD
- $3,499/£3,599: M3 Max with 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU; 36 GB unified memory; 1TB SSD
- $3,999/£4,099: M3 Max with 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU; 48 GB unified memory; 1TB SSD
Pricing reports for the M4 MacBook Pro are yet to be released. Apple will likely offer similar configurations and whether or not prices will increase remains to be seen.
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