The subsequent main cycle of Mac upgrades revolves across the M4 chip and it’s beginning this week. As an alternative of an occasion, Apple teased “an thrilling week” of releases beginning Monday, with a number of new M4 Macs making their debut. And if the rumors are appropriate, that is simply the beginning, with each Mac in Apple’s lineup getting an replace throughout the subsequent few months. For the primary time since Apple silicon arrived, each mannequin will quickly be working the identical chip. Right here’s what’s coming this week—and past.
Replace: Apple introduced the M4 Mac mini on October 29, 2024. It’s out there for pre-order now with shipments beginning on November 8.
Coming this week
M4 MacBook Professional
The MacBook Professional will get its M4 improve this fall.
Foundry
Launch date: Apple will launch the M4 sequence of MacBook Professional this week with an anticipated ship date of November 1. It’s virtually precisely a 12 months after Apple launched the M3 MacBook Professional lineup. We count on the MacBook Professional to reach on Wedesday to cap the week of releases.
Design: Apple gained’t change something in regards to the MacBook Professional design. The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Professional design was launched in 2021. This design can be in place for just a few extra years.
Chip: Apple releases the MacBook Professional with three variations of its M-series chip: A base chip, a Professional chip, and a Max chip. The M4 Professional and M4 Max can be variants of the bottom M4, implementing extra CPU and GPU cores and extra unified reminiscence. The M4 chips will supply a 20 p.c enchancment over the M3 chips they change.
Options: Apple just isn’t anticipated to improve the Liquid Retina XDR show, change the port configuration (MagSafe 3, two or three Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, HDMI, an SDXC Card slot, and a 3.5mm audio jack), or improve the digicam or audio system. Wi-Fi 7 assist is feasible for the reason that Wi-Fi Alliance made the normal official originally of January.
Discover out the newest in regards to the M4 MacBook Professional.
Coming in 2025
M4 MacBook Air
The MacBook Air will wait till 2025 for its M4 improve.
Foundry
Launch date: The M4 improve for the MacBook Air appears like a chance for Apple to set an everyday launch interval for the corporate’s hottest Mac. The M4 MacBook Air is anticipated to ship within the first quarter of 2025, a few 12 months after Apple launched the M3 MacBook Air.
The M1 Air was launched in November 2020; the M2 Air in July 2022; the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air was launched in June 2023. The M4 Air launch is an opportunity to determine a spring cycle for the MacBook Air that Apple might make an everyday occasion.
Design: Apple gained’t change something in regards to the MacBook Air design. The present design was launched in 2022 and it gained’t change for a number of extra years.
Chip: The 2025 MacBook Air may have a base M4 chip, much like that used within the iPad Professional. Benchmark outcomes present that the M4 affords a 20 p.c enchancment over the M3 it’s going to change.
Options: Apple just isn’t anticipated to improve the Liquid Retina show, change the port configuration (MagSafe 3, two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, a 3.5mm audio jack), or improve the digicam or audio system. Wi-Fi 7 assist is feasible for the reason that Wi-Fi Alliance made the normal official originally of January.
M4 Mac Studio
The M4 Mac Studio is scheduled for a 2025 launch.
Willis Lai/Foundry
Launch date: The Mac Studio is not going to get an improve to the M4 till 2025, in accordance to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The present Mac Studio was launched in June 2023 at WWDC, whereas the primary Mac Studio was launched in March 2022. So, it seems that the M4 Mac Studio gained’t arrive till spring 2025 or at WWDC 2025 in June.
Design: The Mac Studio’s design can be solely three years previous by the point it’s up to date to the M4, so it gained’t change and can keep its design for a number of extra years.
Chip: Apple outfits the Mac Studio with Max and Extremely M-series chips. So, the 2025 Mac Studio will probably have M4 Max or M4 Extremely chips. The present Mac Studio options M2 Max and Extremely chips, so the bounce in efficiency ought to be spectacular.
Options: Apple most likely gained’t change something in regards to the ports. On the again, the Mac Studio has 4 Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, two USB-A ports, gigabit ethernet, HDMI, and a 3.5mm audio jack. On the entrance of the Mac Studio is an SDXC Card slot; the Mac Studio Max has two USB 3 ports, whereas the Mac Studio Extremely has two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports. Wi-Fi 7 assist is feasible for the reason that Wi-Fi Alliance made the normal official originally of January.
M4 Mac Professional
The design of the Mac Professional hasn’t modified since 2019, and it’s not anticipated to take action.
Foundry
Launch date: The Mac Professional is not going to get an improve to the M4 till 2025, in accordance to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The present Mac Professional was launched in June 2023 at WWDC. The M4 Mac Professional gained’t arrive till late 2025 or on the earliest, WWDC 2025 in June.
Design: Although the design of the Mac Professional is 11 years previous, no studies of a redesign have been made. The Mac Professional is made to accommodate inner growth playing cards, so if a redesign is within the work, it’s going to maintain the tower type issue, which separates it from the Mac Studio.
Chip: Apple makes use of Extremely variations of its M-series chip for the Mac Professional. The present Mac Professional has a M2 Extremely; the improve in 2025 can be a M4 Extremely.
Options: No studies have been made in regards to the Mac Professional’s options, and, probably, Apple gained’t change something in regards to the slots, ports, or chassis. Wi-Fi 7 assist is feasible for the reason that Wi-Fi Alliance made the normal official originally of January.
Discover out the newest in regards to the M4 Mac Professional.
Already launched
M4 iMac
The iMac’s M4 improve is scheduled for the autumn.
Foundry
Launch date: Apple launched the M4 iMac on Monday, October 28.
Design: Apple didn’t change something in regards to the iMac design. Nonetheless, it supplied the brand new iMac in “contemporary shades” of inexperienced, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and blue, together with silver.
Chip: The 24-inch iMac has an M4 with both 8 CPU/GPU cores or 10 CUP/GPU cores. Apple says it’s as much as 1.7x quicker than the M1 iMac.
Options: Apple upgraded a number of options within the iMac. All fashions now have a minimum of 16GB of RAM (up from 8GB) and have Thunderbolt 4 ports (as a substitute of a mixture of Thunderbolt and USB). The FaceTime digicam has been upgraded from a 1080p HD digicam to the identical 12MP Middle Stage digicam in iPhones and iPads. It additionally has assist for Desk View. Lastly, there’s a brand new nano-texture glass choice on the higher-end fashions for a further $200.
M4 Mac mini
The M4 Mac mini might have a brand new, smaller design than the present M2 Mac mini (above).
Foundry
Launch date: Apple launched the M4 Mac mini on Tuesday, October 29.
Design: The M4 Mac mini obtained a totally new design that’s smaller and taller than the earlier fashions. Measuring 5 inches round, it appears like a miniaturized Mac Studio, proper all the way down to a pair of front-facing USB-C ports and a headphone jack. Just like the earlier Apple silicon fashions, it solely is available in silver.
Chip: Apple affords the Mac mini with a base or Professional M4 chip. The bottom mannequin comes with a 10-core CPU/10-core GPU and 16GB of RAM, whereas the Professional mannequin has a 12-core CPU/16-core GPU with 24GB of RAM.
Options: Together with the brand new design and chip, the M4 Mac mini has a number of upgrades over the earlier mannequin. The entrance has two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack whereas the again will get three Thunderbolt ports. The M4 fashions use Thunderbolt 4, whereas the M4 Professional Mac mini has Thunderbolt 5, the primary Mac to assist the know-how. Sadly, the smaller dimension means Apple has eradicated the USB-A ports. The M4 Mac mini may also now assist as much as three exterior shows.
