M4 chip - page 2

When I came across today’s M4 iMac setup on the interwebs, I realized how rarely they come up in Cult of Mac‘s setups coverage. Out of 616 articles I’ve written about setups to date — over more than 4 years — this is only the 11th one to feature an iMac (plus a few others from before I took over the setups beat). And that small number doesn’t come from any hatred of iMacs on my part. It’s just that users seem to flaunt them much less on social media than other hardware. And they’re not top sellers for Apple.

In my lengthy travels among computer setups displayed on social media, I saw a cool Mac mini case a while back that made the compact M4/M4 Pro desktop computer look like a little Mac Pro. I wondered if it’d catch on as a cool, must-have accessory, but then I never saw it again — until now. Today’s featured M4 Pro Mac mini setup sports one of the snazzy and functional cases in a dual-display workstation.

You can now purchase Apple’s 2025 MacBook Air refresh with a faster M4 chip from your nearest retail store. The upgraded Mac Studio with M4 Max and M3 Ultra chips also hits retail stores today.

Additionally, the M3 iPad Air and iPad A16 are also up for sale starting today, March 12.

New M4 MacBook Air reviews find it’s one of Apple’s most compelling laptop updates in recent memory — not because of revolutionary changes, but due to thoughtful refinements and a surprising price reduction. Here’s what reviewers said Tuesday about the new M4 MacBook Air.

How do Apple’s latest laptops stack up? Our M3 vs. M4 MacBook Air comparison shows the differences between the two models. Spoiler alert: Adding the new M4 chip steals the spotlight, although a lower starting price tag comes as a welcome change.

So, how does the M4 MacBook Air stack up against its M3 predecessor? Are the upgrades game-changing or just incremental? Find out in our in-depth comparison.

Sometimes even an advanced user runs into roadblocks getting their computer setup where they want it. Today’s Mac mini and MacBook Air setup, owned by a French software developer, relies on cable swaps to switch between devices on a big external display. But some straightforward Mac functionality and the addition of one piece of hardware could make things much easier.

The Apple M4 chip going into the new MacBook Air version brings a considerable performance boost. Early benchmark scores show the 2025 version of the macOS notebook runs over 50% faster than the 2024 version.

Steady annual improvements in Apple’s M series chips continue to demonstrate the advantages of the switch away from Intel. If you’re considering an upgrade, checking out the MacBook Air price can help you decide if the latest model is worth the investment. If you’re looking for a breakdown of the latest Mac M4 and whether it’s worth upgrading, this guide has everything you need to know. If you’re comparing the latest models, check out this detailed M4 MacBook Pro comparison to see how it stacks up.

Apple unveiled the M3 Ultra chip as an option in the new MacStudio desktop Wednesday. As the company’s most powerful silicon chip to date, it brings unprecedented performance to pro users with demanding workflows. The other option in the new desktop machine is the M4 Max chip, which is actually less powerful than the M3 Ultra.

“M3 Ultra is the pinnacle of our scalable system-on-a-chip architecture, aimed specifically at users who run the most heavily threaded and bandwidth-intensive applications,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies.

Apple didn’t launch the 2025 Mac Studio with an M4 Ultra processor — the top-of-the-line version of Apple’s current chip family. And it now seems that chip will never exist at all.

Apparently, Cupertino never intended to produce it.

The long wait for an upgraded Mac Studio finally ended. A version with an M4 Max processor and (surprise!) an M3 Ultra chip launched Wednesday.

“The new Mac Studio is the most powerful Mac we’ve ever made,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “A complete game-changer for pros around the world — powering both home and pro studios — Mac Studio sits in a class of its own, offering a staggering amount of performance in a compact, quiet design that fits beautifully on your desk. With this new Mac Studio, we’re delivering even more extreme performance with M4 Max and M3 Ultra, support for half a terabyte of unified memory, up to 16TB of superfast storage, and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. Mac Studio truly is the ultimate pro desktop.”

Apple unveiled a revised MacBook Air with an M4 chip inside Wednesday. It comes in a beautiful new sky blue color, at an even lower price point — with the same incredible 18 hours of battery life.

“MacBook Air is by far the world’s most popular laptop,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said in a press release, “and today we’re giving everyone even more reasons to love it, including a big boost in performance with the M4 chip, a new Center Stage camera, and a beautiful new sky blue color.”

The M4 MacBook Air starts at $999 and will become available on March 12.

You can now purchase the M4 iMac through Apple’s Certified Refurbished store. The refurb units are up to 15% cheaper than buying a new one.

The refurbished M4 iMac arrived in Apple’s refurbished store a couple of weeks after refurb M4 MacBook Pro and Mac mini went on sale.

Apple’s M4-powered MacBook Air lineup will reportedly debut in March. The company is gearing up with the necessary marketing and sales preparations for the launch.

Stocks of the current M3 models are already dwindling, with limited inventory at most stores. If you’re planning to upgrade, now is a great time to also consider the best monitor for MacBook Air—check out our M4 MacBook Air review for recommendations.

In the world of computer setups, I see lots of people with two displays, loads of people with one ultra-wide display and tons of people arguing over which is best. Today’s M4 Mac mini user loves his Samsung ultra-wide monitor, which is one I haven’t seen often. But it looks like a keeper for both Mac and PC setups. And it’s deeply discounted right now.

Apple’s new iPhone SE will arrive “next week” and not this week as previously rumored. The company will make a “smaller announcement” on Friday, February 14th.

The Cupertino giant will apparently also unveil the M4 MacBook Air “within weeks.”

Apple is now selling DIY repair parts for its M4-equipped Macs, including the MacBook Pro and Mac mini.

You can purchase the repair parts from Apple’s Self Service Repair Store in the US and Europe.

This deal on the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro chip lets you buy one of the most powerful laptops available for less. While the Apple laptop’s $2,499 price tag places it on the premium side, a 10% discount on Amazon makes it a bit more accessible.

Thanks to the deal, the M4 Pro MacBook Pro is available for $2,239.

In today’s featured setup from the Pacific Northwest, Polk Audio boosts Mac mini sound with bookshelf speakers on the desk as well as a subwoofer under it. But that’s not the extent of the user’s devotion to Polk, an admired longtime brand we rarely, if ever, see in setups coverage. The Mac mini setup is just one part of a magnificent man shed. The other part is a home theater festooned with more than enough Polk Audio hardware for stellar surround sound.

I’ve seen a few amazing man caves and she shacks while covering cool computer setups for Cult of Mac, but not many can compete with the home of today’s M4 Mac mini setup. The user converted a backyard shed nestled in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. So now the man shed M4 Mac mini setup doubles as a home theater sporting a gargantuan screen. You can find all the gear in the links list below for both the computer and home theater setups.

The ruggedly handsome new Shield Case brings true portability to the small-but-mighty M4 Mac mini and its accessories, WaterField Designs said Tuesday. It’s the latest in the company’s long line of cool cases for Apple gear.

“We designed the Shield Case for professionals who take advantage of the portability of Apple’s most compact desktop computer yet,” said Gary Waterfield, the San Francisco-based company’s owner. “The M4 Mac mini’s reduced size makes it an ideal candidate for mobile use, but its unique dimensions require thoughtful protection.”

What does Apple have planned for the Mac in 2025? For the last couple of years, Apple’s been killing it with its desktop and laptop computers. The chips scream, the industrial design has never been better, and the Mac lineup is undoubtedly the best in Apple’s history. Just look at the amazing new Mac mini.

But can Apple keep up the pace next year?

Seems like the new Macs with M4 chips just got here — and you can already get great deals on them! Why? Well, Black Friday/Cyber Monday, of course. While it’s still a couple weeks away, that never stops deals from coming earlier and earlier every year, just like holiday decorations and pumpkin-spice-flavored everything. Check out early Black Friday Mac deals, below.

Update: The deals below saw updated on the runup to Black Friday and then again for Cyber Monday.

There’s no better tablet to buy than an iPad. Apple overhauled the iPad Pro lineup this year with a slimmer new design, brighter displays, and a faster M4 chip.

I upgraded to the 11-inch iPad Pro from the M1 version earlier this year and could not be happier. This Black Friday, you should buy one, too, especially since the tablet is available with a big $150 discount.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: The rumored “iPhone 17 Air” supposedly will delete major features to become Apple’s thinnest smartphone ever — and sell at a premium price. We debate the pros and cons of such a scenario. Plus, Apple reportedly plans to make AirTags even better … and might be reconsidering making an actual TV set.

It’s a rumor-packed podcast!

Also on The CultCast:

• We discuss the possibility of Apple selling SSD upgrades for Mac mini.
• Apple slipped a surprise feature into the M4 MacBook Pro.
• Image Playground produces some truly ridiculous images. See a sampling below. Is this the best Apple Intelligence can do?

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

Lots of folks who do live video streaming or video calls opt for purpose-built webcams rather than what comes in laptops or displays. That’s because the standalone cameras usually feature better-quality images and video plus more features in general. Today’s M4 Mac mini user fixes an Obsbot webcam atop his external Lenovo display. We rarely if ever see it, but it packs a lot of interesting features.