Early Geekbench 6 benchmarks show Apple’s new M4 Pro and M4 Max chips deliver major performance improvements for Macs. Most surprisingly, the M4 Pro chip outperforms even the previously top-tier M2 Ultra chip in multi-core performance, despite having fewer CPU cores. And the higher-end M4 Max proves even more impressive, of course.
So if you’re on the fence about upgrading to a Mac with either of these chips, these results should encourage you.
Apple’s announcements this week of the first M4 Macs were impressive and full of surprises. But if you don’t have time to sit through all three videos, totaling nearly 40 minutes, you can watch our edit of it all in just 90 seconds.
Apple took the wraps off M4-powered MacBook Pros on Wednesday. While the new laptops sport the same design as their predecessors, they deliver faster performance and a staggering 24 hours of battery life, the company said in a press release announcing the M4 MacBook Pro launch.
“MacBook Pro is an incredibly powerful tool that millions of people use to do their life’s best work, and today we’re making it even better,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering.
The M4 iMac that Apple launched Monday looks the same as its predecessor but brings some big changes internally. So, how does the M4 iMac compare to the M3 iMac, which arrived less than a year ago? Our M4 iMac versus M3 iMac comparison will show you how the 2024 model ups the ante on performance.
Apple unveiled the radically redesigned Mac mini on Tuesday, with versions powered by the M4 chip and a new M4 Pro chip. The smaller-than-ever desktop computer features a new design with convenient ports on the front and back, faster processing speeds and, for the first time, Thunderbolt 5 connectivity and a carbon neutral guarantee.
“The new Mac mini delivers gigantic performance in an unbelievably small design thanks to the power efficiency of Apple silicon and an innovative new thermal architecture,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, in a press release.
The faster Mac mini is available for preorder now, with a release date of November 8.
A product-comparison chart published Monday on Amazon.com accidentally leaked the redesigned Mac mini, which will feature an all-new design and Apple’s M4 chip. After the M4 Mac mini leak, the machine could go official as early as Tuesday.
According to an image in the chart, the new Mac mini looks like a smaller Mac Studio and sports two USB-C ports on the front.
UDATED: M4 Mac mini is out!
Apple launched an upgraded iMac with an M4 chip and support for Apple Intelligence on Monday, calling it “the world’s best all-in-one for AI.” The new computer looks like the old iMac it replaces but packs major internal upgrades. Thanks to the M4 system-on-a-chip, the 2024 iMac brings a notable leap in performance over previous iMacs.
“With the incredible features of Apple Intelligence, and the powerful performance of Apple silicon, the new iMac changes the game once again,” said iMac product manager Sree Panuganty in a launch video released Monday.
To heck with “go big or go home” because there’s never been a better time to go mini: these Mac mini deals are the cheapest way to buy a new Mac.
The Mac mini is a desktop computer, so you’ll need to supply your own display, keyboard and mouse. It seamlessly replaces an aging PC and its diminutive size fits on any desk.
And even though Black Friday sales are still weeks away, now is an ideal time to buy. Apple’s smallest Mac carries big discounts. The entry level (and current) M2 and M2 Pro models at least 12% off, while the prior M1 model can be had for $400.
It’s easy to rename multiple files at once on a Mac using the Finder’s batch rename tool. If you have a big series of pictures, videos, screenshots or documents in a series, you can use this feature to rename them all in a similar format and sequence.
You don’t have to take on such a tedious task by hand.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: If Apple does host a big October event, M4 Macs and iPads likely will steal the show. We talk about what to expect from the upcoming Apple products.
Also on The CultCast:
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.
So, you accidentally disabled Bluetooth on your Mac, and now you can’t use your wireless mouse or trackpad. You could dig out a wired mouse to reenable Bluetooth, but that’s a lot of effort. Instead, just use your keyboard to turn on Bluetooth on your Mac without a mouse.
We’ll show you how to get out of this computing pickle.
Looking for a powerful, affordable second computer? This grade-A refurbished 2019 MacBook Pro might be the one for you, and it’s available for only $449.99. Whether you need it for work, personal use or entertainment, it delivers much of the performance and style of Apple’s premium laptops — at a fraction of the price.
This refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro from 2018 boasts a Touch Bar, and the laptop’s on sale for just $399.99. Whether you love or hate the Touch Bar, there’s no denying its potential to speed up your workflow with quick access to tools, shortcuts and app-specific controls.
Plus, it’s cool and fun … and discontinued!
When it comers to satisfaction, Apple sits at the top of the heap among computer makers. It beats HP, Samsung and others, according to the latest survey from the American Customer Satisfaction Index.
And satisfaction with tablets improved to the point they’re essentially on par with desktops and laptops.
macOS Sequoia is a pretty comprehensive update with some fantastic new features, like iPhone mirroring, window tiling, and text message formatting. Although Apple Intelligence — the AI features coming to Mac, iPhone, and iPad — will continue grabbing headlines for the next year, it won’t arrive until later in the fall. Plus, only Macs with Apple silicon will support Apple Intelligence. Additionally, users can look forward to a new shaking head emoji, expanding the ways people can express disagreement or disapproval in messages.
Still, macOS Sequoia brings some game-changing new features — and it’s out right now. Find it in System Settings > General > Software Update. It’s compatible with most of the same Macs as macOS Sonoma, dropping support for the 2018 and 2019 MacBook Air.
After you update, here’s the big list of things you can check out.
Apple could go all-in on USB-C with its upcoming M4 Mac mini. As a part of the machine’s major design revamp, the company might ditch USB-A ports for good.
The Cupertino company should unveil the M4 Mac mini later this year.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: We finally know exactly when Apple’s iPhone 16 event will happen. It’s “Glowtime” on September 9 … and now it’s time to talk about what’s in store.
Also on The CultCast:
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.
Guess what percentage of Mac buyers choose the Mac mini. Whatever your estimate is, the real number is probably lower. Much lower.
Despite selling so very few of them, it seems likely Apple keeps making and updating the tiny macOS desktop because many of them go to young buyers just starting on a lifetime of buying Apple products.
Looks like now’s a good time to grab yourself a very cool and quite powerful laptop you can take anywhere. That’s because Amazon invites you to select from various models and take $250 off 15-inch M3 MacBook Air. That includes any model with the specs to suit your needs. For example, you might want to go for the recommended 16GB of unified memory to help ensure the laptop keeps handling tough tasks for a while — like all that Apple Intelligence stuff gearing up to change people’s lives.
Apple is reportedly testing multiple M4-powered Macs for launch later this year. More importantly, a new report says all the Macs ship with 16GB or 32GB of system memory.
This signals that Apple might finally bid farewell to the paltry 8GB RAM for Mac base models.
The macOS Sequoia release date could arrive alongside iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 next month. Apple typically releases a major new iOS and iPadOS update in September alongside new iPhones. And while the next version of the Mac operating system usually follows in October or November, that could change this year.
Apple has supposedly hit a major setback and significantly delayed the mass production of its MacBook with a super-size, folding screen. The company has run into technical issues with the display and other mechanicals.
Apparently, these problems will force Apple to delay mass production until as late as the end of 2027 or 2028.
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: It sounds like a whole bunch of Macs powered by Apple’s M4 chip — including a Mac mini that will be surprisingly small — will arrive in the not-so-distant future. We discuss the latest M4 Mac rumors (and can’t help getting more than a little excited).
Also on The CultCast:
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.
Apple is going to shrink the next Mac mini when it adds an M4 processor, according to an often-reliable source of insider information. The desktop could be the size of an Apple TV.
So, Mac micro?
As if Siri’s unhelpful answers were not irritating enough when you actually want them, Siri often interrupts a conversation, meeting or TV show when you haven’t asked for anything at all. The good news is you make it stop — if you know how to deactivate Siri on your Apple devices.
keep reading or watch our video.