Whether Apple launches the M4 MacBook Pro at a glitzy press event or a quiet press release, the next-generation macOS notebook is undoubtedly mere weeks away — probably reaching customers on November 1.
Here’s what to expect from the late-2024 MacBook Pro when it gets upgraded with the new Apple M4 processor.
Coming soon…
Traditionally, new iPhones launch in September, then new MacBooks come a month or so later. Last year, 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models updated with M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max processors launched at the “Scary Fast” event, for example. An unconfirmed report says the replacements will reach buyers on Friday, November 1.
A mid-autumn launch gets the new computers on store shelves in time for the critical holiday shopping season. Plus, the tradition puts Apple’s new chips in customers’ hands now that Cupertino has settled into an annual processor upgrade cycle.
And this year the process will be extra easy because it’ll mostly involve putting the M4 chip Apple already launched into MacBook Pro designs the company already uses.
M4 MacBook Pro: Déjà vu all over again
Photo: Wylsacom
While we can anticipate impressive performance gains in the M4 MacBook Pro, what we can’t look forward to is any surprises.
For one thing, Apple’s isn’t expected to make dramatic changes to the overall design. The new M4 MacBook Pro will reportedly be the 14- and 16-inch versions from last year with a better, faster processor. That said, the smaller version could gain an additional USB-C/Thunderbolt ports.
And we know that processor is better and faster because it’s already in use — it launched in the M4 iPad Pro back in the spring. Benchmark tests show that tablet is about 34% faster than ones running the M2 chip.
The other big reason the M4 MacBook won’t be a big surprise is an unboxing video for the notebook already appeared. Apparently, some units slated for sale in Europe ended up in Russia, and then the stars of YouTube videos. While this is unconfirmed, of course, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman used his Power On newsletter from Sunday to say, “I can confirm that these are indeed Apple’s upcoming M4 MacBook Pros.”
One of the videos reveals that the 14-inch base model could feature a 10-core CPU — two more than its predecessor — and a 10-core GPU. The device will supposedly come with 16GB of RAM. The result: a roughly 32% performance boost for the base M4 version over the base M3 iteration.
While only the low-end version appeared on video, we can look forward to versions with M4 Pro and M4 Max appearing at the same time.
Among the M4 MacBook Pro features not anticipated to change is the prices. So expect the next 14-inch version to start at $1,599, while the 16-inch one should start at $2,499. These prices increase based on configuration, naturally. If you’re eager to explore details about the upcoming MacBook, check out the latest insights here.
But wait, there’s more….
Speed-boosted MacBooks aren‘t the only computers on Apple’s To-Do list. We can supposedly look forward to a 24-inch iMac with the M4 processor. Although no dramatic design changes are expected for that desktop, an M4 Mac mini revamped with a smaller design is also on the way.
And while it won’t run an M4, don’t overlook the iPad mini 7 and iPad 11.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh Classic II (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer. He’s written for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview, and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
