Apple’s M3-series MacBook Professional was launched within the fall of 2023, however Apple has seemingly put the laptop computer on a extra frequent replace cycle, with stories of an M4 MacBook Professional hitting the rumor mill.
We’ll see extra rumors between now and the M4 MacBook Professional launch. This text will hold observe of what’s being reported, in addition to provide a perspective based mostly on Apple’s present lineup.
MacBook Professional M4: Launch date
Apple has but to make a giant impression within the AI market, which is scorching sizzling proper now. In response to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple desires to make a giant splash with the M4 chip, which could have huge AI enhancements and Apple desires to launch the M4 as quickly as potential. Gurman states that Apple plans to launch M4 MacBook Professional fashions later this yr.
Apple may ship within the fall of 2024, which might be a few yr after the M3-series MacBook Professional was launched. Gurman warns that the plans may change–whether or not he meant they might ship earlier or later, he doesn’t say.
MacBook Professional M4: Design and Options
The M4 improve could be the fourth technology of this explicit MacBook Professional design. Apple isn’t anticipated to vary it in any respect, so the 2024 launch will seemingly be a chip improve solely.
The M4 may change its reminiscence configuration, although. Mark Gurman reported in April that Apple might improve the higher reminiscence restrict of its high-end desktop Macs. He didn’t say something about MacBooks, however it’s not a attain to conclude that the M4 and its enhanced AI capabilities may result in extra RAM on the chip for MacBooks, too. Nonetheless, design constraints may forestall the MacBooks from having an higher restrict improve as huge as on desktop Macs.
One other characteristic that would change is battery life. The M4 may very well be extra environment friendly, or it may very well be extra power-hungry, affecting battery life. Stories concerning the M4’s energy consumption have but to be made.
Apple may provide a brand new coloration. With the M3 Professional/Max launch, Apple launched House Black, which changed House Grey, with the opposite coloration choice being Silver. The bottom M3 MacBook Professional is obtainable in House Grey or Silver, not House Black.
Foundry
Apple elevated the show brightness from 500 to 600 nits with the M3 MacBook Professional, so this most likely received’t change with the M4. The dimensions, weight, digital camera, mics, audio system, ports, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are more likely to keep the identical.
MacBook Professional M3: Specs and worth
Listed below are the costs for the present normal configurations of the M3 MacBook Professional for reference.
14-inch MacBook Professional
- $1,599/£1,699: M3 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU; 8GB unified reminiscence; 512GB SSD
- $1,799/£1,899: M3 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU; 8GB unified reminiscence; 1TB SSD
- $1,999/£2,099: M3 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU; 16GB unified reminiscence; 1TB SSD
- $1,999/£2,099: M3 Professional with 11-core CPU, 14-core GPU; 18GB unified reminiscence; 512GB SSD
- $2,399/£2,499: M3 Professional with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU; 18GB unified reminiscence; 1TB SSD
- 3,199/£3,299: M3 Max with 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU; 36GB unified reminiscence, 1TB SSD
16-inch MacBook Professional
- $2,499/£2,599: M3 Professional with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU; 18GB unified reminiscence; 512GB SSD
- $2,899/£2,999: M3 Professional with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU; 36GB unified reminiscence; 512GB SSD
- $3,499/£3,599: M3 Max with 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU; 36GB unified reminiscence; 1TB SSD
- $3,999/£4,099: M3 Max with 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU; 48GB unified reminiscence; 1TB SSD
Stories for the M4 MacBook Professional costs have but to be made. Apple will seemingly provide related configurations and it stays to be seen if the costs will improve or not.