Apple Unveils New MacBook Pro Lineup with M4 Chips
Apple has announced the latest iteration of its MacBook Pro series, featuring the new M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips. This release follows the recent introduction of the M4 iMac and redesigned M4 Mac Mini earlier this week, continuing Apple’s streak of hardware updates.
The announcement was made via a video presentation available on Apple’s website and YouTube channel, led by John Ternus, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Engineering.
The new lineup introduces an entry-level M4 MacBook Pro in space black, a color previously reserved for higher-end models. Despite the upgrades, the starting price remains at $1,599. Apple claims the new M4 chip offers performance improvements of up to 1.8 times faster than the M1 for tasks such as photo editing. The neural engine has also been enhanced, boasting up to 3 times more power than its M1 counterpart, which is expected to improve Apple Intelligence features.
In terms of memory and performance, Apple has made significant strides. The base RAM for the M4 MacBook Pro has been increased to 16GB, eliminating the previous 8GB option. The M4 Pro version now starts with 24GB of RAM, up from 18GB in the M3 Pro. The top-tier M4 Max chip features 16 CPU cores and 40 GPU cores, with unified memory bandwidth exceeding half a terabyte per second – four times the bandwidth of the latest AI PC chip, according to Apple.
Performance charts presented during the announcement indicate that the M4 Max is 1.2 times faster than its predecessor, the M3 Max.
In addition to the MacBook Pro updates, Apple also announced an updated MacBook Air with a minimum RAM increase to 16GB, further solidifying its commitment to enhanced performance across its product line.
These latest releases underscore Apple’s ongoing efforts to push the boundaries of performance and efficiency in its Mac lineup, leveraging its custom silicon to deliver increasingly powerful machines to consumers and professionals alike.