In a recent newsletter, Mark Gurman revealed that Apple is set to unveil new Mac models featuring the M4 chip by the end of 2024, with a focus on enhancing AI performance.
Gurman reported that the first batch of M4 chips from Apple is "about to enter production." The tech giant plans to roll out fresh computer products starting from late 2024 through early 2025, signaling a comprehensive update across the entire Mac lineup.
Expect to see new iMacs, a slightly lower-end 14-inch MacBook Pro, high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, and the Mac mini—all powered by the M4 chip. However, it's worth noting that Apple's plans could potentially change.
Additionally, Apple plans to release more M4 Mac models in 2025, including spring updates for the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air, mid-year updates for the Mac Studio, and later in 2025, updates for the Mac Pro.
In 2023, Apple simultaneously launched the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips in October, so it's reasonable to assume that the M4 series chips will also be unveiled around the same time this year. Combining this with the product roadmap provided by Gurman, it's highly likely that the M4 Mac lineup refresh will hit the market "at the end of 2024 or early 2025."
The Apple M4 chip is expected to come in at least three main variants, with the entry-level chip codenamed Donan, the mid-range chip codenamed Brava, and the high-end chip codenamed Hidra.
The Donan chip will be used in entry-level MacBook Pro, MacBook Air machines, and low-end Mac mini, while the Brava chip will be featured in high-end MacBook Pro and high-end Mac mini.
It's worth mentioning that the top-tier Hidra chip is designed for the Mac Pro, indicating it's an "Ultra" or "Extreme" tier chip.
Additionally, Apple is also testing different configurations of the Mac Studio, one featuring an unreleased M3 chip (possibly the rumored M3 Ultra), while another variant utilizes the M4 Brava processor.
Although the Mac Pro remains one of Apple's lower-selling computer models, it does have a dedicated fan base. Some customers have even complained about the specifications of Apple's in-house chips, prompting Apple to plan an enhancement of the device's performance next year.
The user base that typically opts for Mac Pro devices consists mainly of professionals with high demands for computer performance, including but not limited to designers, video editors, programmers, researchers, music producers, as well as 3D animators and game developers.
These user groups often require running large software programs, handling vast amounts of data, or performing high-intensity computing tasks. With its outstanding performance and stability, the Mac Pro is able to meet these professional needs.
According to leaks, the M4 version of the Mac desktop is rumored to support up to 512GB of unified memory, a significant increase from the current 192GB. The M4 chip will be manufactured using the same 3nm process as the M3 chip, but Apple supplier TSMC may use an improved version of the 3nm process to enhance performance and efficiency. Apple also plans to add a greatly improved neural network engine with more cores dedicated to artificial intelligence tasks.
From the current situation, iOS 18 with AI capabilities is expected to be unveiled at the June WWDC conference, with the iPhone 16 series likely being the first to experience it. It is anticipated that future versions of MacOS and iPadOS will also gradually incorporate AI features.
This year's WWDC is expected to cover a lot about Apple's AI layout and research progress, making it a must-attend event.
Based on Apple's recent series of moves, the AI iPhone and AI Mac they envision for the future may be divided into two parts. Tasks requiring higher computational power may be addressed using cloud-based AI models, potentially in collaboration with Google Gemini or OpenAI. Meanwhile, locally, Apple may employ its proprietary small-scale model, Apple GPT.
Following the release of the M4 chip series, Mac products equipped with M4 chips are bound to see an upgrade in AI computing power, making Apple's AI PC highly anticipated.
