Apple Unveils M4 Chip Family: Promising AI Performance Leap and Enhanced Capabilities

Apple claims its maxed M4 chips 4x faster than rival AI PCs

Busy week for Cupertino sees shrunken Mac minis, updated lappies, and new SoCs With the arrival of its M4 silicon on the Mac this week, Apple wants the world to know that the silicon powering AI PCs is no match for its chips. In its launch announcement, Apple boasted its mid-range M4 Pro system-on-a-chip (SoC) - which can be had with up to 14 CPU cores (ten performance, four efficiency), and 20 GPU cores - was "far more powerful and capable than any AI PC chip," boasting up to 2.1x the performance of Intel's Core Ultra 7 258V with its 48 TOPS NPU. Step up to the new M4 Max SoC - which can be had with up to 16 CPU cores (12 performance, 4 efficiency) and up to 40 GPU cores - and Apple claims a 4x performance advantage in AI workloads over the Intel model. That's despite both the M4 Pro and Max being saddled with the same 38 TOPS NPU as the base M4 part we looked at in May. What workload Apple is referring to isn't exactly clear, but we suspect Apple is primarily focusing on bandwidth-constrained workloads - like large language models (LLMs), where its chips' higher memory bandwidth and larger capacity give it an edge. And Apple has not compared the M4's performance to other AI PC chips from AMD or Qualcomm. As we've previously pointed out, the LLMs that power features like writing assistants, chatbots, and summarization features are more often memory bound than compute limited. The M4 Pro supports up to 64GB of LPDDR memory capable of 273GB/sec of bandwidth, while the more powerful M4 Max boasts twice that at 128GB and 546GB/sec. For comparison, the Intel Core Ultra part Apple used in its testing supports roughly 32GB LPDDR5x memory but can only manage about 132GB/sec of bandwidth, which coincidentally works out to a 2.06x advantage for M4 Pro. Having said that, the base model M4 tops out at 32GB of capacity at 120GB/sec, and as we'll discuss in a bit, it is much closer in price to the Intel system Apple is comparing against. Because of this, Apple boasts developers can "easily interact with large language models that have nearly 200 billion parameters." Take that with several grains of salt. For starters, running a model that large would require using heavy quantization down to four bits or less - something we've explored in more detail here. Second, the performance of that model will be poor, at around 5.4 tokens a second generation in the best-case scenario. That's because at 4-bit quantization, a 200 billion parameter model will consume at minimum 100GB. That means you'll really need an M4 Max, which has been maxed out with 128GB of RAM. In case you're wondering, you can get a rough sense of the generation rate by dividing memory bandwidth by the size of the model in gigabytes at a given precision (multiply parameter count by 2x for FP16, 1x for FP8/INT8 or 0.5x for Int4). In this case, 546GB/sec divided by 100GB. However, it's worth noting that real-world performance is usually much lower. One way around this is to use a mixture of expert models like Mixtral 8x22B, which is composed of multiple expert models, each roughly 22 billion parameters in size for a total parameter count of 141 billion. But because only two or three of those experts are active at any given time, generation rates will be closer to that of a larger model, putting less pressure on the memory subsystem. So despite Apple's M4 silicon coming with a beefier 38 TOPS NPU this generation, a lot of the performance for LLM-based apps will actually be determined by how quickly information can move in and out of memory. How useful that extra memory bandwidth will actually be for AI is hard to say. Right now, Apple Intelligence remains pretty limited on macOS, with most of the interesting integrations - like a tie-in with OpenAI's GPT models - still more than a month away. However, if you just want to play with local LLMs, we've actually got a guide for that. And so long as you've got an M1 or better, you won't even need a new Mac. If AI isn't your thing, the M4 Pro and M4 Max offer a number of other significant improvements. Built on TSMC's second-generation 3nm process tech, Apple claims the chip's CPU core boasts the industry's best single threaded performance. The fine print doesn't offer much in terms of clarity, other than to say "testing was conducted by Apple in October 2024 using shipping competitive systems and select industry benchmarks." That could mean anything. One big change to the CPU is Apple seems to have abandoned its funky M3 Pro configuration - which boasted up to 12 cores, but in a symmetrical six performance six efficiency core layout. The M4 Pro more closely resembles the M1/2 Pro with a bank of 8-10 performance cores and four efficiency cores. In terms of the GPU, Apple notes the underlying architecture hasn't changed from the M3 but the cores have been juiced - presumably by increasing clock speeds. Cupertino says raytracing performance is twice as fast as last gen. Somewhat adjacent to graphics processing, Apple notes that the M4 Max includes an enhanced media engine with two video encode engines and two ProRes accelerators. Finally, in terms of I/O, the Pro and Max chips boast support for Thunderbolt 5 with up to 120GB/sec per port for storage, peripherals, monitors, and other devices. The base M4 on the other hand is still limited to Thunderbolt 4 speeds up to 40GB/sec. Of course these chips only come in Apple's latest Macs. Earlier this week, we took a look at Apple's new iMacs, and in the days since, Cupertino has rolled out refreshed MacBook Pros and Mac minis as well. We'll start with the new MacBook, as it's arguably Apple's most popular device. Just like iMacs, most of the M4 MacBook Pro upgrades are under the hood - the systems feature the same basic chassis design that first appeared alongside the M1 Pro and M1 Max in late 2021. The notebooks are available in both 14-inch and 16-inch sizes, but now come with the M3-generation's Space Black paint job as standard across the entire lineup. Classic anodized aluminum is still an option but Space Gray is out. In terms of ports, all M4 models now come equipped with three USB-C/Thunderbolt ports along with a full sized HDMI, SDXC card reader, and of course the MagSafe charging adapter. In terms of the display, the M4 MacBook Pros have much higher brightness for standard dynamic range content up to 1000 nits versus 600 nits last model. And, just like iMac, if you're willing to shell out an extra $150, you can get a nano-texture - aka matte - display. Along with being brighter and offering a matte version, Apple makes good use of the display's notch to cram in a 12MP Center Stage camera. Apple also appears to have finally listened to pro users, with all three models able to run multiple external monitors: 2x 6K displays at 60Hz in the case of the M4 and M4 Pro, while M4 Max can simultaneously support up to four external displays. Battery remains a major selling point for the systems, with Apple claiming 18 to 24 hours of useful battery while playing back video, or more realistically 13 to 16 hours while doomscrolling Xitter. What Apple's notebooks aren't is cheap. A base model 14-inch with an M4, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage will set you back $1,599. Meanwhile, a top spec 16-inch M4 Max with the 40-core GPU, nano-texture display, 128GB of RAM, and 8TB SSD will run you $7,349. The MacBook Pros may not have changed much physically, but the Mac mini certainly has. After 14 years, Apple has finally given its minimalist model a facelift. The new system measures just 5x5 inches - significant shrinkage from previous product, and features a new thermal system that pulls in air from the bottom and closely resembles the scheme used on the Mac Studio. Oh, and on a somewhat awkward note, the power button has been relocated to the bottom of the machine. We guess Apple doesn't expect folks to turn their machines off very often. Like the M2 Mac mini, the refreshed Mac mini can be had with either base model M4 or the beefier M4 Pro. However, it's not all good news. In exchange for the smaller form factor, the port selection has been cut back considerably: RIP USB-A. On the front are a pair of 10GB/sec USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. On the back are power, Ethernet (1Gbit/sec or 10Gbit/sec), HDMI and a trio of Thunderbolt ports. The base model M4 Mac mini with a ten-core CPU and GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage will set you back $599. A fully kitted out M4 Pro Mac mini with the 14-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 64GB of RAM, 8TB of storage, and 10Gbit/sec networking will run you $4,699. While most of Apple's M4 SoCs are accounted for, we're still waiting on one: a refresh to the M2 Ultra. That part was essentially two M2 Maxes stitched together using advanced packaging, and remains the highest core count and the most GPU dense part in Apple's lineup. Based on the string of announcements over the past week, we may not have to wait long for an M4 Ultra and could get refreshed Mac Studios and Pros as early as tomorrow. If the M4 Max is anything to go by, we can expect the chip to support up to 32 CPU cores, 80 GPU cores, 256GB of memory good for 1TB/sec of bandwidth and twin Neural Engines. Unfortunately there's no guarantee an M4 Ultra will actually materialize - or that if it does it'll follow the same formula as past parts. Only time will tell. ®

Apple details its M4, M4 Pro, M4 Max chips: M4 Max has up to 16 CPU cores, 128GB unified memory

AI-Assisted TLDR: Apple's new M4 Max processor features up to 16 CPU cores, 40 GPU cores, and supports up to 128GB of unified memory, offering 546GB/sec of memory bandwidth. It is claimed to be 400% faster than the latest AI PC chip, likely targeting Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite.* Generated from the content by Anthony Garreffa below. Apple's new flagship M4 Max processor has been detailed, after the reveal of the M4 and M4 Pro chips, with the flagship M4 Max featuring up to 16 cores, up to 40 GPU cores, and support for up to 128GB of unified memory. The company is claiming that its new M4 Max processor is 400% faster than the "latest AI PC chip" which is probably aiming directly at Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon X Elite processor. The beefed-up Apple M4 Max processor has up to 16 cores of CPU power (12 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores), with up to 40 cores of GPU power, and support for up to 128GB of unified memory. Apple's new M4 Max will find its way inside of the new wave of MacBook Pro laptops, with its 128GB of unified RAM offering up to 546GB/sec of memory bandwidth. The increased memory bandwidth is crucial to AI developers, especially those working with LLMs (large language models) with over 200 billion parameters. There's also Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, offering up to 120Gbps of bandwidth. Apple details its new M4 Max chip: "M4 Max is the ultimate choice for data scientists, 3D artists, and composers who push pro workflows to the limit. It has an up to 16-core CPU, with up to 12 performance cores and four efficiency cores. It's up to 2.2x faster than the CPU in M1 Max and up to 2.5x faster than the latest AI PC chip. The GPU has up to 40 cores for performance that is up to 1.9x faster than M1 Max and up to an astounding 4x faster than the latest AI PC chip2 So heavy workloads like de-noising raw video footage in DaVinci Resolve Studio can now run in real time".

Apple's M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max Chips Promise Huge Performance Gains and AI Prowess

Apple's busy week of announcements continues. Following the M4-powered iMac on Monday, the M4 Pro's debut in the redesigned Mac mini yesterday, and the new MacBook Pro notebooks today, Apple's M4 chip family has taken shape, now comprising three chips: the M4, the M4 Pro, and the M4 Max. This pattern follows the same one Apple took with its M1, M2, and M3 families, providing users with various options to meet varying needs. Each M4 chip has some things in common, though, including being built on second-generation 3-nanometer technology and featuring a more powerful Neural Engine to address the computational demands of Apple Intelligence, which arrived to Mac earlier this week, too. The CPUs across the M4 family feature the world's fastest CPU core, per Apple, and promise "the industry's best single-threaded performance" alongside significantly faster multi-threaded performance. The M4's GPUs build upon the M3's breakthrough graphics performance, offering up to two times better ray-tracing performance. The M4 Pro and M4 Max also enable support for Thunderbolt 5 on Mac for the first time in the M4 Pro Mac mini and the new MacBook Pro models. Thunderbolt 5 delivers up to 120Gb/s data transfer speeds, more than double those of Thunderbolt 4. M4 Pro and M4 Max promise significant gains in terms of memory bandwidth as well. The M4 Pro supports up to 64GB of fast unified memory and 273GB/s of memory bandwidth, a 75 percent increase over M3 Pro and double the bandwidth of any current AI PC chip. M4 Max, on the other hand, supports up to 128GB of unified memory with bandwidth speeds up to 546GB/s, four times the bandwidth of contemporary AI PC chips. Apple notes that the M4 Max's memory bandwidth enables developers to interact with large language models that have up to nearly 200 billion parameters. The new flagship -- at least until an expected M4 Ultra arrives at some point -- M4 Max chip includes two video encode engines and a pair of ProRes accelerators, making it "the ultimate choice for video professionals." Zeroing in on the M4 family's core performance, the base M4 features up to a 10-core CPU featuring four performance and six efficiency cores. The M4 is up to 1.8 times faster than the M4. It also features a 10-core GPU, which doubles the speed of the original M1's GPU. As for its Neural Engine, that sports 16 cores. The M4 supports up to 32GB of unified memory and offers a memory bandwidth of 120GB/s. Another notable improvement over the base M3 is that the new chip supports up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports and the M4's display engine can power two external displays in addition to a built-in screen. The M4 Pro has up to 14 CPU cores, including up to 10 performance cores, making its CPU up to 1.9 times faster than the M1 Pro and up to 2.1 times faster than the latest AI PC chip. The M4 Pro features up to 20 graphics cores, delivering double the graphics performance of the base M4. As for the M4 Max, it has up to a 16-core CPU (12 performance and four efficiency), which is up to 2.2 times faster than the M1 Max's CPU and up to 2.5 times faster than competing AI PC chips. The M4 Max goes for broke in the graphics department, offering up to 40 GPU cores that are up to 1.9 times faster than the M1 Max in terms of graphics performance and up to four times faster than competing AI PC chips. "So heavy workloads like de-noising RAW footage in DaVinci Resolve Studio can now run in real-time," Apple says. "Apple silicon has taken the Mac to unprecedented heights, and the rapid pace of innovation continues with M4 Pro and M4 Max," says Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Technologies. "With the world's fastest CPU core, immensely more powerful GPUs, and the fastest Neural Engine ever, the power-efficient performance and capabilities of the M4 family extend its lead as the most advanced lineup of chips in the industry."

Apple Launches M4 Pro and M4 Max Chips to Enhance Mac Performance and Efficiency

Apple has introduced the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, expanding the M4 family to deliver improved power efficiency and advanced capabilities for Mac computers. These chips are manufactured using second-generation 3-nanometer technology, which enhances both performance and energy efficiency. The M4 family includes the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max, all featuring CPUs with high-performance cores that achieve leading single-threaded and multithreaded performance benchmarks in the industry. The GPUs are built on an advanced architecture with faster cores and a ray-tracing engine that operates twice as quickly as the previous generation. Additionally, the M4 Pro and M4 Max support Thunderbolt 5, a first for Mac, and offer significantly increased unified memory bandwidth by up to 75 percent. The integrated Neural Engine is twice as fast as its predecessor, and the CPUs include enhanced machine learning accelerators, making the M4 chips well-suited for professional and artificial intelligence (AI) tasks. The standard M4 chip provides substantial performance improvements for a wide range of users, including entrepreneurs, students, and content creators. It features up to a 10-core CPU with a combination of four performance cores and six efficiency cores, delivering up to 1.8 times the speed of the M1 chip. This allows for rapid multitasking across applications such as Safari and Excel. The integrated 10-core GPU offers up to twice the graphics performance of the M1, facilitating smooth and efficient operations for tasks like photo editing and high-end gaming. The 16-core Neural Engine accelerates AI-driven features like Writing Tools and other machine learning applications. The M4 supports up to 32 GB of unified memory with a memory bandwidth of 120 GB/s and is capable of handling multiple external displays in addition to the built-in display. It also includes four Thunderbolt 4 ports, enabling high-speed data transfers and greater peripheral connectivity. The M4 Pro and M4 Max chips are designed for users with more demanding workflows, such as researchers, developers, engineers, and creative professionals. The M4 Pro includes up to a 14-core CPU with 10 performance cores and four efficiency cores, offering up to 1.9 times the CPU speed of the M1 Pro and 2.1 times the speed of the latest AI PC chips. Its GPU can be configured with up to 20 cores, providing twice the graphics performance of the standard M4 and 2.4 times the speed of comparable AI PC chips. This enhanced performance facilitates faster application development and testing in environments like Xcode, and improves real-time rendering in professional 3D applications. The M4 Pro supports up to 64 GB of unified memory with a memory bandwidth of 273 GB/s, a 75 percent increase over the previous generation, and includes support for Thunderbolt 5 with data transfer speeds up to 120 Gb/s. The M4 Max takes these enhancements further, featuring up to a 16-core CPU and a 40-core GPU, delivering up to 2.5 times the CPU speed and four times the GPU performance compared to the latest AI PC chips. It supports up to 128 GB of unified memory with a bandwidth of 546 GB/s and includes advanced media engines for high-efficiency video encoding and ProRes acceleration. Both the M4 Pro and M4 Max support Thunderbolt 5, ensuring rapid data transfers and connectivity options for professional-grade peripherals. These chips are integral to Apple Intelligence, which leverages the processing power of the M4 family to provide advanced AI features while safeguarding user privacy through on-device processing and secure cloud computing options.

Apple M4 Max: everything we know

The Apple M4 Max chip is official now that Apple has announced the new Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch and Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch. The powerful new chip is the flagship of the current Apple M4 chip lineup, following on the heels of yesterday's Apple M4 Pro announcement. The new Apple M4 Max promises a CPU and GPU core-count boost for those who need maximum performance for their MacBook Pro for whatever your creative project needs. Since the Apple M4 Max is very much the mainstream enthusiast option for Apple fans out there, this might not be the most popular option for those looking to get a new MacBook Pro, especially as it'll be the most expensive. But, enthusiasts aren't known for fretting about price tags when it comes to getting the most performance out of the latest MacBook models, so for those who want the very best, here's everything we know about the new Apple M4 Max. The Apple M4 Max chip won't sell on its own, but will instead come as an optional upgrade for the new MacBook Pro 14-inch and MacBook Pro 16-inch models announced alongside the new M4 Max chip. While you can pre-order the new MacBook Pro models with Apple M4 Max now, deliveries don't start until November 8th, the same day you'll be able to pick up the new laptop models in stores. The Apple M4 Max chip comes preinstalled on new MacBook Pro models, so the price will depend on the laptop configuration you choose. The new Apple M4 Max has some noticeable improvements over last year's Apple M3 Max, at least on paper. The processor core speeds are faster on the Apple M4 Max compared to the previous M3 Max, and it will feature up to twice the ray-tracing performance as its predecessor. The second-generation 3nm architecture will also feature support for Thunderbolt 5 for the first time, as well as 75% improved memory bandwidth, which will be essential for Apple Intelligence to effectively run on the platform. Speaking of Apple Intelligence, the M4 Max's 16-core neural engine (Apple's version of an NPU), will get up to 38 TOPS, compared to the M3 Max's 18 TOPS. This should greatly accelerate AI workloads, which is undoubtedly something that M4 Max MacBook Pro users will be very interested in over the next year or two as new AI tools for professional work roll out. Of course, all of this remains to be seen until we get our hands on some Apple hardware with the new M4 Max chip in it, but expectations are high that Apple keeps itself in the pole position when it comes to the best laptops thanks to this latest high-end silicon.

Apple Refreshes MacBook Pro Laptops With New M4 Pro, M4 Max Chips

Apple's new M4 processors promise generation-over-generation improvements to CPU and GPU performance for its MacBook Pro 14 and MacBook Pro 16 laptops. The new M4 Pro and Max chips, which follow the M4 and M4 Pro updates to Apple's iMac and Mac Mini desktops, will also potentially bring better and faster AI performance and battery life. The M4 chips all have a Gen 2, 16-core neural cluster that's slightly faster than the first generation, designed to support early Apple Intelligence features. These features will continue to roll out with MacOS 15.1 and future updates. The M4 has up to 10 CPU and 10 GPU cores, while the M4 Pro has up to 14 CPU and 20 GPU and the M4 Max has up to 16 CPU and 40 GPU. That means there's likely a big performance jump between the Pro and the Max for gaming. All MacBook models, including the M2 and M3 MacBook Air (with an expected M4 upgrade early next year), will now have a minimum of 16GB of memory, because that's really the minimum necessary for AI processing via an integrated GPU, like AppIe's. No price bump for any entry-level models, though. The MacBook Pro 16's entry model has 24GB RAM, up from 18GB. Physically, there are no visible changes to either MacBook Pros except for an added Thunderbolt port on the 14-inch, for a total of three ports; all systems with an M4 Pro or Max have Thunderbolt 5 ports. (They finally get an upgrade from the 1080p FaceTime camera to the 12-megapixel Center Stage camera. Yay!) The M4 model of the 14-inch is now also available in space black, like the higher-end versions. Thanks to the new Tandem OLED video controller in the M4 chips, the Liquid Retina XDR displays can hit up to 1,000 nits in SDR, plus the option for the new non-reflective nano-texture layer. And the battery life is projected at a couple hours longer than before in some cases, but, as always, that'll vary a lot depending on the internal components and battery capacity. The MacBook Pro 14 starts at $1,599 and the MacBook Pro 16 starts at $2,499. Preorders begin today and the systems are slated to ship Nov. 8.

Apple M4 MacBook Pro 16-inch: everything we know so far

Apple's big-screen Pro laptop will be a powerhouse with the M4 Max chip We might have already seen Apple's M4 chip in the new iPad Pro, but now it's time for the main event: the M4 MacBook Pro, which is landing with both the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips and promises to take the performance of Apple's flagship professional laptop to never-before-seen heights. I'm going to be primarily discussing the 16-inch version of the new MacBook Pro here; if you're more interested in its little brother the M4 MacBook Pro 14-inch, just click that link for our coverage of the smaller laptop. With pre-orders now open for the M4 MacBook Pro 16-inch, I've collated everything we know about the new laptop right here for your browsing convenience. From the performance boost offered by the mighty M4 Max chip to the MacBook Pro's newly enhanced battery life, this looks set to be a slam dunk from Apple. The M4 MacBook Pro 16-inch will land in stores on November 8, but pre-orders from the Apple Store are already live (with delivery dates set to align with the physical launch) if you want to get your order in early. Pricing will start at $2,499 / £2,499 / AU$3,999 for the base configuration, which comes with the M4 Pro chip and 24GB of unified memory. If you want the M4 Max chip, it'll start at $3,499 / £3,499 / AU$5,699. As with the previous-gen M3 MacBook Air 16-inch, there's no configuration using the base M4 chip - you'll need to downsize to the 14-inch model if you want a lower entry price. If you want to expand the memory or storage (or opt for the new display configuration - more on that further down), the price of this premium Pro laptop will climb rather quickly, but that's standard fare for Apple at this point. Apple has also seen fit to update all of its 'Magic' Mac peripherals with new USB-C ports to replace the old Lightning connector models, all of which launched alongside the new M4 Mac mini and the M4 iMac. The Magic Keyboard starts at $99 / £99 / AU$149, the Magic Trackpad at $129 / £129 / AU$209, and the Magic Mouse at $79 / £79 / AU$149. The 16-inch variant of Apple's hugely successful MacBook Pro lineup is always the powerhouse model, and this year's iteration is no exception to that rule. Even the base configuration will pack the M4 Pro chip, which offers a significant performance jump over last year's M3 Pro. The M4 chip family, from the standard M4 up to the M4 Max (and perhaps beyond to an as-of-yet unannounced M4 Ultra) boasts the 'world's fastest CPU core', delivering market-leading performance in single-core workloads while also offering strong performance in multithreaded tasks. The integrated GPU also receives a power boost, with a core speed increase over its last-gen counterpart along with double the ray-tracing performance, further paving the way for macOS to finally become a genuinely viable platform for gaming. AI is unsurprisingly also a focus here, with the M4 Pro and M4 Max both benefitting from Apple's next-gen Neural Engine, which offers twice the AI processing speed compared to the M3 iteration. With Apple Intelligence taking the stage, it makes sense that Apple is gearing up to deliver further improved on-device AI performance. The new MacBook Pro 16-inch will feature Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports (replacing the deprecated Lightning connectors), enabled by the boosted transfer capabilities of the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips. There's also a shiny new 'nano-texture' display configuration for that gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR screen, and finally Apple claims that both sizes of the new MacBook Pro will feature the longest battery life of any MacBook - up to a phenomenal 24 hours.

All the M4 Mac news this week -- iMac confirmed, MacBook Pro and Mac Mini rumors

Mac week is well under way and Apple is in the process of giving its desktops and laptops an M4 turbocharge. So far, we've seen the iMac M4 launch, but rumors and leaks are also pointing towards a new M4 Mac Mini and M4 MacBook Pro to boot. If you saw how the M4 chip performed in the iPad Pro, you'll know why there's a lot to be excited about. The performance gains seem mightily impressive -- especially in single-core performance -- and the Cupertino crew has seriously beefed up the Neural Engine to support the full breadth of what Apple Intelligence will bring to the table. When the iPad launched, we all sat with baited breath to find out what the M4 would be capable of in a beefier Mac, and we are in the process of finding out over the next few days. Keep this page bookmarked, as we'll be updating it with every new announcement as it happens. The M4 iMac has a release date of November 8. Whatever else comes, I think it'd be a safe bet to say they will also release on the same date. Kicking off on Monday, Apple dropped a kind of mini keynote video to announce the iMac is getting an M4 spec bump. Normally, a minor update like this may be a small update, but there's a lot more going on here that we've gotta talk about (as you may have seen when I compared the M4 iMac vs M3 iMac). Here are the differences: Check down below for a spec table of everything we know, but beyond the above, this is business as usual. Except for one thing -- the Magic Keyboard, Magic TrackPad and Magic Mouse are now armed with USB-C ports. It's taken Apple a while to finally kill Lightning, but here we are, though the underside port placement on the Magic Mouse remains (much to my annoyance). My recommendation would be to grab a Logitech MX Master 3S -- easily the best mouse we've tested. Another key announcement that Apple dropped is the launch iOS 18.1, macOS Sequoia 15.1, and iPadOS 18.1 software updates that bring Apple Intelligence to the world! This is very much a first wave of announcements, and it seems as if iOS 18.2 in December is where we'll start to see AI kick into full gear. But with this update, you've now got features like Rewrite and Proofread, as well as a more conversational Siri, the ability to record phone calls, transcribe and summarize audio recordings, and improved intelligence in the Photos app that allows you to search for pics with natural language. Oh, and the Clean Up tool is here to remove any unwanted objects or photobombers from the background of your pics. It is a week of Mac after all, and we're deep in the time you can usually expect to see new MacBook Pros. And thanks to one Russian YouTuber, it's looking more certain that we're seeing M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBooks. Key upgrades we're expecting are that all-important chipset upgrade, Space Black being available across the entire range, that third Thunderbolt 4 port coming to the standard M4 MacBook Pro, and a 16GB RAM minimum (following the iMac). So when it comes to the Mac announcements this week, the M4 Mac Mini seems to be the one causing the biggest stir in the rumor mill. Expectations are high for a redesign that will make it a helluva lot smaller than its previous (already pretty small) sibling. Think like the small puck design of the Apple TV 4K and you'll be on the right tracks.

Apple Refreshes MacBook Pro Lineup With M4 Pro and M4 Max 3Nm Chips - Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE:TSM)

M4 Pro and M4 Max introduce Thunderbolt 5 and double ray-tracing speed. Thursday, Apple Inc AAPL unveiled two advanced chips, the M4 Pro and M4 Max, expanding its M4 lineup for Mac. These chips harness Apple's second-generation 3-nanometer technology. Needham analyst Charles Shi attributed Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's TSM third-quarter financial performance to 3nm technology, mainly driven by Apple. Also Read: Apple Refreshes Mac Mini: Smaller Form Factor, M4 Chip Power, Carbon Neutral The M4 Pro and M4 Max significantly upgrade CPU and GPU capabilities, including faster cores and doubled ray-tracing engine performance compared to previous models as per Apple. Additionally, the company claimed that these chips debut Thunderbolt 5 support, offering Mac users unprecedented data transfer speeds and higher memory bandwidth for intensive applications like AI and 3D rendering. As per Apple, the advanced GPUs, supported by a two-times faster ray-tracing engine, make the M4 Pro and M4 Max compelling choices for professionals in AI, gaming, and high-performance tasks. The company said the M4 Pro is targeted toward professionals like developers and engineers. It provides up to a 14-core CPU and a 20-core GPU, delivering up to 2.4 times the performance of competing AI PC chips. With support for up to 64GB of unified memory and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, the M4 Pro enhances workflows involving large data sets and complex simulations. Apple said that with up to 128GB of memory and quadruple the bandwidth of standard AI PC chips, the M4 Max caters to developers working with extensive machine learning models and introduces Thunderbolt 5 for high-speed connectivity. The M4 series also integrates Apple's new "Apple Intelligence" feature, a personal intelligence system built into macOS. It combines advanced machine learning and privacy protections, allowing users to streamline tasks, communicate efficiently, and even create custom emojis with the Genmoji feature. Enhanced Siri capabilities will include ChatGPT integration in December, adding further versatility to Apple's AI offerings. Apple launched its latest MacBook Pro models, now powered by the new M4 chip family, marking another leap forward in performance and efficiency. The new lineup includes the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, tailored to provide an enhanced user experience while focusing on privacy through Apple Intelligence technology. The MacBook Pro is available in sleek space black and classic silver. Starting at $1,599, the 14-inch model includes 16GB of memory and three Thunderbolt 4 ports and is optimized for Apple's personal intelligence system. Apple said the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, available in 14 -- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, support Thunderbolt 5 for faster data transfer and enhanced connectivity. Designed for high-demand applications, these models offer memory options up to 128GB and are ideal for resource-intensive tasks such as video editing and 3D rendering. All models in the new MacBook Pro lineup are equipped with a Liquid Retina XDR display, featuring an optional nano-texture display that improves visibility in bright conditions. With up to 24 hours of battery life, these MacBook Pros boast the most extended battery duration of any Mac device. The new Macbooks can be preordered today and will start shipping on November 8th. The system supports a range of Apple-exclusive features, such as systemwide Writing Tools, Siri updates, and enhanced privacy measures, which allow users to perform tasks more efficiently. Price Action: AAPL stock is down 1.05% at $231.21 at the last check on Wednesday. Also Read: Apple Unveils New iMac: M4 Chip Brings Faster Speeds and Smarter AI Features Photo via Apple This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Apple Boosts Mac Mini With M4 Chips, 16GB Starting Memory, and New Design

After being skipped over in third-generation M-series computers, the Mac mini has returned to deliver the most cost-efficient entry point for Apple's M4 line of chips. Keeping its starting price at $599, Apple also bumps up its starting configuration to 16GB of unified memory as a baseline. This has two effects: First, it finally dispels any negativity surrounding Apple's use of 8GB of memory in starting configurations without costing anyone extra cash. Second, paired with the M4 processor, it enables the ideal version of the Apple Intelligence AI tools to launch in the macOS Sequoia 15.1 update. (AI tools such as this are known to be memory-hungry across processor platforms.) Apple is now taking preorders for the Mac mini ahead of a Nov. 8 launch. Macro-Size Changes Inside and Out In a surprise move, Apple updated the Mac mini design to make room for more useful connections, leading to a more Mac Studio-like appearance. Measuring 5 inches on each side horizontally and 2 inches tall instead of 1.4 by 7.7 by 7.7 inches (HWD) like before, the new Mac mini gains two 10Gbps USB-C 3.1 ports and an audio jack on its front side. On the rear, the less puck-like desktop houses three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an Ethernet jack, and an HDMI port. This is unfortunate news for anyone still clinging to USB-A accessories, as those ports have been put to pasture. While it's down on ports a bit from before in some ways, it's in no way down on display support -- the new Mac mini powers as many as three 6K-resolution displays from its Thunderbolt 4 array. Apple is also touting the fact that this is the first fully carbon-neutral Mac product. It uses less aluminum in its chassis design and more fiber-based packaging than ever. The 3-nanometer, fan-cooled M4 chip inside is an eight-core CPU paired with an eight-core GPU (with an optional 10-core part) and a 16-core Neural Engine coprocessor to handle onboard AI tasks. This is paired with that doubled 16GB memory and a 256GB SSD, starting at $599. The Mac mini supports up to 64GB of memory and as much as 8TB of SSD space. Apple says this model is 1.6 times faster than the M2 Mac mini in the Affinity Photo app and 1.4 times faster than the predecessor while running World of Warcraft. Overall, Apple says the M4 processor houses the quickest CPU core of any computer chip to date, and the company claims 1.8 times faster CPU performance and 2.2 times quicker GPU speeds over the M1 Mac mini. Presenting the Apple M4 Pro Processor The newest Mac mini is the debut stage for the first advanced M4 processor, the M4 Pro, a higher-tier configuration option. This is a 14-core CPU with an up-to-20-core GPU and the same 16-core Neural Engine as the baseline chip. Apple's new GPU also specifically doubles ray-tracing performance for better real-time lighting details in 3D games and modeling apps. Overall, Apple says this version of the souped-up Mac mini is twice as fast as the previous model with the M2 Pro. The M4 Pro also unlocks 120Gbps Thunderbolt 5 ports for the Mac mini, which is the absolute latest for the connection standard. Specifically regarding the M4 Pro, Apple has bragged about its enhanced memory bandwidth, now 273GB/s. According to Apple, this boosted bandwidth improves performance with AI workloads and is twice as much as any competing AI PC. Instead of just a basic internal silicon refresh, Apple has improved nearly everything about the Mac mini with this revision, most notably its starting memory configuration. That and the more convenient design represent a lot of value-add for the same starting price of $599, though the USB-A ports will be dearly missed. We'll save any more judgments for our final review.

The 2024 Mac Mini Shrinks the Size but Promises Supercharged Performance

The Mac mini with M4 comes in either base or Pro flavors, though not all will be happy with Apple’s port selection lacking USB-A. The Mac mini is back, showing how Apple is still trying to prove that size still matters. The Cupertino, California company has shrunk its already small desktop to about as much space as an Apple TV box. What’s more, the new version comes with the latest in Apple silicon, the M4 chip. Apple is preparing to launch two versions of the Mac mini next month. You can nab the baseline, $600 model with the regular M4 chip or opt for a more expensive, $1,400 Mac mini with the M4 Pro. The last Mac mini Apple debuted in 2022 and was released in 2023. It housed an M2 chip or an M2 Pro. The new device starts at 16 GB of RAM with options up to 64 GB and storage options up to 8 TB if you're willing to spend an extra $2,400 on the most expensive model. The M4 first debuted with this year’s iPad Pro. That version of the same chip included a 9-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, and support for ray tracing. At the introductory level, the new version of Apple's small desktop includes a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, similar to the new iMac just announced Monday. Meanwhile, the M4 Pro includes a 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU with a base of 24GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD storage. You could also go for a 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU for an extra $200. The M4 in the Mac mini means that Apple’s small computer will be better for gaming, even if Apple’s native game library is still limited compared to the competition. The previous Mac mini box measured 7.62 inches square. The new Mini is about 5-by-5 inches in length and width, plus exactly two inches in height. This will mean it takes up"much less space" on your desk, but Apple claims it should still keep cool with its new air guides, which direct the exhaust through the front vents. The M4 chip’s 16-core neural engine is also set to beat the M2 on background AI performance. The M2 can support around 16 TOPS, or trillions of operations per second, while the M4 is supposed to do 38 TOPS. However, that’s not nearly as important as its CPU and GPU capabilities, especially for intensive tasks and AI processing. Based on our M4 benchmarks with iPad, we expect the new chip to show some impressive gains over the M2 version. Apple has reconfigured the port selection on the updated little Mac (a much better name for the device if only Nintendo didn’t own the copyright on that). Instead of housing two USB-A ports like the one from 2023, the redesigned version includes a power connector, HDMI port, and three USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4. There are also two regular USB-C ports on the chassis' front face. It looks like my mainstay wired gaming mouse will need a port hub. Apple may be developing a slate of new wireless mice, keyboards, and trackpads to replace the current Magic lineup. This could be a boon for folks looking to stay within the Apple ecosystem, though anybody else will need to start thinking of adapters if they’re hoping to use the latest Apple products on their desktops. Apple said it plans to pull the sheet off even more Mac products this week, so keep your eye out for even more new desktops and laptops.

Apple's New MacBook Pros Boast M4, Thunderbolt 5, and Nano-Texture Displays

Apple announced its newest MacBook Pro laptop computer which features increased performance thanks to the M4 family of chips: M5, M4 Pro, and M4 Max. Like all of Apple's recent announcements, the new MacBook Pro -- which is available in 14-inch and 16-inch configurations -- is "built for Apple Intelligence." The company says that combined with its machine learning accelerators in the CPU, an advanced GPU, and a faster and more efficient Neural Engine, Apple silicon is built to support high performance with AI tasks. Most photographers and filmmakers will care more about how the technology improves or speeds up their workflows. PetaPixel has a detailed dive into the M4 family of chips but as a summary, Apple says that they are built using a second-generation 3-nanometer technology that features extremely high single-threaded CPU performance with what it bills as "the world's fastest CPU core." "When compared to an Intel-based MacBook Pro, the new MacBook Pro provides nearly 10x faster performance for AI-based workloads, and for graphics-intensive workloads, users get up to 20x faster performance. With battery life on the new MacBook Pro now up to 24 hours, upgraders will also experience up to 14 additional hours," Apple says. Comparing performance to the now very old Intel-based laptops isn't the best metric for performance and benchmarks compared to the M3-series chips will likely have to wait for reviews. Apple says that when combined with faster unified memory, these chips also get increased memory bandwidth so large projects run more smoothly while at the same time, power efficiency is even more improved: Apple says that MacBook Pro users will see up to 24 hours of battery life. The MacBook Pro comes with the option to equip it with any of the three M4 chips. With the base level M4, Apple says that users can expect up to 7x faster image processing in Affinity Photo when compared to the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with Core i7, and up to 1.8x faster when compared to the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1. It also provides up to 10.9x faster 3D rendering in Blender when compared to the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with Core i7, and up to 3.4x faster when compared to the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with M1. Finally, M3 brings up to 9.8x faster scene edit detection in Adobe Premiere Pro when compared to the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with Core i7, and up to 1.7x faster when compared to the 13‑inch MacBook Pro with M1. M4 Pro, the next step up, promises up to 4x faster scene rendering performance with Maxon Redshift when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Core i9, and up to 3x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro. Apple says it also offers up to 5x faster simulation of dynamical systems in MathWorks MATLAB when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Core i9, and up to 2.2x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro. Finally, the last comparison Apple provides says it will perform up to 23.8x faster basecalling for DNA sequencing in Oxford Nanopore MinKNOW when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Core i9, and up to 1.8x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro. M4 Max, the most powerful configuration, promises up to 7.8x faster scene rendering performance with Maxon Redshift when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9, and up to 3.5x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max. Apple says it also can reach up to 4.6x faster build performance when compiling code in Xcode when compared to the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9, and up to 2.2x faster when compared to the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max. Finally, the M4 Max MacBook Pro promises up to 30.8x faster video processing performance in Topaz Video AI when compared to the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9, and up to 1.6x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max. The M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro options also come with Thunderbolt 5, which more than doubles transfer speed capability to 120 Gb/s. All MacBook Pro models also feature an HDMI port that supports up to 8K resolution, an SDXC card slot, a MagSafe 3 port for charging, and a headphone jack, along with support for WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. Apple's 2024 MacBook Pro series also adds the option for a nano-texture display which reduces glare and reflections which was a welcome addition to the iPad Pro earlier this year. Apple says that in bright lighting conditions, the new MacBook Pro can show SDR content at up to 1,000 nits and HDR content at up to 1,600 nits. Apple included a new 12-megapixel Center Stage camera on the new MacBook Pro which it says "delivers enhanced video quality in challenging lighting conditions." The new MacBook Pro is made from a custom alloy that uses 100% recycled aluminum in the enclosure, 100% recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, and 100% recycled tin soldering, gold plating, and copper in multiple printed circuit boards. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 starts at $1,599 and the M4 Pro option starts at $1,99. The 16‑inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,499. All models are available in space black and silver.

Apple Launches MacBook Pro with M4 Processors & 16GB RAM in Base Models

The much-awaited M4 MacBook Pro is finally here! On day 3 of its week of Mac announcements, Apple unveiled its refreshed MacBook Pro lineup with a powerful M4 family of chips. The new M4 MacBook Pro comes in 14-inch and 16-inch options. As speculated, Apple ditched the traditional launch event route and announced its new Macs via a press release. The new M4 MacBook Pro models are available for pre-order starting today, with shipping starting as early as November 8. M4 MacBook Pro: Specs and Features In terms of design, the new M4 MacBook Pro looks pretty similar to the M3 model, featuring a flat-edged chassis and a slim bezel screen with a notch cutout that holds the FaceTime camera. The prime highlight of the new MacBook is the upgraded and insanely capable M4 processors with Apple Intelligence support. There's an entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 processor, and a higher-end 14-inch & 16-inch MacBook Pro in M4 Pro and M4 Max variants. Talking about the specifications, Apple's M4 MacBook Pro features a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, the same version that powers the expensive M4 iPad Pro. The M4 chip brings a massive jump in performance, especially regarding the Neural Engine capabilities. The M4 Neural Engine is 3x more powerful than in M1, making it a great upgrade for AI workloads. Interestingly, the base 14-inch MacBook Pro starts with an upgraded RAM of 16GB, which is double the 8GB RAM on older models. This will allow for a better performance for Apple Intelligence features. The MacBook Pro with M4 Pro comes with a 14-core CPU and a 20-core GPU and brings a 75 percent increase in memory bandwidth. This makes the M4 Pro MacBook Pro up to 3x faster than the M1 Pro models. The ultimate powerhouse, the M4 Max brings up to a 16-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU, a faster Neural Engine, and up to 128GB of unified memory, allowing on-device AI models to run faster than ever. In terms of connectivity, the M4 MacBook Pro is equipped with three Thunderbolt 4 ports. Whereas, the 14- and 16-inch models with M4 Pro and M4 Max level up the connectivity game with Thunderbolt 5 so you can enjoy transfer speeds up to 120 Gb/s. Also, all the models feature an 8K HDMI port, an SDXC card slot, a MagSafe 3 charging port, and a headphone jack, along with Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E support. All the M4 MacBook Pro models feature a Liquid Retina XDR display that levels up the viewing experience with an all-new nano-texture display option and up to 1000 nits of brightness for SDR content. Besides, all the M4 MacBooks boast an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera and an improved battery life that can last up to 24 hours on a single charge. M4 MacBook Pro: Price & Availability The 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 chip and 16GB RAM starts at $1,599. Whereas, the 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 model starts at $2,499. It's nice to see Apple sticking to the same price points as the previous M3 models, despite an upgraded RAM of 16GB.

Apple updates MacBook Pro laptops with new chips, more memory for AI

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc., during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference at Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California, on June 10, 2024. Apple on Wednesday introduced new MacBook Pro laptops with updated processors, in what is likely the company's last major hardware announcement of the year. The new devices are equipped with Apple's latest chip, the M4. Some models have access to more powerful versions, called the M4 Pro and M4 Max. Apple says the new chips are 1.8 times faster than the M1, which powered Apple's 2021 MacBook Pro. Apple has also made a significant change across its entire Mac lineup to prepare the computers for future artificial intelligence features. Apple said the new models, like all devices released this year, are designed for Apple Intelligence, the company's AI system that can generate text, images and emojis. Additionally, all of the new MacBook Pro models come with at least 16GB of RAM. Until now, low-end Macs often came with 8GB of RAM by default. The more memory a computer has, the more it is capable of handling larger and more sophisticated AI models. Apple's MacBook Air laptops and iMac desktops are also getting an update to start with at least 16GB of RAM at the same $999 starting price as before. The M4 also has improved AI capabilities. Doubling the RAM on its laptops represents the most significant change Apple has made to its lineup of computers to better support Apple Intelligence.

Apple updates MacBook Pro laptops with new chips, more memory for AI

Apple Inc. MacBook Pro computers on display in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 22.Samsul Said / Bloomberg via Getty Images Apple on Wednesday introduced new MacBook Pro laptops with updated processors, in what is likely the company's last major hardware announcement of the year. The new devices are equipped with Apple's latest chip, the M4. Some models have access to more powerful versions, called the M4 Pro and M4 Max. Apple says the new chips are 1.8 times faster than the M1, which powered Apple's 2021 MacBook Pro. Apple has also made a significant change across its entire Mac lineup to prepare the computers for future artificial intelligence features. Apple said the new models, like all devices released this year, are designed for Apple Intelligence, the company's AI system that can generate text, images and emojis. Additionally, all of the new MacBook Pro models come with at least 16GB of RAM. Until now, low-end Macs often came with 8GB of RAM by default. The more memory a computer has, the more it is capable of handling larger and more sophisticated AI models. Apple's MacBook Air laptops and iMac desktops are also getting an update to start with at least 16GB of RAM at the same $999 starting price as before. The M4 also has improved AI capabilities. Doubling the RAM on its laptops represents the most significant change Apple has made to its lineup of computers to better support Apple Intelligence. The 2021 MacBook Pro redesign was praised for a thicker design that allowed the computer to have several traditional ports, such as an HDMI port for connecting the computer to TV screens and projectors. The re-release was part of a wave of Mac launches in 2021 that revived the product line, alongside Apple's decision to switch from Intel chips to its homegrown M-series. Apple's Mac lineup is critical for the company even though it contributes less overall revenue than the iPhone or the wearables business, which includes the Apple Watch and AirPods. All apps made for iPhones are written on a Mac, for example. In the quarter that ended in June, Apple reported $7 billion in Mac sales, up about 2% from the same period a year earlier. Apple reports results for the latest quarter on Thursday. The 14-inch Mac starts at $1,599 and the 16-inch model starts at $2,499. The 14-inch model with the more powerful M4 Pro chip starts at $1,999. Apple says some models of the M4 MacBook Pro can get up to 24 hours of battery. The new MacBook Pro models also got an upgraded 12-megapixel videoconferencing camera.

Apple's M4 Mac mini is the smallest Mac ever and, with a new M4 Pro option, possibly the most powerful too

Apple is once again taking the mini name to heart, unveiling today an all-new, almost impossibly tiny Mac mini running not only a 3-nanometer M4 chip but with the option of an all-new piece of Apple silicon, the M4 Pro. When Apple introduced the Mac mini almost a decade ago, it was the smallest Mac to date, at just 6.5 inches x 6.5 inches and 2 inches tall. Recent editions have grown to almost 8 inches square, making them feel less like tiny computers and a bit more like elegant hot plates. This new model clocks in at 5.5 inches square and perhaps a bit taller than the M2 model. That's still about two inches larger than an Apple TV 4K but also small enough to fit in one decent-sized hand. At a glance, the Mac mini M4 is familiar. It's still made of recycled aluminum (though 85% less than the last model), is still square with rounded corners, and has a circular fan vent in the base. After that, the pint-sized computer diverges. The once-clean face now offers a pair of USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. One might argue that the smaller chassis forced the movement of some ports from the back to the front, but I think people will welcome the ease of use. You'll find the more familiar Thunderbolt (3x), Ethernet, and HDMI ports on the back. What may matter most to Mac mini fans is the introduction of Apple's newest and fastest silicon, the M4, first seen in the iPad Pro. The last Mac mini topped out at an M2 class chip, offering performance options up to the M2 Pro. In a similar fashion, the new Mac mini marks the introduction of the M4's first iteration: an M4 Pro. The M4 Pro brings with it an up-to-14-core CPU and an up-to-20-core GPU. It matches the M4's 16-core neural engine, which plays a large role in AI operations. One of the big changes, and one that could significantly impact performance, is the increased memory bandwidth. While the M2 Pro offers 120Gbps throughput, the M4 Pro promises 75% higher memory bandwidth. Again, we won't know the true impact until we test the new Mac mini and its new CPU. The new Pro-level silicon also introduces Thunderbolt 5 support, which means those ports will offer transfer speeds of up to 120Gbps, a tantalizing prospect for those who work in pro-level video editing. Apple is calling this its first carbon-neutral Mac because, in addition to that far reduced use of aluminum, the product features 50% recycled content and is being produced using all renewable energy. Like other Apple silicon-running systems, the new Mac mini M4 offers full support for Apple intelligence. Perhaps that's why the new base memory for all Mac minis is now 16GB, up from 8GB. Though, you can get up to 64GB of RAM when you have the M4 Pro chip in a Mac mini. Apple is doing that while keeping the base price at $599 / £599 / $999AU. It's a welcome change, even if it's partially necessitated by Apple Intelligence's onboard generative AI processing demands. While I have yet to test the new M4 Pro Mac mini, I have seen it in action running, for instance, an application known as Aperty that lets you do pro-level portrait photography editing. In one demo, I watched as they added new point lighting to a photo and then dragged it around as the subject's lighting changed in real-time. The system appeared to instantly assess the 3D contours of the face, apply an invisible map, and adjust the virtual light accordingly. It can do this work and other onboard AI actions - powered mainly by the Neural Engine - that can instantly add or change makeup and remove under-eye shadows. The new Mac mini M4 is on pre-sale today (Oct. 29) and ships on November 8 with a starting price of $599 / £599 / $999AU. The base model starts with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 16GB of memory, and 256GB of storage. It ranges up to $1,399 / £1399 / $2,199AU for a Mac mini M4 packed with a 12-core CPU, 16 Core GPU, 24GB of memory, and 512GB of storage.

Apple's New MacBook Pro Has M4 Chips and Thunderbolt 5

I'm a Mac User With an Android Phone, Here's How I Get My Devices Working Together Apple has revealed new MacBook Pro laptops, complete with faster M4 chips, more memory in the base models, and other upgrades. The new MacBook Pro is available in 14-inch and 16-inch models, with the base models using the same M4 chip as the iMac, Mac Mini, and iPad Pro. The regular M4 chip should be more than powerful enough for typical productivity, web browsing, and content creation. Apple is also selling more expensive options with the higher-power M4 Pro and M4 Max, intended for more demanding video editing, 3D modeling, AI workloads, and other tasks that can make use of the additional CPU and GPU cores. ✕ Remove Ads Apple said in its announcement, "Combined with machine learning accelerators in the CPU, an advanced GPU, and a faster and more efficient Neural Engine, Apple silicon is built from the ground up to deliver incredible performance for AI. Together with faster unified memory, each chip also includes increased memory bandwidth, so large language models (LLMs) and other large projects run smoothly and on device." Importantly, the new laptops start with 16GB memory, just like the new iMacs. That has been a frequent complaint with base model Mac computers for the past few years, and it was especially silly on Apple's "Pro" computers. Farewell, 8GB MacBook Pro laptops, you will not be missed. ✕ Remove Ads The laptops also have an "all-new nano-texture display option" that should reduce screen glare when outside, and a more powerful 12MP Center Stage webcam. You'll probably still need a USB webcam or an iPhone in Continuity Camera mode for the best possible picture (and better lighting always helps), but it's nice to see at least some improvement. The base model M4 MacBook Pro has three Thunderbolt 4 ports, with support for USB 4 and Thunderbolt devices up to 40 Gb/s. Any of the ports can also be used for charging, or you can just use the dedicated MagSafe 3 power connector. The M4 Pro and M4 Max models upgrade the ports to Thunderbolt 5, doubling transfer speeds to 120 Gb/s for faster external storage and more docks. There's also still 8K HDMI, an SD card slot, headphone jack, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3 across all models. ✕ Remove Ads The new laptops seem like a great upgrade for anyone with an older MacBook or MacBook Pro, or even people in the Windows ecosystem who can do everything they need in macOS. You can pre-order the new laptops starting today from Apple's online store, with the 14-inch model starting at $1,599 and the 16-inch version starting at $2,499. Source: Apple

Apple's redesigned Mac mini is a tiny beast with M4 and M4 Pro chips

You can likely trace the start of the small computer trend back to the original Mac mini, which debuted in 2005 with a simple pitch: What if desktop, but tiny? Now Apple aims to take that concept even further with its latest Mac mini, a five-inch by five-inch box measuring a mere two inches tall, that can tackle some serious workloads. And while we expected it to include Apple's M4 chip, it can also be configured with an even more powerful M4 Pro model, which is also being announced today. Take that hardware together with a standard 16GB of RAM (just like the new M4 iMac), and you've got a pretty compelling Mac mini starting at $599 ($499 for education customers). Why, exactly, did Apple shrink down the Mac mini? It's not as if the previous case, which has been around for years, was very large (it measures 7.75-inches by 7.75-inches, and it's 1.41-inches thick). When I reviewed the the M2 Mac mini early last year, I was still impressed by how slim and sleek it looked, especially compared to small form factor Windows systems. But by trimming down its footprint (at the expense of making it a bit taller), Apple can once again portray the Mac mini as an object of desire. You may not need it, but one look at its diminutive frame, and you might start finding reasons to give it a loving home. Apple claims the M4 chip makes the new Mac mini up to 1.8 times faster than the M1 version, and up to 2.2 times faster when it comes to graphics. (The fact that Apple isn't directly comparing it to the M2 model makes it clear this isn't a major year-over-year upgrade.) While the M4 chip tops out at 10 cores, the M4 Pro reaches up to 14 cores (10 performance and 2 efficiency cores). It also features a 20 core GPU, double the amount in the base M4 chip. M4 Pro delivers Thunderbolt 5 connectivity for the first time on a Mac, which offers up to three times the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 3, as well as up to 64GB of RAM. There's also 273 GBps of memory bandwidth, which should be a huge help for AI processing. Given that Apple Intelligence officially launched this week with the release of iOS 18.1, it's also a major selling point for the new Mac mini. The M4 chip sports 38 TOPS (tera operations per second) of AI processing power, while the M3 topped out at 18 TOPS. While Apple hasn't said this directly, I'd bet AI is also a major reason why the Mac Mini now starts with 16GB of RAM. Apple Intelligence requires at least 8GB of RAM to function, but the company has admitted that may not be enough to run Xcode 16's AI features. As always, having more RAM is better for future proofing, especially when you can't add more memory down the line. Apple has also finally given us a few front ports on the Mac mini, instead of the clean facade of the last few models. There are two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm jack up front, which will make it far easier to plug in jump drives and headphones. On the back, you'll find another three USB-C ports (one of which offers Thunderbolt), HDMI, and Ethernet. While it would be nice to see an integrated SD card reader, Apple currently reserves that for the more expensive Mac Studio. You can preorder the new M4 Mac mini today starting at $599 ($499 for education customers), and it'll be available in stores on November 9th. The M4 Pro model, meanwhile, starts at $1,399 ($1,299 for schools). That price difference may seem high, but it's the same as it was for the M2 models. And as we saw from our M2 Mac mini review, it certainly held its own against other pricey desktops.

Apple launches new MacBook Pro with M4 chip series By Investing.com

CUPERTINO, Calif. - Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL). announced the launch of its latest MacBook Pro lineup, featuring new M4 series chips, which promise significant performance improvements for professional users. The updated models, available for pre-order today, will be released on November 8. The new MacBook Pro comes in 14-inch and 16-inch models, with the base 14-inch version starting at $1,599. It includes the M4 chip with a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, 16GB of memory, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports. The M4 Pro and M4 Max variants, designed for more demanding tasks, offer Thunderbolt 5 ports and enhanced connectivity options. Apple's M4 chip family, built on second-generation 3-nanometer technology, provides top-tier single-threaded CPU performance and excels in multithreaded tasks, particularly benefiting AI workloads with its machine learning accelerators and a more potent Neural Engine. The M4 Pro model boasts a 14-core CPU and up to a 20-core GPU, delivering up to three times the speed of the M1 Pro in certain workflows. The M4 Max chip, targeting the highest-end users, features up to a 16-core CPU and a 40-core GPU, with performance reaching up to 3.5 times that of the M1 Max. All MacBook Pro models come with a Liquid Retina XDR display, which now offers an optional nano-texture surface to reduce glare. Brightness for SDR content can reach up to 1000 nits, with HDR content peaking at 1600 nits. The laptops also include a new 12MP Center Stage camera and boast the longest battery life ever in a Mac, with up to 24 hours of usage. The MacBook Pro integrates Apple Intelligence, a personal intelligence system designed to enhance how users work and communicate, while prioritizing privacy. This system is powered by the latest macOS Sequoia 15.1, which introduces features like systemwide Writing Tools, an updated Siri, and more immersive gaming experiences. In terms of environmental impact, the new MacBook Pro is built with 100% recycled aluminum and features other recycled components, aligning with Apple's sustainability goals. The announcement also mentioned the MacBook Air, now starting with 16GB of memory and retaining its starting price of $999. This update is based on a press release statement from Apple Inc. In other recent news, Apple Inc. reported a series of significant developments. The company launched a redesigned Mac mini, which is the company's first carbon-neutral computer, featuring its latest M4 and M4 Pro chips. Analysts from Evercore ISI and Baird have maintained an Outperform rating for Apple, with price targets of $250 and $240 respectively, citing potential growth opportunities. However, Piper Sandler maintained a neutral rating with a $225 target price, highlighting longer phone hold periods among consumers. In contrast, Barclays (LON:BARC) maintained an underweight rating due to inconsistent data regarding the iPhone 16. Apple also introduced its latest iMac featuring the new M4 chip and Apple Intelligence, promising enhanced performance and AI capabilities. Investors should also take note of Apple's recent victory in a patent case against Masimo (NASDAQ:MASI) Corporation. These recent developments are crucial for understanding the evolving landscape of the tech industry. As Apple unveils its latest MacBook Pro lineup with the powerful M4 series chips, investors may be interested in the company's financial health and market position. According to InvestingPro data, Apple boasts a substantial market capitalization of $3.52 trillion, underlining its position as a tech giant and industry leader. The company's strong financial performance is reflected in its revenue of $385.6 billion over the last twelve months, with a gross profit margin of 45.96%. This robust profitability aligns with Apple's strategy of offering premium products like the new MacBook Pro models, which command higher prices and margins. InvestingPro Tips highlight Apple's consistent dividend growth, having raised its dividend for 12 consecutive years. This demonstrates the company's commitment to returning value to shareholders, even as it continues to invest in innovative products like the M4 chip-powered MacBooks. Additionally, Apple's stock has shown impressive performance, with a 37.53% price total return over the past six months. This suggests that investors are optimistic about the company's product pipeline and market position. For those interested in a deeper analysis, InvestingPro offers 16 additional tips that could provide valuable insights into Apple's financial outlook and market dynamics.

Apple's new M4 Mac Mini is likely the most powerful desktop under $600

We haven't tested it just yet, so we can't be certain, but let's take a look at what Apple has shared so far about the new M4 Mac mini, which is set to launch on November 8. In just a 5 x 5-inch chassis, the Mac mini delivers Apple's latest M4 chipset, which the company states is 1.8x faster in CPU performance and 2.2x faster in GPU performance compared with the M1 model. What does that look like in theory? Well, the M1 Mac mini scored 8,446 on the Geekbench 6 overall performance test, which means that the Mac mini should deliver a rough score of 15,202.8. For context, that beats the M3 MacBook Pro (11,870) and the M3 Pro MacBook Pro (14,357), laptops that cost over $1K more than the Mac mini. On the Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm benchmark, the M1 Mac mini scored 31.5 frames per second, which is just playable. The M4 Mac mini could score 69.3 fps, which surpasses the 60-fps golden standard in gaming. Again, that surpasses the M3 MacBook Pro (51 fps) and the M3 Pro MacBook Pro (53.7 fps). For just $600, the M4 Mac mini is a wild deal when it comes to performance. But it offers something more than just its power: Apple Intelligence. AI is all the craze these days, and if you are looking for a quality AI solution for the tasks ahead, you likely won't find anything more affordable than the Mac mini. Apple Intelligence includes features like Writing Tools. This will let you rewrite, proofread, and summarize text virtually everywhere you can write. Siri is redesigned for a more seamless experience, navigating between spoken and typed requests more swiftly. ChatGPT will also be coming to Writing Tools and Siri. Image Playground lets you create images generated from photos and artwork crawled from across the web. Genmoji will similarly let you create custom emojis quickly. Apple is pushing the idea that its generative models will feature industry-first privacy protections. The M4 Mac mini will support on-device processing, but not for everything. For larger tasks, Apple offers Private Cloud Compute, which gives you access to larger, server-based models. With it, you can access ChatGPT for free, and your IP addresses are obscured -- OpenAI won't store requests. I understand that AI tasks can't all be handled on-device, but anything that connects to the cloud, especially personal information, should always be subject to scrutiny. Nothing is unbreakable, no matter how much Apple tells you it is. And with companies like Meta out there, it's tough to put my faith in any company with access to personal information. I'm excited to see what the M4 Mac mini can do when we get our hands on it. The prospect of powerful performance and a low price always deserves praise. I'm indifferent about the AI capabilities, but some people may find them useful. For more news, rumors, and updates on everything M4 Mac mini-related keep an eye on our M4 Mac week liveblog.

Apple Announces Mac Mini M4 With Apple Intelligence and These Features

Both models feature Gigabit Ethernet and Thunderbolt ports Apple on Tuesday launched a refreshed version of the Mac Mini -- its compact desktop computer, building upon the unveiling of the 24-inch iMac M4 a day before. The new Mac Mini is offered in two chipset options: M4 and M4 Pro, with the latter being a new introduction. The M4 variant is claimed to deliver up to 1.7 times faster performance than the Mac Mini M1. Meanwhile, the new M4 Pro-powered desktop computer can complete 3D renders up to 2.9 times quicker in Blender. The price for the the Mac Mini with M4 chip in India starts at Rs. 59,900 for the base model which comes with a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 256GB of onboard SSD storage. This model can be configured with up to 24GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Meanwhile, the Mac Mini with the M4 Pro chip costs Rs. 1,49,900 for the 12-core CPU, 16-core GPU, 24GB of unified memory and 512GB of onboard SSD storage. Apple says users can customise the Mac Mini with up to a 14-core CPU, up to 20-core GPU, up to 64GB of unified memory, and up to 8TB of SSD storage. There's also an option for adding 10-bit Gigabit Ethernet on both models that costs Rs. 10,000 more. The new Mac Mini can be pre-ordered today from Apple Stores and Apple authorised retailers, with shipping starting on November 8. Mac Mini with M4 chip features a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, up to 24GB of unified memory, and up to 512GB of onboard SSD storage. Apple says it offers up to 1.8 times CPU and up to 2.2 times GPU performance improvements over the M1 model. At 5x5 inches, the refreshed Mac Mini also comes in a much smaller form factor compared to the previous generation. It is capable of transcribing with on-device artificial intelligence (AI) speech-to-text up to 2 times faster in MacWhisper, as per the company. Apple also introduced an even more powerful variant of the Mac Mini which is powered by an all-new M4 Pro chipset under the hood. It comprises of up to a 14-core CPU, up to a 20-core GPU, up to 64GB of unified memory and up to 8TB of SSD storage. When compared to the M2 Pro Mac Mini, this model is claimed to render motion graphics to RAM up to 2 times faster in Motion. Both Mac Mini models come with support for Apple Intelligence -- the company's suite of AI features. In terms of connectivity, it includes two USB Type-C ports with USB 3 speeds and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the front. On the back, the Mac Mini M4 gets three Thunderbolt 4 ports while the M4 Pro variant has three Thunderbolt 5 ports. Both models feature Gigabit Ethernet and an HDMI port. Apple says this is its first carbon-neutral Mac Mini made with 50 percent recycled content overall, including 100 percent recycled aluminium in the enclosure, 100 percent recycled gold plating in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards, and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets.

Apple Launches Mac Mini with M4 Chip: Price and Specs in India

The latest M4 family of chips from Apple is the most powerful computing platform ever introduced. Apple has launched a new Mac Mini model with an M4 chipset for India, and the global markets. The all-new Mac Mini will come with the M4 and the M4 Pro chipset. The latest M4 family of chips from Apple is the most powerful computing platform ever introduced. Let's go over the M4 chip and its details a little. Read More - Apple Intelligence Features Might Not be Enough Yet: Jefferies The M4 chip will come with a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, and up to 24GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. Compared to the M1 chip, the M4 chip comes with up to 1.8x faster CPU and 2.2x faster GPU. The size of the new Mac Mini is 5x5 inches. Apple said that the new Mac Mini has been built with AI in mind. The M4 chip enables the Mac Mini to deliver on-device AI (artificial intelligence) speech-to-text up to 2 times faster in MacWhisper. There's also the M4 Pro chip, which is even more powerful. It has a 14-core CPU, and a 20-core GPU coupled with up to 64GB of RAM and 8TB of SSD storage. Compared with the M2 Pro chip on Mac Mini, the M4 Pro chip renders motion graphics to RAM up to 2 times faster in Motion. Read More - iOS 18.1 to Bring Much Awaited Apple Intelligence Features: Report Apple Intelligence features will be supported by all the new Mac Mini models. Further, there are two USB Type-C ports with USB 3 speeds and a 3.5mm audio jack on the front. At the back, you will see three Thunderbolt 4 ports while the M4 Pro variant will come with Thunderbolt 5 ports. There is a Gigabit Ethernet and an HDMI port present in both models. On its launch, Apple said that this is the first carbon-neutral Mac Mini made with 50% recycled content overall. Mac Mini M4 starts at Rs 59,900 in India with up to 16GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The M4 Pro chip variant is priced at Rs 1,49,900 in the country.

Here's Our First Look at the All-New MacBook Pro Lineup

Hope you weren’t expecting a revolution in the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, though the next slate of high-end MacBooks now come base with 16GB of RAM. Last year’s spooky-themed MacBook release brought us the ultra-dark MacBook Pro with M3. This year’s “exciting week†of Mac news is bringing a lot less Halloween fanfare to Apple’s tried and true laptop brand, but this may be the year that the baseline MacBook Pro 14 finally has more staying power. The next versions of the MacBook Pro all sport an M4 or M4 Pro chip, but the 14-incher and the MacBook Air with M2 or M3 now start at a base 16GB of unified memory. Took them long enough. Apple revealed the new slate of MacBook Pro models, all with the new M4 silicon. The base 14-inch MacBook Pro only has options for the regular M4 chip. The 16-inch MacBook Pro comes in M4 and M4 Pro flavors. The M4 first debuted with this year’s iPad Pro. That version of the chip included a 9-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, but this MacBook Pro 14-inch features the more powerful 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU. Apple revealed the M4 Pro chip alongside the shrunken-down Mac mini Tuesday. The next step up for the 16-inch MacBook Pro sits base with a 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU. We already got the hint about the M4 Max before launch, but the new chip is the top-end and most expensive version you can get on the MacBook Pro 16. The new Pros use the same flat chassis design as the MacBooks that debuted in 2022. It’s a fine, light, and versatile laptop design, but we’re still not thrilled that the notch for the webcam remains in place. Though any M-series Mac product will get the promised AI features for macOS Sequoia, the M4 chip is supposed to facilitate Apple Intelligence better than all other Apple-brand CPUs with a 16-core neural engine capable of running 38 TOPS, or trillions of operations per second. Computers’ neural processing units only work with background AI tasks, and anything more intensive will rely either on the Mac’s GPU or on Apple’s cloud infrastructure. As an extra bit of news, Apple said the M2 and M3 MacBook Airs will now all sport 16 GB of RAM base. Sorry if you bought one last year with only 8 GB of RAM. The M2 model still starts at $1,000, the same as before. As we’ve seen with the latest iPhones, Apple Intelligence is also pretty RAM intensive, which may be why Apple upgraded the 14-inch MacBook Pro’s memory. The Cupertino tech giant went on record to claim that 8 GB of RAM is good enough, despite the protests from modern PC enthusiasts. Back in June, XDA developers spotted a feature called Predictive Code Completion for M-series chips that requires at least 16 GB of unified memory. If Mac users were supposed to get everything out of their MacBook Pros, it’s clear Apple had to bite the bullet and pony up for more RAM. Apple said it plans to pull the sheet off even more Mac products this week, so keep your eye out for even more new desktops and laptops.