Apple Unveils New M4-Powered Macs with AI Capabilities

Every Apple Mac announcement this week - and what models we're still waiting for

Apple today announced the new MacBook Pro with the M4 chip, joining a revamped catalog of new Mac computers this week. Day three of Apple's "week of announcements" saw the news that many have been waiting patiently for: the release of the new MacBook Pro M4. The revamped MacBook Pro is stacked with updated hardware such as Thunderbolt 5 ports, a 12MP camera, a nano-texture display, and of course the much-anticipated M4 chip in one of three different chip configurations: the M4, M4 Pro, or M4 Max. All three have a 16-core neural engine and are paired with 16GB, 24GB, or 36GB of unified memory. They're available for preorder today starting at $1,599 and will be available regularly beginning November 8th. Also: Apple Magic Mouse gets USB-C, but still plugs in the bottom. Buy this instead The new MacBook Pros come in either Space Black or Silver, and either a 14- or 16-inch configuration. The former is available with all three chips, while the 16-inch version only comes with the M4 Pro or M4 Pro Max. The new chip -- released just one year after the M3 -- aims to propel Apple back to the top of the industry by harnessing AI capabilities powered by the chip's neural processing unit (NPU) for increased on-device performance for large language models. The base-level M4 has three Thunderbolt 4 ports (one on the right side now), while the M4 Pro and Pro Max have three Thunderbolt 5 ports, a first for Apple with the new connectivity standard. Apple also touts improved battery life with the M4 chip: up to 24 hours on a single charge, which pushes the bar for what was already great battery life with the M3. The MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip bumps up the performance further, with Apple claiming twice as much power as the base M4 and a 75% increase in memory bandwidth from the M3 chip (double the amount, Apple notes, as any AI PC chip). At the top is the MacBook with the M4 Pro Max chip, which has up to a 40-core GPU and neural engine that's three times faster than the M1 Max. Also: The M4 MacBook Pro has a boringly awesome reason for you to upgrade Regarding their displays, Apple's liquid retina XDR display features an all-new nano-texture option that can support up to 1000 nits of brightness, with up to 1600 peak brightness for HDR content. Alongside the display, the 12MP Center Stage Camera aims to deliver high-quality video in challenging lighting while pairing with on-device AI to keep users centered in the frame. The MacBook Pro M4 also comes with Apple Intelligence straight out of the box, although many of the most noteworthy features will roll out over the next few months. Apple's proprietary AI feature set includes text summaries, writing tools, and image generation, with ChatGPT being integrated into Siri in December of 2024. The redesigned Mac Mini lives up to its name by being significantly smaller, measuring just 5 x 5 inches -- easily fitting into the palm of your hand or on a desktop (for reference, the previous Mac Mini measured 7.75 x 7.75 inches). Also: The Mac Studio feature keeping me from buying a new M4 Mac Mini this fall Inside, the device is supercharged with Apple's latest M4 and M4 Pro processors, which Apple says can deliver 1.8x faster CPU performance and 2.2x faster GPU performance than the previous model, which has the M2 chip. It also features 16GB of unified memory and starts at $599, which was the same price as the previous model when it was released. The new Mac Mini also comes with front and back ports, including a new Thunderbolt 5 port, which aims to provide blazing-fast transfer speeds in conjunction with the M4 chip. On the back of the M4 Mac Mini, there are three additional Thunderbolt 4 ports, whereas the back of the Mac Mini M4 Pro has three Thunderbolt 5 ports. Both also come with a Gigabit Ethernet port and HDMI port. Also: M4 Mac Mini vs. M2 Mac Mini: Which Apple desktop should you buy? Obviously, you're going to need to hook up a display to this little powerhouse, and Apple made sure it was more than capable of increasing support for external monitors. The Mac Mini with the M4 can support up to two 6K displays and up to one 5K display, whereas the Mac Mini with the M4 Pro can support up to three 6K displays running at 60Hz, supporting a total of 60 million pixels. Regarding the device's designation as the first carbon-neutral Mac, Apple says that it was able to reduce carbon emissions used in the sourcing of its materials by 80% and constructed the device with over 50% recycled content overall. Announced yesterday and starting at $1,299, the new iMac comes with 16GB of unified memory and is available for pre-order now, with general availability starting November 8th. Apple says the new M4 iMacs are 1.7 times faster than the current version while pushing 2.1 times faster for demanding workflows like gaming and video editing. Here are the main features: Apple marketing executive Greg Joswiak teased a "week of announcements" on X last week, guaranteeing that new M4-armed devices were on the horizon. So far, we got the first round of announcements with all-new iMacs, Mac Mini M4, and today, with the new MacBooks. Apple is overhauling its lineup of Macs with several new models armed with the M4. A few of them will be available as soon as this year, but updates to the MacBook Air lineup and iMac Pro Studio models won't likely be coming until early next year. Also: Apple Intelligence is finally coming to your iPhone at the end of October Despite the M4's first appearance in the new iPad Pros in May of this year, Apple has been rather quiet regarding the M4 chip, instead centering the conversation around Apple Intelligence -- the company's AI model -- at WWDC and later with its integration in the iPhone 16. Now is the logical time to make the announcement. Around this time last year, Apple announced the M3 processors on MacBook Pros and the 24-inch iMac. However, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported earlier this month, Apple is shifting away from the annual product upgrade cycle, opening the door for smaller, more frequent software rollouts and product launches. Rumors are inconclusive about an M4 chip in a new Mac Studio and Mac Pro, but it seems likely those won't be announced until more accessible core consumer products get the new chip. Additionally, Gurman reports that the M4 chip isn't likely to be available in the MacBook Air line of laptops until the first part of next year. The iPad Air 11 and 13-inch models will likely also see the new chip early in 2025, along with peripherals such as a new Magic Keyboard. Also: Every new feature Apple unveiled for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more this fall (including AI) Apple's "week of announcements" is being anchored by product news for its MacBook and Mac desktop lineups, but that won't be the only thing unveiled. The latest iOS version, 18.1, was also released earlier this week, including call recording and transcription features powered by Apple Intelligence. New Apple devices with the next-gen M4 chip would propel Apple forward in the AI race currently playing out on PCs with the explosion of Windows' Copilot+ products and Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD processors. Here's to hoping the Cupertino giant brings the firepower going into what will be a bustling holiday shopping season.

Apple's new M4 MacBook Pro comes with useful upgrades that creative professionals will love

Apple just announced the new MacBook Pro with the M4 chip, but we'll have to wait a little more for Apple Intelligence's full feature set. Day three of Apple's "week of announcements" saw the news that many have been waiting patiently for: the release of the new MacBook Pro M4. The revamped MacBook Pro is stacked with updated hardware such as Thunderbolt 5 ports, a 12MP camera, a nano-texture display, and of course the much-anticipated M4 chip in one of three different chip configurations: the M4, M4 Pro, or M4 Max. All three have a 16-core neural engine and are paired with 16GB, 24GB, or 36GB of unified memory. They're available for preorder today starting at $1,599 and will be available regularly beginning November 8th. Also: Apple Magic Mouse gets USB-C, but still plugs in the bottom. Buy this instead The new MacBook Pros come in either Space Black or Silver, and either a 14- or 16-inch configuration. The former is available with all three chips, while the 16-inch version only comes with the M4 Pro or M4 Pro Max. The new chip -- released just one year after the M3 -- aims to propel Apple back to the top of the industry by harnessing AI capabilities powered by the chip's neural processing unit (NPU) for increased on-device performance for large language models. The base-level M4 has three Thunderbolt 4 ports (one on the right side now), while the M4 Pro and Pro Max have three Thunderbolt 5 ports, a first for Apple with the new connectivity standard. Apple also touts improved battery life with the M4 chip: up to 24 hours on a single charge, which pushes the bar for what was already great battery life with the M3. The MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip bumps up the performance further, with Apple claiming twice as much power as the base M4 and a 75% increase in memory bandwidth from the M3 chip (double the amount, Apple notes, as any AI PC chip). At the top is the MacBook with the M4 Pro Max chip, which has up to a 40-core GPU and neural engine that's three times faster than the M1 Max. Also: The M4 MacBook Pro has a boringly awesome reason for you to upgrade Regarding their displays, Apple's liquid retina XDR display features an all-new nano-texture option that can support up to 1000 nits of brightness, with up to 1600 peak brightness for HDR content. Alongside the display, the 12MP Center Stage Camera aims to deliver high-quality video in challenging lighting while pairing with on-device AI to keep users centered in the frame. The MacBook Pro M4 also comes with Apple Intelligence straight out of the box, although many of the most noteworthy features will roll out over the next few months. Apple's proprietary AI feature set includes text summaries, writing tools, and image generation, with ChatGPT being integrated into Siri in December of 2024. The redesigned Mac Mini lives up to its name by being significantly smaller, measuring just 5 x 5 inches -- easily fitting into the palm of your hand or on a desktop (for reference, the previous Mac Mini measured 7.75 x 7.75 inches). Also: The Mac Studio feature keeping me from buying a new M4 Mac Mini this fall Inside, the device is supercharged with Apple's latest M4 and M4 Pro processors, which Apple says can deliver 1.8x faster CPU performance and 2.2x faster GPU performance than the previous model, which has the M2 chip. It also features 16GB of unified memory and starts at $599, which was the same price as the previous model when it was released. The new Mac Mini also comes with front and back ports, including a new Thunderbolt 5 port, which aims to provide blazing-fast transfer speeds in conjunction with the M4 chip. On the back of the M4 Mac Mini, there are three additional Thunderbolt 4 ports, whereas the back of the Mac Mini M4 Pro has three Thunderbolt 5 ports. Both also come with a Gigabit Ethernet port and HDMI port. Also: M4 Mac Mini vs. M2 Mac Mini: Which Apple desktop should you buy? Obviously, you're going to need to hook up a display to this little powerhouse, and Apple made sure it was more than capable of increasing support for external monitors. The Mac Mini with the M4 can support up to two 6K displays and up to one 5K display, whereas the Mac Mini with the M4 Pro can support up to three 6K displays running at 60Hz, supporting a total of 60 million pixels. Regarding the device's designation as the first carbon-neutral Mac, Apple says that it was able to reduce carbon emissions used in the sourcing of its materials by 80% and constructed the device with over 50% recycled content overall. Announced yesterday and starting at $1,299, the new iMac comes with 16GB of unified memory and is available for pre-order now, with general availability starting November 8th. Apple says the new M4 iMacs are 1.7 times faster than the current version while pushing 2.1 times faster for demanding workflows like gaming and video editing. Here are the main features: Apple marketing executive Greg Joswiak teased a "week of announcements" on X last week, guaranteeing that new M4-armed devices were on the horizon. So far, we got the first round of announcements with all-new iMacs, Mac Mini M4, and today, with the new MacBooks. Apple is overhauling its lineup of Macs with several new models armed with the M4. A few of them will be available as soon as this year, but updates to the MacBook Air lineup and iMac Pro Studio models won't likely be coming until early next year. Also: Apple Intelligence is finally coming to your iPhone at the end of October Despite the M4's first appearance in the new iPad Pros in May of this year, Apple has been rather quiet regarding the M4 chip, instead centering the conversation around Apple Intelligence -- the company's AI model -- at WWDC and later with its integration in the iPhone 16. Now is the logical time to make the announcement. Around this time last year, Apple announced the M3 processors on MacBook Pros and the 24-inch iMac. However, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported earlier this month, Apple is shifting away from the annual product upgrade cycle, opening the door for smaller, more frequent software rollouts and product launches. Rumors are inconclusive about an M4 chip in a new Mac Studio and Mac Pro, but it seems likely those won't be announced until more accessible core consumer products get the new chip. Additionally, Gurman reports that the M4 chip isn't likely to be available in the MacBook Air line of laptops until the first part of next year. The iPad Air 11 and 13-inch models will likely also see the new chip early in 2025, along with peripherals such as a new Magic Keyboard. Also: Every new feature Apple unveiled for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more this fall (including AI) Apple's "week of announcements" is being anchored by product news for its MacBook and Mac desktop lineups, but that won't be the only thing unveiled. The latest iOS version, 18.1, was also released earlier this week, including call recording and transcription features powered by Apple Intelligence. New Apple devices with the next-gen M4 chip would propel Apple forward in the AI race currently playing out on PCs with the explosion of Windows' Copilot+ products and Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD processors. Here's to hoping the Cupertino giant brings the firepower going into what will be a bustling holiday shopping season.

Apple's new M4 iMacs are built for the era of AI computing (with a long-awaited USB-C upgrade)

Apple just dropped the first in its "week of announcements" surrounding new devices with the M4 chip: new, ultra-thin iMacs in an array of bright colors. In lieu of a dedicated event, Apple just announced a revamp of its iMac and MacBook line of devices with the new M4 processor, the latest in Apple Silicon. The new chip -- released just one year after the M3 -- aims to propel Apple back to the top by harnessing AI capabilities powered by the chip's neural processing unit (NPU), while offering next-generation performance. Also: The Mac Studio feature keeping me from buying a new M4 Mac Mini this fall Starting at $1,299, the new iMac comes with 16GB of unified memory and is available for pre-order today, October 28th. General availability will begin on November 8th. Apple says the new M4 iMacs are 1.7 times faster than the current version while pushing 2.1 times faster for demanding workflows like gaming and video editing. Here are the main features: Apple marketing executive Greg Joswiak teased a "week of announcements" on X last week, guaranteeing that new M4-armed devices were on the horizon. Today, we got the first round of announcements with all-new iMacs, and later this week, we'll be getting announcements on revamps to MacBooks, the MacBook Air line, and Mac Minis. Also: Apple Intelligence is finally coming to your iPhone at the end of October Apple is overhauling its lineup of Macs with several new models armed with the M4. A few of them will be available as soon as this year, with updates to the MacBook Air lineup coming early next year. As in previous models, there's an entry-level M4 chip, an M4 Pro, and a top-of-the-line M4 Pro Max. Here's the breakdown: We're also likely to see a revamped Mac Mini with 16GB of RAM that's about as big as an Apple TV device. The Mini will reportedly come in both an M4 and M4 Pro processor configuration, skipping over the M3 entirely as the current on-market device is equipped with the M2. Also: iOS 18.1 is officially available for iPhone. How to download (and which models support it) Despite the M4's first appearance in the new iPad Pros in May of this year, Apple has been rather quiet regarding the M4 chip, instead centering the conversation around Apple Intelligence -- the company's AI model -- at WWDC and later with its integration in the iPhone 16. Now is the logical time to make the announcement. Around this time last year, Apple announced the M3 processors on MacBook Pros and the 24-inch iMac. However, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported earlier this month, Apple is shifting away from the annual product upgrade cycle, opening the door for smaller, more frequent software rollouts and product launches. Rumors are inconclusive about an M4 chip in a new Mac Studio and Mac Pro, but it seems likely those won't be announced until more accessible core consumer products get the new chip. Additionally, Gurman reports that the M4 chip isn't likely to be available in the MacBook Air line of laptops until the first part of next year. The iPad Air 11 and 13-inch models will likely also see the new chip early in 2025, along with peripherals such as a new Magic Keyboard. Also: Every new feature Apple unveiled for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more this fall (including AI) Apple's "week of announcements" is being anchored by product news for its MacBook and Mac desktop lineups, but that won't be the only thing unveiled. The latest iOS version, 18.1, was also just released, including call recording and transcription features powered by Apple Intelligence. New Apple devices with the next-gen M4 chip would propel Apple forward in the AI race currently playing out on PCs with the explosion of Windows' Copilot+ products and Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD processors. Here's to hoping the Cupertino giant brings the firepower going into what will be a bustling holiday shopping season.

I Got to Play With Apple's New M4 Mac Mini, iMac and MacBook Pro

Expertise Smartphones | Smartwatches | Tablets | Telecom industry | Mobile semiconductors | Mobile gaming In a trendy corner of Los Angeles, California, I got to try the new Mac Mini, iMac and Macbook Pro machines Apple just announced, which are powered by the company's new M4 chips with Apple Intelligence AI. These updated computers and laptops offer a range of improvements, some of which are minimal, like the MacBook Pro's Thunderbolt 5 ports and the Mac Mini's smaller size. But the the biggest advancement is the introduction of Apple-designed M4 chips in all models, which enable more AI features, capabilities and gaming performance. I saw some of these on display in Apple's Los Angeles showcase, including demos with audio creation, video editing and gaming -- and I came away impressed. A few caveats: I wasn't able to run any sort of benchmarks or test anything beyond what was available as part of Apple's demos. Please stay tuned for our full reviews coming soon, which will show exactly how Apple's lineup of M4 Mac Mini, iMac and Macbook Pro models stack up to their predecessors -- and the growing competition of Microsoft's AI-powered CoPilot Plus PCs. Despite the surprisingly simple list of colors (Apple typically attaches some hyperbolic adjective to its hue names), the rainbow of M4 iMacs were too visually arresting to ignore. The M4 iMacs come in Blue, Purple, Pink, Orange, Yellow, Green, and Silver in a subtle two-tone scheme. The back of the computer has the bolder version of the hue, while the metallic stand and front panel below the display are slightly washed-out versions of the same color. This makes them more attractive than ever, and they're just as thin as last year's iMac M3 models. What's new are the Thunderbolt 4 ports (two on the cheaper configuration with two USB-C ports, or four on the pricier end), sharper 12-megapixel camera enabling Center Stage, and the optional nano-texture display which cuts down on glare -- useful for office workers with lighting at unfortunate angles. I saw the new Desktop Viewer, too, which shows what's on your actual desk beneath the iMac's display. While this felt gimmicky, it could conceivably be helpful for streamers working with their hands on crafts, or instructors writing math equations in longhand over Zoom, for instance. I'm a huge fan of small gadgets, so I found the new Mac Mini is as visually delightful as it is powerful. Just like with clamshell foldable phones, additional thickness is a worthwhile tradeoff if it means reducing the device's overall footprint. Apple helpfully placed an older Mac Mini alongside the new one, and while the former is still impressively sized, the new Mini can be palmed in one hand. This is an M4-powered computer you could throw in a purse. Yes, Apple has made another immediately infamous design choice in putting the power button on the bottom, but it's easier to tilt the new Mini up to turn it on (if people switch their computers off anymore). The added USB-C 3 ports on the front are a nice addition for accessories that don't need the 40 gigabits per second bandwidth of the three Thunderbolt 4 ports on the back. There's a 3.5mm headphone jack in the front along with an HDMI and Ethernet port in the back -- all your basics covered. One of the demos was run on a Mac Mini showing how it can run Logic audio editing software, within which the AI Music Maker can add AI-created music tracks to videos. These can be constructed piecemeal, adding layer by layer of drums, bass, keyboards and other musical elements -- each of which can be tweaked with broad controls, no musical theory knowledge necessary. For instance, our demonstrator added kick drums and hi-hat cymbals just by tapping a few icons to add complexity to the track (in this case, more frequent and varied drums between the major beats). Melodic instruments can go up and down octave scales, while piano keyboards can select one or both "hands" to add high, low or both ranges of chord scales to audio. All of which is created by AI on the fly and usable royalty-free. The new Macbook Pro models didn't add anything to the layout or design over last year's M3 models, though the lower-end M4 14-inch Macbook Pro now comes with three USB-C ports instead of two. In fact, all of this year's models feature three Thunderbolt 5 ports for up to 120 gigabytes per second of data bandwidth. On a maximum-specced Macbook Pro 16-inch model with an M4 Max chip and 128GB of RAM, I saw a demonstrator ask Siri AI to perform a few tasks, including offering advice on how to combine PDFs. Through Apple's partnership with ChatGPT, I saw the AI chatbot answer a more complicated search asking for things to do in Malibu. The system took a couple of seconds to respond on both occasions, which was about the same time it took the iMac a few tables away to perform the same task. The laptops could also turn photos into AI-generated cartoons, which took around the same handful of seconds -- somewhat similar to the image generator feature showcased on Microsoft CoPilot Plus PCs released earlier this year. The most impressive feat I saw the M4 chips perform was pushing pixels to play Remedy Entertainment's 2019 game Control. Apple chose a section of the third-person shooter set in dark, murky caves lit with bright flashes to show off the M4's ray tracing capabilities. As I stomped through puddles of water to shoot enemies, I was able to see accurate reflections of my surroundings. Granted, this was running on a fully-specced Macbook Pro with M4 Max chip and 128GB of RAM, so I'm curious about how the more modest configurations handled such a graphical workload. Overall, the Los Anglees demo session was a brief and controlled yet tantalizing peek at Apple's new lineup of computers. Some will charm with their looks, others with their modest upgrades, but all promise the performance upgrades that enable AI capabilities. Though it's worth noting that we won't know how indispensable these tools are until Apple Intelligence rolls out and software companies integrate the next-generation tech.

Apple just announced its new M4 iMacs, and they're as bright and colorful as we expected

Apple just dropped the first in its "week of announcements" surrounding new devices with the M4 chip: new, ultra-thin iMacs in an array of bright colors. In lieu of a dedicated event, Apple just announced a revamp of its iMac and MacBook line of devices with the new M4 processor, the latest in Apple Silicon. The new chip -- released just one year after the M3 -- aims to propel Apple back to the top by harnessing AI capabilities powered by the chip's neural processing unit (NPU), while offering next-generation performance. Also: The Mac Studio feature keeping me from buying a new M4 Mac Mini this fall Starting at $1,299, the new iMac comes with 16GB of unified memory and is available for pre-order today, October 28th. General availability will begin on November 8th. Apple says the new M4 iMacs are 1.7 times faster than the current version while pushing 2.1 times faster for demanding workflows like gaming and video editing. Here are the main features: Apple marketing executive Greg Joswiak teased a "week of announcements" on X last week, guaranteeing that new M4-armed devices were on the horizon. Today, we got the first round of announcements with all-new iMacs, and later this week, we'll be getting announcements on revamps to MacBooks, the MacBook Air line, and Mac Minis. Also: Apple Intelligence is finally coming to your iPhone at the end of October Apple is overhauling its lineup of Macs with several new models armed with the M4. A few of them will be available as soon as this year, with updates to the MacBook Air lineup coming early next year. As in previous models, there's an entry-level M4 chip, an M4 Pro, and a top-of-the-line M4 Pro Max. Here's the breakdown: We're also likely to see a revamped Mac Mini with 16GB of RAM that's about as big as an Apple TV device. The Mini will reportedly come in both an M4 and M4 Pro processor configuration, skipping over the M3 entirely as the current on-market device is equipped with the M2. Also: iOS 18.1 is officially available for iPhone. How to download (and which models support it) Despite the M4's first appearance in the new iPad Pros in May of this year, Apple has been rather quiet regarding the M4 chip, instead centering the conversation around Apple Intelligence -- the company's AI model -- at WWDC and later with its integration in the iPhone 16. Now is the logical time to make the announcement. Around this time last year, Apple announced the M3 processors on MacBook Pros and the 24-inch iMac. However, as Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported earlier this month, Apple is shifting away from the annual product upgrade cycle, opening the door for smaller, more frequent software rollouts and product launches. Rumors are inconclusive about an M4 chip in a new Mac Studio and Mac Pro, but it seems likely those won't be announced until more accessible core consumer products get the new chip. Additionally, Gurman reports that the M4 chip isn't likely to be available in the MacBook Air line of laptops until the first part of next year. The iPad Air 11 and 13-inch models will likely also see the new chip early in 2025, along with peripherals such as a new Magic Keyboard. Also: Every new feature Apple unveiled for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more this fall (including AI) Apple's "week of announcements" is being anchored by product news for its MacBook and Mac desktop lineups, but that won't be the only thing unveiled. The latest iOS version, 18.1, was also just released, including call recording and transcription features powered by Apple Intelligence. New Apple devices with the next-gen M4 chip would propel Apple forward in the AI race currently playing out on PCs with the explosion of Windows' Copilot+ products and Qualcomm, Intel, and AMD processors. Here's to hoping the Cupertino giant brings the firepower going into what will be a bustling holiday shopping season.

Everything Apple announced during its unofficial Mac Week

M4 Macs galore, Apple Intelligence's arrival and AirPods hearing help. Following the illustrious line of calendar-spanning corporate events like Lobsterfest and Shark Week, Apple tried something new this year with a celebration unofficially known as Mac Week. (Fortunately for Apple, it just so happens to coincide with its earnings call on Thursday!) The company's three-day product rollout for desktop hardware centered around the M4 chip, built for Apple Intelligence. We recount everything Apple spit out this week, including a new iMac, Mac mini, MacBook Pro and other goodies like Apple Intelligence's official arrival on iOS, iPadOS and macOS. The M4-powered iMac has the same design (apart from some new colors) but with more horsepower inside. Apple says the all-in-one desktop is 1.7 times faster for daily productivity and 2.1 times faster for more demanding tasks like gaming or photo editing. Like all new Macs announced this week, it loses the measly 8GB of RAM previously seen in the cheapest Macs, jumping to 16GB as the baseline. (Woo!) The new iMac still has a 24-inch 4.5K Retina display encased in an aluminum unibody design. However, it adds a new nano-texture glass screen option for reduced glare and a 12MP Center Stage camera that supports Apple's Desk View. You can pre-order the M4 iMac now, starting at $1,299. Deliveries and in-store sales begin on November 8. Apple's little Mac that could lives up to its "mini" branding more than ever. The 2024 Mac mini is a mere five-inch by five-inch box, two inches tall. (That's only slightly bigger than the Apple TV 4K!) The new Mac mini is available in M4 and M4 Pro configurations. Apple says the M4 variant is up to 1.8 times faster than the M1 model from four years ago. Its graphics are up to 2.2 times faster. It should also be much better for Apple Intelligence: It supports 38 TOPS (tera operations per second) of AI processing power. That dwarfs the 18 TOPS from the (only one-year-old) M3 chip. It, too, starts with 16GB of RAM. For the first time, the machine ditches legacy USB ports. It has two USB-C ports on the front and three Thunderbolt USB-C ports on the back (along with HDMI and Ethernet). The M4 Mac mini is available to pre-order. It starts at $599, while the souped-up M4 Pro variant starts at $1,399. It arrives on November 9. Most of Apple's Mac sales are in the MacBook lineup, which makes sense. Not only can you use them on the go, but you can also grab a Thunderbolt cable and hook them up to the monitor of your choice to double as a desktop. So, the climax of Mac Week was the new M4-powered MacBook Pro. The only new Mac with three chip tiers, the MacBook Pro comes in M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max options. Apple says the M4 Pro is up to three times faster than the M1 Pro, and the M4 Max is up to 3.5 times faster than the M1 Max. The M4 variant is up to 1.8 times faster than the M1-powered 13-inch MacBook Pro for photo editing. That jumps to 3.4 times faster for demanding work like rendering scenes in Blender. Its Neural Engine for Apple Intelligence (and other AI) is over three times as powerful as the M1. Helping out on the AI front (and for all-around performance) is the same 16GB of RAM as a baseline. The laptop offers the same nano-texture display option as the iMac and up to 1,000 nits of brightness for SDR content. It also adopts the 12MP Center Stage camera for much better built-in video call capabilities. The device has three Thunderbolt 4 ports and an estimated 24 hours of battery life -- as Apple puts it, that's the longest ever in a Mac. The new MacBook Pro is available in familiar 14-inch and 16-inch models. The smaller model with the M4 chip starts at $1,599, the M4 Pro variant starts at $1,999, and the ultra-high-end M4 Max will set you back at least $3,199. The 16-inch MacBook Pro starts at $2,499 with the M4 Pro chip, while an M4 Max flavor is $3,499 and up. Apple's first wave of on-device AI features is now in consumers' hands, with no beta software required. This round includes writing tools like proofreading, rewiring and summaries, live call transcriptions and notification summaries. The beginnings of a more intelligent Siri also arrived with this batch, including typed queries and an improved ability to recognize stutters or self-interruptions. You also get a neat new glowing border that announces to the world, "This ain't the shitty Siri you're used to!" But you'll have to wait for the next wave of Siri upgrades for a more significant overhaul, like a better understanding of personal context. Now, the bad news. Apple Intelligence is only available on a handful of recent devices in each of Apple's major product categories. For the iPhone, that's the iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max and the new iPhone 16 lineup (including non-Pro models). You'll need a model with an M-series chip on the iPad, although the new iPad mini (with an A17 Pro chip) is an exception. As for Macs, you'll also need a model with M-series Apple silicon, which stretches back to the last four years of models. Apple Intelligence (round one) requires iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 or macOS Sequoia 15.1. The X.2 variants of each OS will bring the next wave of AI features, like ChatGPT integration and Image Playground. Not to be missed among the higher-profile announcements is a new series of hearing health tools for AirPods Pro 2 owners. Announced at Apple's September iPhone launch, the hearing features include a "clinically validated" hearing test, hearing protection (like for concerts) and the ability to use the device as a hearing aid if it detects mild to moderate impairment. (If severe, it will nudge you towards a professional.) Engadget's audio guru, Billy Steele, is the person to follow for more on these features. He's extensively trialed them, including taking hearing tests with an Apple rep and test-driving AirPods-powered hearing protection at concerts.

New iMacs Pack M4 Processors As Apple Teases More Mac News This Week

Expect three days of Mac announcements this week as Apple pushes its Apple Intelligence generative AI features. The company kicked things off on Monday by introducing a refreshed iMac, which now features the M4 processor. It launches on Friday, Nov. 8, starting at $1,299. In a video, Apple SVP for Engineering John Ternus says the launch of Apple Intelligence today with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 "begins a whole new era for the Mac." Apple promises to unleash a smarter Siri and generative AI capabilities through built-in writing and imaging tools. Although Apple Intelligence will be available for Macs with the M1 chip and up, the company says users will receive the best performance using the M4 processor, which includes a 16-core neural engine dedicated to AI-related processing. The M4 debuted in May, but not on the Mac. Apple decided to launch it on the iPad Pro. Surprisingly, the M4 has yet to arrive for MacBooks, but that's expected to change this week. In the meantime, the company is bringing the processor to the 24-inch iMac, touting it as an upgrade for users looking for a speed boost. "With M4, iMac is up to 1.7x faster for daily productivity, and up to 2.1x faster for demanding workflows like photo editing and gaming, compared to iMac with M1," which launched in 2021. Ternus added: "With Apple Intelligence, it's the world's best all-in-one for AI." Specifically, the M4's neural engine is up to three times faster compared with the AI processing on the M1 chip. The other big change is that the new iMac starts with 16GB of unified memory, up from 8GB, while retaining the $1,299 starting price. To further improve the iMac, the company fitted an upgraded "12MP Center Stage camera," which will keep people centered during video calls. For the first time, users can also buy an iMac with the "nano-texture glass" option, which will reduce glare and reflections on the 24-inch display. But that will cost an extra $200. The iMac will be available with an 8-core or 10-core M4 chip. The 10-core model starts at $1,499 but features four Thunderbolt 4 ports rather than two. Apple also adds more more color options -- yellow, purple, and orange -- alongside blue, green, pink and silver. Stay tuned for our hands on and review.

Apple prepares M4-based iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro launch this week

Apple is preparing to announce major upgrades to its Mac lineup, including the highly anticipated M4 chip, as reported by Mark Gurman in Bloomberg's Power On newsletter. This announcement coincides with news of a new low-end iPad expected next year. This week, Apple plans to launch a 24-inch iMac along with two refreshed versions of the Mac mini. The company will also introduce a new 16-inch MacBook Pro, along with both low-end and high-end configurations of the 14-inch MacBook Pro. The iMac will feature an entry-level M4 chip, while the Mac mini will offer options with both the standard M4 and the M4 Pro. The MacBook Pro will utilize higher-end variants of the M4 chip. With the M4 chip, users can expect nearly double the performance, achieving 38 TOPS compared to the M3's 18 TOPS, significantly enhancing efficiency for AI-driven tasks. For the first time, the Mac mini will also include ray tracing, a graphics technique that improves image realism, particularly benefiting gamers. Similar upgrades are anticipated for the Mac Studio and Mac Pro next year as they transition from the M2 to the M4, according to Gurman. Gurman outlines two configurations for the iPad Pro featuring the M4 chip: It appears that the base-level MacBook Pro will skip the nine-core CPU, opting instead for the 10-core unit. Additionally, some low-end Macs may ship with a minimum of 16GB of memory, meeting Apple's requirement of 8GB for its AI functionalities, although this could limit memory availability for other tasks. The new Mac mini will undergo a notable redesign, shrinking in size to be comparable to an Apple TV. It will feature two front ports and at least three additional ports on the back. This marks the first update since the January 2023 refresh. Historically, the MacBook Pro has received updates every fall, with the last high-end Apple Silicon version released in late 2021. The new iMac reflects a strategic shift for Apple. Following the M1 version launched in spring 2021, the iMac only saw a refresh in late 2023 with the M3 variant. The M4 chip is critical to Apple's AI initiatives, prompting a comprehensive update of the Mac lineup -- the first since Apple transitioned to in-house processors. Gurman anticipates that the base-level MacBook Air will feature the M4 chip between January and March, followed by the Mac Studio receiving the M4 from March to June. The Mac Pro, which will incorporate the highest-end M4 variant, is expected between June and fall of next year. Apple's launch strategy has evolved since the pandemic, now including live presentations for select media. A hands-on briefing in Los Angeles is scheduled for this Wednesday, with announcements set to commence on Monday and continue throughout the week. This approach mirrors Apple's previous strategy of launching products over several consecutive days, as noted by Gurman. New Low-End iPad Gurman also reveals that Apple plans to launch a new low-end iPad next spring as part of its updated lineup. This follows the introduction of the M4 chip in the iPad Pro and a 13-inch option for the iPad Air. The new 11th generation iPad will resemble the 2022 model but will feature improved performance. It is expected to release alongside the new iPhone SE and iPad Air, with the next iPad Pro anticipated in late 2025 or early 2026, following the launch of the M5 chip. Advancements in Diabetes Monitoring Apple has been developing a noninvasive glucose monitor since 2010, aimed at assisting diabetics in tracking blood sugar without the need for skin pricks. While recent advancements suggest feasibility, a product release may still take years, initially providing only prediabetic status. Gurman also notes that Apple is exploring preventive measures for Type 2 diabetes, having tested an employee app for logging food intake and connecting to third-party blood-sugar monitors. Although this app may not be publicly released, it is expected to guide future developments and integrate with Apple Health. Beta Testing for Apple Intelligence Apple is rolling out the first version of Apple Intelligence this week, with a significant update expected in December with iOS 18.2. This update includes features like Genmoji (AI-generated emojis), the Image Playground app, and enhancements to writing tools. The iPhone 16 will also introduce Visual Intelligence, offering insights about the environment and integrating OpenAI's ChatGPT. New Smart Home Display Apple is making progress on a new smart home display with a design reminiscent of the iMac G4. The device will be compact, approximately the size of two iPhones side by side, featuring an angled screen on a small base that may include speakers, essentially transforming it into a HomePod with a display. This affordable device will run a new system with iPad-like apps for managing smart home devices, with a more advanced version expected by 2026, featuring a larger screen and priced around $1,000.

iMac M4 vs iMac M3: One huge reason why Apple's new iMac wins

Apple kicked off its week of M4 Mac announcements by unveiling the iMac M4. On Monday morning Apple took the wraps off the latest version of its colorful PC, which features a design similar to last year's model, but with are some major improvements to the specs and features, including a couple of deal-breaker upgrades. The iMac is officially the first Mac to feature the M4 chip, a big change from last year when the MacBook Pro got the first M3 upgrade. The iMac M4 has a lot to offer, but if you're holding out for the MacBook Pro or Mac Mini, stay tuned on our live blog, where we'll be monitoring Apple's announcements for the rest of the week. Whether you're a current iMac owner thinking about upgrading or you're looking to buy your first iMac, here's an overview of how the iMac M3 and iMac M4 compare and which one is the best value for your money. The iMac M4 has the same $1,299 starting price as last year's model, but the specs you get for that price aren't identical. The most obvious update is the new M4 chip, which has a few notable advantages over the M3 chip. First, there is an option for a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU offering two more efficiency cores than the M3 iMac. Additionally, the M4 chip has a faster memory bandwidth, meaning it can read and write data faster than the M3 chip. The M4 chip isn't the only big upgrade in the new iMac. Apple also doubled the base RAM to 16GB, most likely to improve AI performance with the new features in Apple Intelligence, which launched this morning alongside the new iMac. That extra RAM is also great for multi-tasking, gaming, and resource-intensive tasks like photo or video editing. This would normally be a $200 upgrade, so it's nice to see more RAM included in the base configuration. Like last year's model, the different configurations have different specs. Most of the options are the same as last year with upgrades for more storage and RAM. One upgrade is new, though: a nano-texture display. Nano-texture glass significantly reduces reflections and glare without diminishing image quality. This feature is most useful on mobile devices like iPads and MacBooks, but if you work in a brightly-lit space or just want the best display possible, it could be a useful addition to your iMac and wasn't available on the M3 version. Apple is in its colorful iMacs era. Like last year's version, the iMac M4 comes in an array of vibrant shades that are a lot more fun than the basic gray, black, and silver options available for the MacBook. The seven shades available this year are similar to the M3 color options, but a bit lighter and brighter. Of course, if you want something more low-key, silver is still an option. The overall design of the iMac is effectively the same as last year, but there are some notable changes. First, the two-port iMac M4 is available in all seven colors. The iMac M3 was only available in four of the seven shades, so this is a nice change. Second, the iMac got a big webcam upgrade. Apple swapped out the 1080p FaceTime camera for a 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View. Center Stage automatically zooms out and adjusts the angle of your webcam when it detects more (or less) people in front of the camera. This is perfect for families who use their iMac for FaceTime. Desk View can come in handy in a variety of situations, but it's designed with educators in mind. This feature allows you to show your desk in front of you and your face at the same time on a FaceTime call. You previously needed to use your iPhone as an external webcam for this feature to work, but that's not necessary with the M4 iMac. It's baked into the built-in webcam, no external webcam or iPhone mount needed. This feature is great for teachers who want to show students how to solve a math problem on a call, but it can also be great for things like crafting or demonstrating a tutorial over FaceTime. Those camera upgrades might not be a deal breaker, but they definitely sweeten the deal for anyone considering the iMac M4. If you often use FaceTime, Center Stage alone could be a good reason to upgrade or opt for an M4 iMac instead of an M3 model. The peripherals included with the iMac also got a minor update. Both now connect with USB-C instead of Lightning cables, which was a much-needed change. Unfortunately, the Magic Mouse still has its charging port on the bottom. On Monday, Apple released the first version of Apple Intelligence alongside the launch of the iMac M4. It's now available as part of macOS 15.1 and runs on the M3 and M4 iMacs. Both desktop PCs are capable of running Apple Intelligence but is the M4 iMac any better at it? We'll have to wait until we can run our thorough benchmark tests on the M4 MacBooks to get a clear picture of how much more powerful they are compared to the M3 chip. It's also a bit early to say for sure whether the M4 chip will offer noticeably stronger AI performance. However, early benchmark results from our sister site Tech Radar showed the M4 chip with a 32.6% lead over the M3 chip on the Geekbench AI Core ML Full Precision benchmark. It had a whopping 46.2% edge over the M3 chip on Geekbench AI Core ML Quantized. The M4 chip and M3 chip both have 16-core neural engines (the part of the chip mainly used for AI tasks). However, the M4 chip has more CPU scores and faster memory bandwidth. The M4 iMacs' performance also gets a boost from the 16GB base RAM, twice as much as the M3 iMacs have. All of those factors could contribute to a significant edge in AI performance on the iMac M4. However, considering most Apple Intelligence features are fairly basic, enough that they can run on iPhones, they will most likely run just as well on the M3 chip as on the M4. So, the performance advantage the M4 chip offers is likely only a major factor for those switching from a much older iMac, such as an M2, M1, or Intel model. Is the iMac M4 a better deal than the iMac M3? Is it worth trading in your iMac M3 for the new version? That depends on the specs of your current iMac (or Windows desktop) and what you mainly use your desktop PC for. If you have an M2, M1, or Intel iMac, the iMac M4 is definitely worth trading in your old desktop. This is especially true if you're still using an Intel model since only M-series chips can run Apple Intelligence. Plus, the M4 chip offers a major boost in performance over the old Intel chips, including much stronger gaming performance. If you have an iMac M3, upgrading might not be worth it depending on the specs of your current model. It would only be worth trading in your iMac M3 if you have the previous base configuration with only 8GB of RAM since trading in, even to the new base configuration, would double your RAM and get you a faster, more powerful chip. On the other hand, if you're currently using an iMac M3 with 16GB (or more) of RAM, it most likely is not worth it to trade in your PC right now. The iMac M4 is definitely an upgrade, but not so much so that there's a huge performance gap over the iMac M3. Laptop Mag will be covering all of the latest news and announcements from Apple's M4 Mac week, so stay tuned for more updates on the iMac M4, Mac Mini M4, MacBook Pro, and more!

Apple Is Upgrading the iMac to Better Handle AI

After surprising the world this spring by debuting its latest in-house silicon, the M4 chip, on an iPad instead of the Mac, Apple is finally ready to bring its newest generation of processors to home computers. As the first reveal in what Apple promises as an "exciting week of announcements," the company this morning confirmed that it's bringing the M4 chip to the iMac. Current iMacs use last year's M3 chip, and while both are built for AI, the key difference between the M4 and its predecessor is the former has a much more efficient neural engine, with Apple promising a sixty times improvement in AI performance. That's big news for Apple Intelligence, which Apple confirmed is also releasing across iPhone, iPad, and Mac today. But the upgrades go beyond AI. Apple claims that the M4 iMac is also 1.7 times faster in productivity apps like Microsoft Excel and 1.5 times faster when browsing in Safari. For more demanding workflows, Apple promises 2.1 times faster performance in photo and video editing in apps like Photoshop and Premiere Pro. The catch? All of these comparisons are made against an iMac running an M1 chip, rather than an M3 chip. More specific numbers will have to wait until testers actually get their hands on the new device. As for the computer itself, it looks roughly the same, with apparently unchanged bezels and basic design. However, Apple promises slight variations to the current color layout. There are still versions in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver, but the shades are a little different than on the M3. There are a couple of non-aesthetic upgrades to consider, including a 12MP Center Stage webcam. Most models also come with two additional Thunderbolt ports (for a total of four). The Thunderbolt standard is also now Thunderbolt 4, which should make file transfers a bit faster. If you're not sure what Thunderbolt is, it's basically USB-C (but better). Your USB-C cables will work with it just fine. The accessories that the iMac comes with also have a slight change, as the Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, and Magic Trackpad all swap their Lightning charging ports for USB-C. They still cost the same when purchased separately (like always, you get a keyboard and a mouse included with your iMac), and swapping out your bundled mouse for a trackpad will run you an extra $50. Maybe the biggest physical upgrade this year, though, is the default 16GB of memory, up from 8GB on the previous model with no extra charge. There's also an optional "nano-texture display." While it's not a replacement for OLED, it should make the 4.5K Retina display a bit less prone to glare or reflections. The M4 iMac is available to buy now and will start shipping on Nov. 8. It starts at $1,299 for a model with 16GB of memory and 256GB of storage. Upgrades stretch all the way to $2,699, which will give you 32GB of memory, 2TB of storage, and an M4 chip variation with slightly more cores.

Every Apple Mac announcement so far

Last week, Apple promised a week of new Mac announcements in the near future. Well, the future is now, and Apple has unveiled a new Mac device and released Apple Intelligence. Let's not waste any time. Here are all of the announcements Apple made this week. Apple isn't disappointing with its week of announcements. Here's what we know about so far. Hey, remember earlier this year when Apple announced its suite of AI features? Some of those are out now. Apple confirmed on its Newsroom blog that the first wave of Apple Intelligence features are now available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. If you have a device in one of those product families made within the last two years or so, you now have access to features like Rewrite and Proofread, which can help you craft the perfect email. Siri has also become more conversational, while a new Photos app feature lets you erase unwanted objects from the frame using AI. Journalists should also take note because the Notes and Phone apps now allow users to "record, transcribe, and summarize audio," per Apple's blog post. If you want to make custom AI-powered emoji, though, you'll have to wait until the next batch of features drops. Surprise! There's a new iMac, starting at $1,299. It runs on Apple's latest in-house M4 chip, which Apple claims gives it big performance boosts over the M1 iMac. No word on how it compares to the M3 model, though. Regardless, Apple claims it's up to 1.7x faster than the M1 model. It also comes in seven colors: silver, blue, purple, pink, green, yellow, and orange. Apple also updated the included peripherals, such as the keyboard and mouse, with USB-C ports. Here are some other noteworthy specs: All of that sounds great, but the big selling point is obviously the pink model.

Apple Updates iMac With M4, More RAM, Nano-Texture Display and More

Expertise Laptops | Desktops | All-in-one PCs | Streaming devices | Streaming platforms Apple released its M4 processor earlier this year, but in a curious turn, the new silicon first showed up in an iPad Pro instead of a Mac. Today, Mac computers have caught up to their tablet counterpart with Apple bringing M4 updates to the iMac. If you've been waiting for the arrival of an M4 MacBook, you won't have to wait much longer. We expect to to see an M4 update to the MacBook Pro later this week along with the Mac Mini. The M4 processor ups the CPU core count from the previous M3 part and promises better AI performance with a new neural engine. The M4 chip features three or four performance cores and six efficiency cores, which is two more than the M3. The number of GPU cores stays the same at 10. The M4's neural engine also has the same 16 cores as that of the M3, but it's capable of 38 trillion operations per second (TOPS), which is more than double the 18 TOPS of the M3. The capabilities of the neural engine will become increasingly important as Apple continues to roll out Apple Intelligence features to iOS, iPadOS and MacOS. With today's update, the iMac moves from M3 to M4 while keeping the same design and starting price of $1,299. The baseline model features an M4 chip with 8 CPU cores (4 performance and 4 efficiency cores), and the higher-end configs start at $1,499 and feature an M4 processor with 10 cores (4 performance, 6 efficiency). In addition to the new M4 CPU, the iMac now comes with 16GB of RAM at minimum, presumably to help the machine locally process the various AI tasks from Apple Intelligence. The maximum memory allotment you can choose has also gone up, from a previous max of 24GB to 32GB. The display features the same 4.5K (4,480x2,520-pixel) resolution, but Apple now gives you the option for the nano-textured glass you can get with the M4 iPad Pro. The matte finish helps combat glare and reflections. The iMac's webcam gets a bump in resolution to 12 megapixels and introduces a feature Apple is calling Desk View that should help with presentations, showing a top-down view of your workspace while also keeping your face on the screen. Apple also improved the Mac's external connections by outfitting the M4 model with up to four USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports. Sadly, the baseline $1,299 model features only a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports with the higher-end models doubling the number to four. The M4 iMac features the same wireless networking at the previous model: Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. If you just bought a Wi-Fi 7 router and were hoping to be able to add an iMac with the latest Wi-Fi to your network, you are out of luck. Apple claims the color options are more vibrant but the colors themselves remain the same for the M4 iMac -- green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue and silver. Not every Mac desktop is getting the M4 treatment this week. We expect to get a Mac Mini update soon, but Apple isn't expected to bring the M4 chip to its Mac Studio and Mac Pro lines until sometime in 2025.

Apple announces new iMac with M4 chip, starts at $1,299

Apple's Mac family remains a large business segment even though it is less important to the company than the iPhone. In the June quarter, Apple reported $7 billion in Mac sales, up about 2% on an annual basis. Unlike on the iPhone, where only phones released in the past two years will support Apple Intelligence, all of Apple's computers with the M1 chip and newer since 2020 can run the company's artificial intelligence. Still, Apple is marketing the new Macs with a focus on AI to build momentum around its new offering. Apple Intelligence will allow users to rewrite, proofread or summarize text. For example, you might highlight the text of an email and use Apple Intelligence to make it sound more professional or more concise. It also lets users type to Siri, which now provides more answers about Apple products. Apple plans to release another version of Apple Intelligence in December that adds OpenAI's ChatGPT support into writing tools and Siri. The M4 iMac comes in new shades including green, yellow, orange, pink and purple. It is also still available in silver. All four USB-C ports on the back also support the fastest Thunderbolt 4 standard, which means you can transfer large videos and other files faster. It supports up to two additional 6K displays. It comes with an updated Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard with USB-C charging, too, replacing the older Lightning port. The new iMac maintains the same 24-inch 4.5K Retina display launched in earlier models but now adds a new nano-texture display option that helps prevent reflections and glare. Apple could still announce more new Macs over the coming days. Apple's chief marketer Greg Joswiak posted Thursday on social media site X to "Mac your calendars" for an exciting "week of announcements." Apple first introduced the M4 in May in Apple's iPad Pro. At the time, Apple said the chip had additional AI capabilities, a better graphics processor and that it used TSMC's 3-nanometer manufacturing process. Apple says the M4 uses half the power as the M2, first released in 2022. In September, Apple announced new iPhones, Apple Watches and AirPods. The Mac announcements this week are likely Apple's last major hardware announcements for the year.

Apple releases first batch of Apple Intelligence features, debuts new iMac - SiliconANGLE

Apple Inc. today made more than half a dozen Apple Intelligence features generally available on recent iPhones, iPads and Macs. The company also debuted a refreshed version of its iMac desktop, which combines a computer with a monitor. The machine features a new chip, the M4, with an artificial intelligence accelerator described as three times faster than Apple's 2020 silicon. Apple Intelligence is a collection of AI features that the iPhone maker first detailed in June at its WWDC developer event. Some of the capabilities are built into the company's operating systems, while others will become available through apps. Behind the scenes, Apple Intelligence is powered by a mix of on-device and cloud-hosted neural networks. Most of the AI features that debuted today focus on text processing tasks. On supported devices, consumers can now have Apple Intelligence summarize their notifications and emails. Email summaries appear in the inbox section of the Mail app that Apple preinstalls on its devices. The app is also receiving a second new AI feature, Priority Messages, that automatically identifies important messages and pushes them to the top of the list. A second set of text processing upgrades is available through a new feature called Writing Tools. It can summarize many types of text, not just notifications and emails, as well as condense prose in other ways. Users can have the feature extract key points from a document, as well as turn it into a list or a spreadsheet table. The capability lends itself to certain other tasks as well. Apple says that users can have Writing Tools automatically rewrite a piece of text in three styles: professional, friendly or concise. More Apple Intelligence features will become available in the company's Photos app and Siri. The AI assistant is being upgraded with a new interface and a capability that allows it to answer technical questions about the user's device. The Photos app, in turn, now includes an AI tool called Clean Up that provides the ability to quickly remove objects from images. Down the road, Apple plans to roll out a second batch of AI features that will allow Apple Intelligence to take on more tasks. One of the capabilities in the works allows users to take a photo of an object such as a street sign and have an AI model generate an explanation. Another upcoming capability, an integration with OpenAI's ChatGPT, will enable Siri to answer more complex questions than it can currently process. AI was also a focus for Apple during the development of its latest iMac, which debuted today alongside the release of Apple Intelligence. The new desktop is powered by the company's recently introduced M4 processor. It's a system-on-chip based on a three-nanometer node that started shipping with the latest iPad Pro this past May. Like Apple's previous M-series chips, the M4 includes a Neural Engine optimized for AI workloads. The company says that the accelerator is three times faster than the one in the first-generation M1 that debuted four years ago. The M4 also includes a graphics processing unit, as well as a central processing unit with a core design that Apple describes as the fastest in its category.

Apple teases new Mac announcements coming next week - likely M4 MacBook Pros

Highly anticipated: Recent rumors and supply chain leaks have indicated that Apple plans to refresh the entire Mac lineup with M4 processors over the next year, and a recent tweet from the company stops just short of confirming analysts' expectations. However, Apple appears to be planning a rapid string of announcements instead of a monolithic press conference. Apple senior marketing VP Greg Joswiak recently confirmed that the company will make multiple major announcements throughout the final week of October, starting Monday, October 28. Recent reports suggest that the Cupertino giant will introduce multiple M4-powered MacBook Pro models, followed by other M4 Mac devices. Apple introduced the M4 SoC earlier this year with the latest iPad Pro model, which remains the sole M4 device. Utilizing a refined TSMC 3nm node, the processor achieves notable performance gains over M3. Furthermore, Apple included a 38 TOPs neural engine to keep pace with emerging AI PC chips like the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, Intel Core Ultra 200, and AMD Ryzen AI 300. A major software update for Apple's mobile devices will utilize the neural engine to power Apple Intelligence, which exits beta later this month. Its generative AI functionality will enable users to automatically revise text, edit photos, summarize messages, and interact with Siri through natural language prompts. Macs are also expected to receive access to the features soon. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously predicted that the MacBook Pro would be Apple's first PC to receive M4, with new models arriving at the end of October or the beginning of November. Apple is expected to offer 14-inch and 16-inch variants equipped with the M4 Pro and M4 Max processors. Apple might also introduce M4 variants of the Mac mini next week. Before the end of 2024, the company is expected to launch the product's first major revision in several years. With options for the M4 or M4 Pro, the new Mac mini will feature five USB-C ports, no USB-A ports, an HDMI port, and a smaller design resembling the Apple TV. A new M4-powered iMac could also launch this year. However, the MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro won't receive M4 updates until 2025, starting with the MacBook Air in Q1. Apple recently revealed a new iPad mini equipped with an Apple Intelligence-ready A17 Pro processor, and the standard iPad might follow suit next year.

Apple's Introduces iMac: M4 Chip Brings Faster Speeds and Smarter AI Features - Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)

New iMac's Neural Engine optimizes AI, while advanced Apple Intelligence tools enhance productivity and privacy. On Monday, Apple Inc AAPL unveiled its latest iMac, which features the robust M4 chip and integrated Apple Intelligence encased in a sleek, ultra-thin design. Apple says the M4 chip enhances performance significantly, boasting up to 1.7 times faster speeds for daily tasks and 2.1 times faster processing for intensive workflows, such as photo editing and gaming, compared to the previous M1 model. With its Neural Engine, the iMac is optimized for Apple Intelligence, an innovative system that enhances user productivity while prioritizing data privacy. Also Read: What's Going On With Trump Media & Technology Group Stock On Monday? Equipped with the M4 chip, the new iMac handles demanding applications more efficiently. The updated CPU and GPU offer advanced processing power, allowing for smoother multitasking and improved graphics, especially in gaming. The device now includes 16GB of unified memory as standard, expandable up to 32GB. At the same time, its Neural Engine delivers three times the speed of its predecessor, enhancing the iMac's AI capabilities. Apple Intelligence introduces new tools on the iMac, including systemwide Writing Tools, which assist with text refinement, proofreading, and summarization. A redesigned Siri also enables users to alternate seamlessly between typed and spoken commands, while upcoming features like Image Playground and Genmoji add creative customization options. Scheduled for December, Siri will integrate with ChatGPT, expanding its utility without compromising user privacy, according to Apple. The updated iMac supports advanced connectivity with four Thunderbolt 4 ports and compatibility with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. It also includes the security of Touch ID, along with macOS Sequoia's new features, such as iPhone Mirroring, which lets users interact with iPhone apps directly from their Mac. The new iMac is available in an array of new colors (shades of green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue and silver), and the 24-inch 4.5K Retina display offers a new nano-texture glass option. iMac features a new 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View, up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports, and color-matched accessories, including USB-C. Every iMac comes with a color-matched Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse or optional Magic Trackpad, all of which now feature a USB-C port. The new iMac is available for pre-order starting at $1,299, and its official release is slated for November 8. Apple introduced the M3-powered MacBook lineup in its October 2023 "Scary Fast" event, comparing it to the M1 rather than the M2 chip to showcase significant leaps in efficiency and power. The M3 chip's advanced 3nm architecture, derived from the A17 Pro in iPhone 15 Pro models, boosts CPU performance by up to 50% over the M1, with a neural engine that's 60% faster and a GPU that's 50% more power-efficient. Apple will launch its Apple Intelligence features in stages, beginning with iOS 18.1 on October 28, which includes basic AI functionalities. iOS 18.2 will follow, adding ChatGPT integration and advanced tools like Visual Intelligence and Genmoji to boost future sales. Apple's latest iPhone 16 met with a lukewarm response in China due to the absence of the AI features, which will likely roll out in 2025. Apple stock gained 38% in the last 12 months. Price Action: AAPL stock is up 1.29% at $234.40 at the last check on Monday. Also Read: Nvidia Taps India's Growing AI Market, Partnering with Tech Giants and Scaling Data Centers 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

iMac M4 announced with Apple intelligence, nano-texture display and Thunderbolt 4 -- specs, release date and price

Apple promised a week of Mac announcements starting today, and the company has just now unveiled the new iMac. Featuring the M4 chip, Apple's all-in-one computer sports seven colors, a new 12MP Center Stage camera, a new nano-texture glass option, up to four USB-C ports and starts with 16GB of RAM. As with all recent Apple devices, Apple Intelligence is another prominent feature. In a blog post, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, John Ternus, said: "It's a whole new era for iMac." For those keeping track, the iMac is the first Apple computer to sport an M4 chip, which debuted in the latest iPad Pro. Apple claims the new iMac is up to 1.7x faster than the M1 iMac, and that the processor is more capable of handling advanced graphics and intense workloads. The chip's Neural Engine (for AI) is also over 3x faster than on iMac M1, says Apple. The new iMac retains the same svelte design of predecessors like the iMac M3 we reviewed. However, it packs some new features such as the aforementioned 12MP front camera either two or four USB-C ports. New colors include green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue and silver. The iMac also comes with a color-matched Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse -- all of which now feature a USB-C port for charging. You can now configure the iMac's 24-inch display with a new nano-texture glass option meant to reduce reflections and glare without sacrificing image quality. This should make it easier to use the new iMac in areas of your home (or business) that receive a lot of sunlight. The iMac M4 comes with macOS Sequoia out of the box, so you can try features like iPhone mirroring and the updated Safari. Apple Intelligence is also another prominent macOS Sequoia feature. You'll get access to features like Writing Tools, which acts as a personal editor by rewriting, proofreading and summarizing text on almost any app you use for writing. Speaking with the updated Siri will also feel more natural. Apple Intelligence could become even more useful when ChatGPT is integrated into both Siri and Writing Tools in December. The new iMac M4 is now available to pre-order from Apple's website with a starting price of $1,299 and begins shipping on November 8. This model is available in the aforementioned colors, and packs an M4 chip with an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage -- with the latter two configurable up to 24GB and up to 1TB, respectively. You can also get an iMac with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU starting at $1,499. This model also starts with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but you can upgrade to up to 32GB and 2TB, respectively. All configurations come with a color-matching Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.

Apple might launch M4 Macs next week

Apple seems ready to unveil its next generation of Macs featuring the new M4 chips, and it looks like we won't have to wait much longer. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who often has reliable insider information, recently shared that an "M4 Mac launch" is scheduled for next week. Although he didn't give an exact date, it's safe to say the tech world is gearing up for some big news. Gurman posted that Apple has a "busy week" lined up, mentioning that it will start with "Apple Intelligence" on Monday, followed by the M4 Mac announcement, and then earnings results on Thursday. Additionally, Apple has invited journalists and content creators to a hands-on event in Los Angeles next Wednesday, which suggests that the M4 Macs will be announced before then. While it is unclear whether Apple will hold an online event or simply issue a press release, the timeframe for inviting media to an online event is closing. Last year, Apple hosted the "Scary Fast" event online in late October, so they might take a similar approach this year. We'll find out soon enough. Based on Gurman's information and other leaks, here's what Apple is expected to announce: The entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro has allegedly already been leaked through some unboxing videos earlier this month, where it was identified as a November 2024 model. If these videos are legitimate, it means that the first M4 Macs might not reach customers until next month, even if they are announced next week. Adding another twist to the story, well-known leaker Sonny Dickson claimed that the new Mac Mini could launch even sooner -- possibly this week. Dickson's track record is a mixed bag, though. While he's shared some accurate details in the past, not all of his predictions have panned out, particularly when it comes to hardware releases. Still, it's worth keeping an eye out. It's still a bit unclear how Apple plans to announce these new products. Last year, the "Scary Fast" event was streamed online, and Apple could take a similar route for the M4 Mac launch. However, there's also a chance they could go for a simpler announcement on the Apple Newsroom website. Regardless of the method, the window for sending out invites to an online event is closing quickly, so we'll have our answer soon. What's clear, though, is that Apple is pushing forward with the next generation of its Mac lineup, and the upcoming M4 Macs will be the latest step in their ongoing shift away from Intel processors. The launch of the M4 Macs is significant for a couple of reasons. First, it continues Apple's rapid progression in designing its own processors, with the M4 chips likely offering better performance and efficiency compared to the current M3 series. This means improvements in battery life, speed, and overall capability for users. Second, it's also about the competitive landscape. Apple is looking to stay ahead of the curve, and a new generation of Macs is a big part of that strategy. Competitors like Microsoft and Google are also pushing AI integrations and hardware improvements, so Apple is aiming to maintain its edge, especially among creative professionals and enterprise users. For Apple enthusiasts and tech industry observers, next week will be one to watch closely. How much of a performance boost will the M4 Macs deliver? Will we see any surprises, like a major redesign of the iMac or the Mac Mini? And what about the hands-on event in Los Angeles -- could it hint at something even more exciting? Mark Gurman has been right before, and his updates provide some tantalizing clues about what's ahead. But as always with Apple, there's still a bit of mystery.

Apple October event: What to expect this week

Apple is preparing for a busy week ahead, with the much-anticipated Apple October event set to feature M4 Macs and software updates. The company has several major announcements planned, and it will also share its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings on October 31. Apple's marketing head, Greg Joswiak, teased the upcoming week by urging followers to "Mac" their calendars. The tech giant is expected to announce updates to its Mac lineup, which will include new M4 versions of the iMac, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini. According to Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, these new Macs will be showcased at a hands-on event in Los Angeles on Wednesday for media and content creators. The updated MacBook Pro is expected to come in two sizes, 14-inch and 16-inch, with options for M4 Pro and M4 Max chips. The entry-level model will feature an additional Thunderbolt port compared to its predecessor. The iMac will also receive an upgrade to the M4 chip, improving performance. The new Mac mini will likely have a smaller design, featuring two front-facing USB-C ports, and it will come with either an M4 or M4 Pro chip. Apple's updated Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Keyboard are also rumored to get USB-C compatibility, which will help unify the charging ecosystem across Apple's devices. Apple is also set to release the first wave of its AI features, known as Apple Intelligence, through the iOS 18.1 update. These features will only be available for iPhone 15 Pro models and later. The AI tools, introduced during the Worldwide Developer Conference earlier this year, promise to enhance user experience by offering improved functionality in everyday tasks. Apple CEO Tim Cook has spoken about Apple Intelligence in the past, describing it as "not first, but best." During the third-quarter earnings call, Cook emphasized Apple's focus on developing AI tools that truly improve users' lives. In recent comments, Cook elaborated that the technology will be "profoundly different," akin to the transformative nature of innovations like the iPod's click wheel or the iPhone's touch interface. Craig Federighi, Apple's head of software, explained that Apple prefers to roll out these AI tools in stages to ensure their quality and reliability. Some features, like notification summaries and a new photo-editing tool called Cleanup, have already started to make their way to users. The rollout of Apple Intelligence will continue throughout the next year. Apple's cautious strategy with AI sets it apart from competitors like Google and OpenAI, who have rushed to introduce products like Google Gemini and ChatGPT. Federighi highlighted that Apple's approach prioritizes user privacy, with AI models running directly on devices rather than in the cloud. This local approach means personal data stays secure, which is a core value for Apple. Apple's earnings results for the fiscal fourth quarter are expected to shed light on the impact of Apple Intelligence and other product launches. Cook has expressed optimism regarding AI, noting that Apple's continued investment in this space will provide significant value to users. The upcoming earnings call will likely provide more insight into how AI fits into Apple's long-term growth strategy. With new M4 Macs, updates to the iPhone lineup, and the gradual release of Apple Intelligence, this week's Apple October event will be filled with announcements. As Apple continues to expand its AI capabilities, it remains committed to offering the best user experience -- even if that means taking a slower, more deliberate path. Apple's Vision Pro headset also remains a focus, with Cook describing it as an "early-adopter product" for those wanting to experience future technology today. Like other iconic products, it may take time for the Vision Pro to become mainstream, but Apple's long-term commitment suggests it sees substantial potential in augmented reality. The week promises significant reveals and will be one to watch for tech enthusiasts and Apple fans. Whether it's new Macs or evolving AI features, Apple's October event is another step in the company's journey to innovate responsibly and effectively.

Apple M4 comes to the Mac with new iMac, starts with 16GB RAM

Apple is refreshing its 24-inch iMac, making it the first Mac the company is updating to its M4 lineup of processors. The M4 chips will vary, starting with an 8-core CPU (with 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores) and an 8-core GPU and going up to 10-cores (4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores) and a 10-core GPU. The entry-level model, which starts at $1,299, has two USB Type-C ports supporting Thunderbolt 4. The 10-core CPU models, starting at $1,499, have four Thunderbolt 4 ports. With M4, Apple says that the iMac is 1.3 times faster than the M3 model and 1.7 times faster than M1 in Excel productivity. In a welcome move, every single iMac now starts with 16GB of unified memory. This is likely due to the performance demands of Apple Intelligence, but it's nice to see Apple start to phase 8GB out. For $200, you can bump up to 24GB of RAM, while configuring to 32GB costs another $200. (32GB models are also only available with 512GB or more storage, though I can't imagine most people who want 32GB of RAM would deal with a 256GB drive). Apple is pushing the iMac as a fresh proving ground for Apple Intelligence, referring to it as the "best all-in-one for AI." Today, Apple rolled out macOS Sequoia 15.1 to launch the feature on existing Macs. Apple is also offering a new display option for its all-in-one: a "nano-texture" glass meant to reduce glare, which is a $200 upgrade on select models. In addition, the webcam has been bumped up to 12MP. The iMac comes with a Magic keyboard and either a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad. These accessories have finally made the jump from Lightning to USB Type-C. Notably, Apple hasn't moved the charging port from the bottom of the Magic Mouse, leaving its most confounding engineering decision in many years, as you have to turn the mouse upside down to charge. This time around, the iMac comes in new shades of blue, purple, pink, orange, yellow, green, and silver. They're not all new colors, but they're the company suggests the hues are different this time around. The new iMac is up for pre-order now and will be available in stores on November 8. Apple first revealed the current iMac design with M1. While it skipped M2, it came back with M3, so this release seems to put it back on a yearly cadence.

'Mac your calendars!' Apple confirms event next week, with new M4 models

Apple Inc. is preparing to unveil new Mac computers powered by the M4 chip, beginning Monday. The lineup includes updated iMacs, MacBook Pros, and Mac minis, with significant design changes for the Mac mini. This launch accompanies the debut of Apple Intelligence, an AI platform integrated into upcoming software updates.Apple Inc. is planning a week of announcements related to the Mac computer lineup, marketing executive Greg Joswiak said in a social media post, signaling that highly anticipated models with the new M4 chip are on the way. "Mac your calendars!" he said on X, adding a winking emoji. "We have an exciting week of announcements ahead, starting on Monday morning. Stay tuned..." Though Joswiak didn't specify what products Apple will unveil, Bloomberg News has reported that the rollout will include the first Macs with M4 processors. The M4 chip was first announced in May as part of the latest iPad Pro and includes improvements to processing for artificial intelligence tasks, as well as general speed increases to the CPU, or central processing unit. The Macs coming next week with the chip will be the iMac, MacBook Pro and Mac mini, Bloomberg News has reported. The company's AI platform - called Apple Intelligence - also is set to debut next week. The software will launch as part of updates to iOS, iPadOS and macOS as early as Oct. 28, Bloomberg News has reported. The M4 chips will be especially adept at running AI features, though the software will also work on current Macs. The base version of the M4 chip will come to the iMac, a low-end 14-inch MacBook Pro and the entry-level Mac mini. A higher-end, Pro variant will be included in a more premium version of the new mini model. The more upscale MacBook Pro is slated to get higher-performing versions of the M4 chip as well. While the new iMac and MacBook Pro models will look like the current versions, the Mac mini will get its first major external redesign in more than a decade. It will be far smaller and approach the size of the Apple TV set-top box. And at least some versions will have five USB-C ports for connecting to accessories. For the first time in several years, Apple will also refresh its Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad accessories. The new models will swap out the Lightning port and use USB-C for charging - part of a broader switch spurred by EU regulations. The Mac launch will mark the second product unveiling for the company this fall, with the company introducing the iPhone 16, new Apple Watches and updated AirPods in September.

Apple introduces new iMacs: M4 and ready for Apple Intelligence - Softonic

Apple has announced the launch of the new iMac, now equipped with the M4 chip and Apple Intelligence. With the ultra-thin design we already celebrate and enjoy, and new colors, these new machines are as elegant as they are powerful. The heart of the new iMac is the M4 chip, which offers up to 1.7 times faster performance in everyday tasks and up to 2.1 times better in demanding workflows, such as photo editing and video games, compared to the current iMac with M1. Thanks to its new Neural Engine, the M4 turns the iMac into the "all-in-one" most powerful for artificial intelligence tasks. The M4 goes further, as it includes an improved CPU with the fastest CPU core in the world and a GPU capable of handling complex graphics in games and multimedia editing. In addition to the performance leap, Apple has introduced Apple Intelligence in the new iMac. Initially available in U.S. English with macOS Sequoia 15.1, Apple Intelligence streamlines workflow through writing tools that allow us to rewrite, correct, and summarize text in applications like Notes, Messages, Mail, Keynote, and third-party apps like Craft and Bear. The iMac offers us a high-level visual experience with its 24-inch Retina display and 4.5K resolution, available with a nano-textured glass option that reduces reflections. The new 12MP camera, equipped with Center Stage and Desk View, allows for even more interactive video calls. The new iMac adapts to any environment thanks to its new colors. Green, yellow, orange, pink, violet, and blue, in addition to the already known silver, receive an even more elegant approach with more saturated colors. Colors that we can also enjoy in the accessories that accompany the Mac. Accessories that now come with USB-C ports and leave Lightning behind. The four USB-C ports on the new iMac come with Thunderbolt 4 support, capable of connecting multiple accessories, such as external storage and displays up to 6K. With support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, this computer is ready for anything. As always, Apple has placed special emphasis on the sustainability of this iMac, which is made with 100% recycled aluminum in the stand and electronic components made with recycled gold and copper. Available for pre-orders starting today, the new iMac has a starting price of 1519 euros or 1299 dollars and will be available in stores on November 8th. With a sleek design, vibrant colors, more power, and a strong focus on privacy and the environment, the new iMac with M4 and Apple Intelligence is undoubtedly a highly anticipated upgrade for one of the most popular Macs.

Mac Mini May Shrink To Apple TV Size As Cupertino Prepares To Unveil New Macs This Week -- Expect AI And Gaming Enhancements In Fresh Designs, Says Expert - Northern Lights Fund Trust IV Main International ETF (BATS:INTL)

Apple Inc. AAPL is all set to integrate the powerful M4 processor into its Mac lineup. What Happened: In his latest weekly "Power On" newsletter, Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman noted that the M4 chip could boost the AI and gaming performance of new Macs. The new chip will significantly increase core counts compared to its predecessor. This will ensure a marked improvement in daily usage from older models. "Apple will probably introduce new Macs on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday -- with the hands-on sessions beginning right after the final announcement. It's an unusual strategy but not a first," he stated. See Also: Apple's Week Of Peaks And Valleys: From Record iPhone Sales To Legal And Regulatory Challenges According to the columnist, Cupertino is expected to unveil a 24-inch iMac, a revamped Mac mini, and updated 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models this week. The iMac will feature an entry-level M4, the Mac mini will get M4 and M4 Pro options, and the MacBook Pro will have higher-end M4 configurations. Subscribe to the Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox. The Mac mini will also introduce ray tracing, a graphics technique that delivers more realistic images, a significant advantage for gamers. The new Mac mini will be smaller, similar in size to an Apple TV, and feature additional front and backports. Apple also plans to equip the MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro with M4 chips in early 2025, he stated. Why It Matters: The M4 chip has already been introduced in an Apple product previously. In May 2024, the Cupertino, California-based tech giant introduced its latest powerful processor in the iPad Pro. At the time, the M4 chip was described as "more powerful than any AI PC NPU today." The M4 chip almost doubles the Neural Engine's capability in new launches, achieving 38 trillion operations per second or TOPS. In the year 2020, the Tim Cook-led company moved from Intel Corporation INTL chips to Apple-owned chips. Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by following this link. Photo by thanmano on Shutterstock Read Next: Apple Secures Victory In Masimo Patent Dispute With Token Damages Of $250 Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

Apple unveils M4 iMac in new colors, nano-texture display option, more - 9to5Mac

Apple is kicking off its promised "exciting week of announcements" today with the introduction of the M4-powered iMac. In addition to the M4 chip, the new iMac features a nano-texture display option, new color choices, and more. Here's what Apple has to say in today's announcement: Apple today announced the new iMac, featuring the powerful M4 chip and Apple Intelligence, in its stunning, ultra-thin design. With M4, iMac is up to 1.7x faster for daily productivity, and up to 2.1x faster for demanding workflows like photo editing and gaming, compared to iMac with M1.1 With the Neural Engine in M4, iMac is the world's best all-in-one for AI and is built for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that transforms how users work, communicate, and express themselves, while protecting their privacy. The new iMac is available in an array of beautiful new colors, and the 24-inch 4.5K Retina display offers a new nano-texture glass option.2 iMac features a new 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View, up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports,3 and color-matched accessories that include USB-C. The new iMac starts at $1,299 with 16GB of unified memory, the new iMac is available to pre-order today, with availability beginning Friday, November 8.

Apple Makes Headway on M4 MacBook Air and Plans New Low-End iPad

(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. is nearing production of updated MacBook Airs with M4 chips for release in early 2025, a follow-up to a wave of new Macs that are coming next week, according to people familiar with the matter. The latest MacBook Air models will look similar to the current design, launched in 2022, but will include the new M4 chip generation, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the products haven't been announced. The company is set to soon begin manufacturing new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs codenamed J713 and J715, they said. A spokesperson for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to comment. Apple is taking the rare step of upgrading its entire line of Mac computers to the same generation of chip -- the M4 -- which will speed up performance and better handle artificial intelligence tasks. The refresh will include new MacBook Pros, Mac minis and iMacs coming next week. The M4 MacBook Air line is scheduled to be released after a December software update, so the new machines are likely to arrive between January and March, the people said. Apple last updated the MacBook Air in March of this year with the M3 chip, and it previously rolled out a 15-inch version with an M2 chip in June 2023. While it makes headway on the MacBook Air, the company has pushed back the release of a new high-end Mac Studio, a desktop machine aimed at professionals that doesn't include a display. That model -- codenamed J575 -- had been on a similar schedule as the MacBook Air, but now it's likely to come after a March software release, putting its debut between March and June. Apple also continues to work on an M4 version of the Mac Pro, its most expensive computer. The M4 chips will bring major updates to the Mac Studio and Mac Pro, including the addition of ray tracing -- a key technology for graphics in gaming. They also will enhance the Neural Engine, a chip component for processing AI tasks, which is key to the new Apple Intelligence platform. During the same spring product release cycle, Apple is planning to launch a revamped iPhone SE, fresh iPad Air models and upgraded iPad keyboards. In that same window, Apple is also now aiming to release 11th-generation entry-level iPads codenamed J481 and J482, the people said. AI will be a big part of Apple's product blitz. Earlier this month, the company rolled out an updated iPad mini that can support Apple Intelligence. Next week's Mac rollout should spotlight the AI capabilities of the M4 chip. While the new iMac and MacBook Pro models will look like the current versions, the Mac mini will get its first external overhaul in more than a decade. It will now be smaller, making it more like the Apple TV set-top box. As part of next week's Mac announcement, Apple will host hands-on demonstrations for select video creators, including in Los Angeles. It's not planning a full-scale event at its headquarters in Cupertino, like the one it held in September for the iPhone 16, new AirPods and Apple Watches. Apple also is working on next year's iPhone models, including a thinner version to replace the iPhone 16 Plus. And it's planning a new home device with a small, square screen for release sometime in 2025 -- part of a renewed bid to crack the smart home market.

Apple's M4 iMac will ship with 16GB of memory as standard

In a surprise announcement on Monday, Apple unveiled a rainbow of new iMacs powered by its M4 processor with 16 GB of memory as standard, a 12 MP webcam, and no shortage of AI gimmicks... er... features. The systems themselves haven't changed much from when the M1 variant first made its debut in mid-2021. Perhaps the biggest cosmetic change this time is around the 24-inch 4.5K display, which can be had with new nano-texture antiglare coating -- if you're willing to shell out another $200, that is. The real upgrades are all under the surface, where we're treated to a new 12 MP "Center Stage" webcam that was presumably pulled out of an iPhone spare parts bin, and the beefier M4 chip first seen in Apple's slimmed-down iPad Pros this spring. As we discussed earlier this year, the M4 can be had with either eight or 10 CPU and GPU cores and comes equipped with a substantially more powerful neural processing unit (NPU) capable of churning out 38 TOPS of what we assume is INT8 performance. That puts it a fair distance behind AMD and Intel's latest NPUs, which boast 50 and 48 TOPS respectively, which had to beat Microsoft's 40 TOPS minimum spec to be considered a Copilot+ AI PC. Apple, naturally, can set its own performance targets. The improved NPU should support a bevy of Apple Intelligence AI features teased back at WWDC. But, at launch, Apple says iMac users will be able to take advantage of its system-wide writing assistant to rewrite, proofread, or summarize text. Siri is apparently much better at making sense of your requests too, though we'll let y'all be the judge of that. However, many of the biggest features headlining "Apple Intelligence," like OpenAI integration, won't arrive until a December update. As we understand it, if you've got an M1 Mac or newer, you won't need to upgrade to get these features. Beyond more TOPS and higher perf -- Apple says the iMac with M4 chip is up to 1.7x faster in productivity tasks and up to 2.1x faster in "demanding workflows" like image editing and gaming compared to those with the M1 -- arguably the most anticipated change was to the memory loadout. Until now, Apple has insisted that 8 GB of memory is enough for most users. Late last year Apple execs opined that 8 GB on a Mac was the equivalent of 16 GB on a PC because the operating system is more efficient. However, with the world now obsessed with memory hungry generative AI models, it seems Apple finally sees reason to pump that up to 16 GB. In addition to more memory, gone is the old base model iMac, which came with just two USB-C ports rather than the four found on higher-end models. On the topic of USB-C, Apple appears to be abandoning its proprietary Lighting charging standard entirely. Its Magic Keyboard, Trackpad, and Mouse now come equipped with USB-C. Apple's M4 iMacs are available for pre-order now and will hit store shelves on Nov. 8. Prices range from $1,299 for the base model and top out at around $2,899 if you max one out with the nano-texture display, 32 GB of RAM, and 2 TB of onboard storage. As for when we'll get refreshed MacBooks, Mac Studios, or Mac Minis, only time will tell. ®

Apple Releases New AI Features on iPhone 16, Fresh Colors on iMacs

More product announcements are expected this week, including possible updates to the MacBook Pro and Mac Mini. Apple (AAPL) launched the first wave of Apple Intelligence capabilities on Monday with a free iOS update for the iPhone 16 and other devices. Apple Intelligence is the company's artificial intelligence (AI) rollout, which comes as Apple prepares to release its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings after the market closes on Thursday, with analysts watching for early iPhone 16 upgrade sales cycle data. Bank of America Securities analyst Wamsi Mohan wrote in an Oct. 25 note that Apple Intelligence's addition should positively affect the iPhone upgrade cycle. "Given the staggered launch of Apple Intelligence, we expect iPhone demand to pick up post-initial release of Apple Intelligence in late Oct.," Mohan said. "We view the cycle as more dynamic with more material software updates." But a new iPhone isn't necessarily required to support Apple Intelligence. Apple customers with older iPhone models can also use the company's new AI features by updating their software. Apple Intelligence is also available on its popular desktop, the iMac, which Apple unveiled in new colors Monday with a starting price of $1,299. Deliveries of the updated model will begin Nov. 8. The machine is powered by the company's newest M4 chip, which Apple says makes the iMac "up to 1.7x faster for daily productivity, and up to 2.1x faster for demanding workflows like photo editing and gaming," compared with the M1 chip. There's likely to be more news to come. Apple Marketing SVP Greg Joswiak teased an "exciting week of announcements," in a post on X last week. The updates could include the MacBook Pro getting a similar refresh with M4 chips and the Mac Mini experiencing a full redesign for the first time in more than a decade, according to reporting from The Verge.

Apple's long-awaited M4 iMacs are ready to preorder - here's how to grab one

Key Takeaways M4 iMac is up to 1.7x faster for daily productivity and 2.1x faster for demanding tasks than the M1 model. The iMac M4 features Neural Engine and Apple Intelligence for AI tasks while ensuring user privacy. Preorder the iMac M4 starting at $1,299, or wait for the release on November 8th to try it out. ✕ Remove Ads If you've been itching to get your hands on a new M4 iMac, today is your lucky day. Apple has announced that preorders for its new generation of iMacs are now open, and you can snag yourself a model right now. And if you'd prefer to wait for release before you grab one, they'll be hitting shelves sooner than you think. Related iPad Pro (M4, 2024) review: The best tablet in the world gets better, but by how much? The new iPad Pro with M4 is the most capable and powerful tablet on the market. But is it that much better than the M2 iPad Pro? The Apple iMac M4 is now ready to preorder As announced on the Apple Newsroom, the tech giant is now ready to allow preorders for its new iMac M4 models. If you're using an M1 model, Apple is keen to show off just how powerful these new M4 chips are: ✕ Remove Ads The M4 chip brings a boost in performance to iMac. Featuring a more capable CPU with the world's fastest CPU core,4 the new iMac is up to 1.7x faster than iMac with M1. [...] And with an immensely powerful GPU featuring Apple's most advanced graphics architecture, iMac with M4 handles more intense workloads like photo editing and gaming up to 2.1x faster than iMac with M1. These new iMacs will also bring in Apple's new push for people to use its AI assistant, Apple Intelligence. The company says that simple AI tasks can be handled locally by the iMac's hardware, but if there's the need to perform any complex tasks, it will hand the request over to Private Cloud Compute, which Apple states keeps user information safe from prying eyes. ✕ Remove Ads If you want to grab one for yourself, head over to the Apple store and preorder an iMac starting at $1,299. And if you want to try before you buy, the iMac M4 will be released on Friday, November 8th. Apple iMac M4 With M4, iMac is up to 1.7x faster for daily productivity, and up to 2.1x faster for demanding workflows like photo editing and gaming, compared to iMac with M1. With the Neural Engine in M4, iMac is the world's best all-in-one for AI and is built for Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that transforms how users work, communicate, and express themselves, while protecting their privacy. The new iMac is available in an array of beautiful new colors, and the 24-inch 4.5K Retina display offers a new nano-texture glass option. $1299 at Apple

New M4 iMacs mean Apple's 2-in-1 remains a serious contender for creative work

Apple's first M4-chipped Macs will be not MacBooks as had been widely expected but a new iMac. As well as a new chip, the updated 24-inch two-in-one sports new colours and the option of a nano-texture display to reduce reflections and glare. Coming almost exactly a year after the release of the M3 iMac, the new computer also has a 12MP Centre Stage camera with Desk View, up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports, and colour-matched accessories that now use USB-C instead of Lightning (see our roundup of Apple Black Friday deals if you're looking for bargains on older tech). Apple says the M4 chip, which has so far only been used in this year's iPad Pros, makes the new iMac up to 1.7x faster for daily productivity and up to 2.1x faster for demanding photo and video editing using complex filters and effects in apps like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro when compared to iMac with M1 (yes, it's choosing to compare it agains the 2021 M1 models rather than last year's M3 models) The new iMac will come with 16GB of memory as standard, configurable up to 32GB. The Cupertino tech giant continues to put a lot of emphasis on the AI prowess of the neural engine in M4. It reckons this makes the new iMac "the world's best all-in-one for AI", which, of course, includes the new Apple Intelligence features in macOS Sequoia 15.1. It also claims that the new iMac is up to 4.5x faster than "the most popular 24-inch all-in-one PC with the latest Intel Core 7 processor". The new iMac comes in seven colours, adding fresh shades of green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and blue alongside silver. The backs feature bolder colours while the fronts stick with more subtle shades. And each colour option comes with a colour-matched Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse or optional Magic Trackpad, all of which now feature USB-C. The 24-inch 4.5K Retina display is now available with a nano-texture glass option designed to reduce reflections and glare, allowing users to place their computer in "a sun-drenched living room or bright storefront". Meanwhile, the 12MP Centre Stage camera with support for Desk View aims to make video even more engaging. The three-microphone array with beamforming and and six-speaker sound remains present. What stands out from the press release is that Apple intends the new iMac to be a device for everyone. The company highlights the improved performance and up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports *for content creation and design workflows (the ports can support up to two 6K displays) but also stresses that the new webcam makes it great for families and educators. The new M4 iMac starts at $1,299 / £1,299 for an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB memory configuration with a 256GB SSD and two Thunderbolt 4 ports (including Magic Keyboard, and Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad). The 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU configuration with four TB4 ports starts at $1,499 / £1,499.

Apple's iMac Gets an Updated Processor and New Colors

Just like the iPad Mini two weeks ago, Apple announced the 2024 iMac through its online newsroom. The 24-inch desktop computer packs the latest M4 chipset -- the newest processor in Apple's M-series lineup. Like other Macs powered by its Apple silicon, the M4 supports Apple Intelligence, the company's artificial intelligence features, now available with MacOS Sequoia 15.1. Starting at $1,299 for the base model, the M4-powered iMac looks the same as its predecessors -- but with fun new shades and USB-C versions of its peripherals (finally). The major upgrades are internal though, including a new processor and increased memory to power those Apple Intelligence features more smoothly. It's available for preorder now and ships on November 8. It's hard to fault Apple for not changing much about the iMac's design because it still looks great. It sports a 24-inch, 4.5K resolution LCD with a 1080p camera. It has a six-speaker sound system and three "studio-quality" microphones. The port selection depends on the configuration. On the base model, you'll now get two Thunderbolt 4 ports while the pricier versions come with four Thunderbolt 4 ports (in addition to a Gigabit Ethernet port). Apple has also added Center Stage to the 12-megapixel webcam, which will automatically keep your face in the frame during video calls.

The New M4 iMac Aims to Be Apple's Best Value for Photographers

Apple's refreshed iMac lineup features the new M4 Apple Silicon, supercharging the popular all-in-one desktop computer series. With the move to M4, a first for the Mac lineup, the refreshed iMac family is up to 1.7 times faster for daily productivity tasks and up to 2.1 times faster for high-end workflows like photo and video editing than the original M1-powered iMac. Apple specifically cites performance improvements when applying complex filters and effects inside apps like Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro, two powerhouse editors used by many content creators. With the move to M4, which includes a more powerful Neural Engine, the iMac runs Apple Intelligence. Apple calls its new desktop the "world's best all-in-one for AI," largely thanks to the upgrade to M4. Apple Intelligence, available in macOS Sequoia 15.1, brings systemwide AI tools like rewriting, proofreading, scheduling, and more. Apple Intelligence also underpins a new Siri experience, which Apple says is significantly smarter and more helpful. Other features, including ChatGPT integration and text-to-image tools, will arrive in the coming months. The performance gains will be less noticeable compared to the M3-powered iMac launched last year, but there are other improvements besides performance. The new iMac's 24-inch 4.5K Retina display now comes with a nano-texture glass option, a first for this iMac series and mirroring Apple's nano-texture addition to the iPad Pro earlier this year. Apple says the nano-texture glass option on the iMac dramatically reduces reflections and glares while maintaining excellent image quality. Another change to the front of the computer is a new 12-megapixel Center Stage camera with Desk View. The last iMac had a 12-megapixel camera, too, but the move to one that supports Desk View enables users to show off their latest do-it-yourself projects and share better presentations. As for ports -- a power user's best friend -- the iMac now features four Thunderbolt 4-compatible USB-C ports, allowing users to connect additional accessories like fast external storage, docks, and up to two 6K external displays. Wireless connectivity is also improved, as the new computer supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. Since the first iMac computer in the 1990s, the iMac family has been known for its colorful designs. The M4 iMac comes in seven vibrant colors, including new shades of green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and blue. For those who want something more subdued, the silver colorway remains available. Each iMac comes with a color-matched Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and a color-matched Magic Mouse or optional Magic Trackpad, which now features UBS-C for charging instead of the outdated Lightning port. "iMac is beloved by millions of users, from families at home to entrepreneurs hard at work. With the incredible features of Apple Intelligence and the powerful performance of Apple silicon, the new iMac changes the game once again," says John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. "With M4 and Apple Intelligence, gorgeous new colors that pop in any space, an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera, and a new nano-texture glass display option, it's a whole new era for iMac." The new iMac with M4 is available to order now starting at $1,299 and will begin shipping to customers and arrive at retailers on November 8. The base model features an M4 with an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory (up from 8GB on the base M3 iMac), and a 256GB SSD. Customers can upgrade the memory up to 32GB and the storage up to 2TB depending on their M4 chip selection, which is also available in a 10-core CPU and GPU flavor. A fully-kitted M4 iMac is $2,699, and the nano-texture glass upgrade is an additional $200. The nano-texture glass display option is only available on 10-core iMac machines, so the base model only comes with the standard glossy display. Complete purchasing options and details are available on the Apple Store.

Here's why Apple's new iMac M4 is the best value it's ever been | Stuff

The new iMac with M4 is more powerful than ever, offers Apple Intelligence, and upgrades its connectivity - it's better value than ever. Apple's iMac has long been one of the best value desktop Macs. You get a screen, the latest compute, and the keyboard and mouse to go with it. There's a new iMac with M4 on the scene, and I think it's better value than ever thanks to M4, upgraded connectivity, and Apple Intelligence. The new iMac model promises a significant leap over its predecessor. Compared to the M1 version, Apple reckons you get up to 1.7x faster speeds for everyday tasks and a striking 2.1x faster performance for high-demand activities. That's all thanks to the M4 chipset inside, which we've already seen deliver excellent performance to this year's iPad Pro devices. Plus, M4's Neural Engine takes AI capability to new heights. Not only does this mean faster performance, but the machine now earns a spot as "the world's best all-in-one for AI". At least, according to Apple. That's a bold claim, but with Apple Intelligence built in, the new iMac certainly has a lot to offer with the likes of Writing Tools. But let's not skip over the refreshed colour options because, of course, style matters. This iMac now comes in a rainbow of shades: green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and the classic silver. One of the most beloved aspects of the iMac, these colours add a splash of personality to any space. They extend to the accessories too, which have gotten a handy upgrade with USB-C connectivity. Although the port still looks to be on the bottom. The base level model's keyboard doesn't come with Touch ID - a rather egregious exclusion, if you ask me. If you're struggling with glare in a bright room, Apple's got your back with a new nanotexture glass option that cuts down on reflections. And for those spending lots of time on calls, the new 12MP Centre Stage camera comes equipped with Desk View. This feature uses a wide-angle lens to let others see your face and a live view of your desk. Sound has had a boost too, with a three-microphone array that picks up your voice with laser-like focus, plus an immersive six-speaker system. Connectivity has clearly been taken up a notch, too, with all four USB-C ports supporting Thunderbolt 4, meaning faster data transfers and the ability to connect up to two 6K external displays. Coupled with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, this iMac feels ready to integrate with even the most demanding setups. Note that the base model comes without gigabit Ethernet support. Of course, you get all of the new macOS 15/Sequoia update goodies as well. You can pre-order this M4-powered iMac on Apple's website, with the release date set for 8 November. Prices start at $1299/£1299 for the base model with 8-core CPU and GPU, 16GB of unified memory, and 256GB SSD. For a 10-core version with expanded storage options, you'll be looking at $1499/£1499.

M4 MacBook Air launch timing just tipped in new report

Over at Bloomberg, Apple leak-monger Mark Gurman claimed that Apple is only just beginning production of MacBook Airs featuring M4 chipsets. That might mean we won't see a more powerful Air until early 2025. Additionally, Gurman reported that the MacBook Air won't received an external redesign and should look fairly similar to current models, which launched in 2022. It will once again come in two variants, one with a 13-inch display and a 15-inch version. Unlike in previous years, Apple is taking the time to bolster every new product lineup with the most powerful currently available CPU. Like the iPhone 16 all featuring the new A18 chip, every Mac computer is expected to get some version of the M4 processor. As with most things in 2024, these moves are being made so that Apple's latest devices can run artificial intelligence and Apple's take on AI, Apple Intelligence. The M4 chips should provide better efficiency and upgraded speed. According to knowledgeable sources, new MacBook Airs will be released after a December software update, most likely macOS 15.2 which is bringing a number of Apple Intelligence features to the Mac lineup. Again, this does suggest a release date some time between January and March 2025. The currently available M3 Macbook Air was released in March of this year. That said, the 15-inch version featuring the M2 chip was launched in June of 2022. So, there isn't a strict release schedule like the other Macs or the annual iPhone. Gurman also reported that Apple is delaying the release of a new high-end Mac Studio, which does confirm previous rumors that we wouldn't see that computer until mid-2025. He adds that Apple is working on M4 versions of the Mac Studio and Mac Pro, which will add ray tracing and an enhanced Neural Engine, important for Apple Intelligence tasks. We most likely won't see either professional Mac until after March of next year. This is yet more reason to believe there won't be any big Apple October event this year, but we'll just have to wait and see what the company has planned for Fall 2024. More from Tom's Guide

M1 vs. M3 vs. M4 iMac Buyer's Guide: 25+ Upgrades Compared

Apple's third Apple silicon iMac gains the M4 chip alongside a range of other small but notable improvements, so how does the new machine compare to its two predecessors? The 2021 iMac was the first of its kind to feature an Apple silicon chip, replacing previous Intel-based models with 21.5- and 27-inch displays. It offered an all-new ultra-thin design, a 24-inch Retina display, a six-speaker system with force-cancelling woofers, and an array of seven two-tone color options. The 2023 model was a minor update that added the M3 chip and specification updates like Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E. One year later, the latest, M4 version of the device looks like a much more substantial upgrade, offering a dramatically more powerful Neural Engine, 16GB of memory as standard, a 12-megapixel camera with Center Stage, USB-C accessories, and a nano-texture display option. The 2021 and 2023 iMacs have now been discontinued by Apple and prices at third-party resellers are falling. As such, some customers may be weighing up whether to pick up a 2021 or 2023 iMac instead of the latest model, while some existing iMac users may be wondering if it's now time to upgrade to the M4 model. The three Apple silicon iMac models share the overwhelming majority of their features, so should you consider buying or sticking with the first- or second-generation models to save money? This breakdown also serves as a way to see all the differences that the 2024 iMac brings to the table. The 2024 iMac with the M4 chip marks a much more substantial upgrade compared to the 2021 and 2023 models. Key improvements such as the significantly more powerful Neural Engine for AI and machine learning tasks, increased standard memory of 16GB, 12-megapixel camera with Center Stage, and support for USB-C accessories make it an appealing choice for future-proofing. Performance-wise, it delivers a meaningful boost, especially for those upgrading from the M1 iMac or older Intel-based iMacs, where Apple claims up to 6x faster performance than the most popular Intel iMac. For M1 iMac users, the M4 model could be worth considering if they require enhanced performance or a richer set of features, such as hardware-accelerated ray tracing, nano-texture display option, or simply a better webcam. However, M3 iMac users may find fewer incentives to upgrade, as the performance gap between M3 and M4 is good but not as significant in daily use unless the system is pushed to the limit. The M3 iMac is built to handle demanding tasks and will remain relevant for several more years, but M1 iMac users may want to begin considering an upgrade. Starting at $1,299, the new iMac remains a solid investment for those looking for a device with longevity, a robust array of features, and meaningful upgrades over the original M1 model or older Intel machines. However, if you have basic needs and find a discounted 2023 iMac, this could still offer good value, though the M4 will better meet the needs of those seeking higher performance, better features, and a more forward-looking setup.

Why Apple's 'exciting week of announcements' is better than an event

There's a risk, if you do something for long enough, that you forget why you started doing it in the first place. And fail to realize that you've turned a once-useful activity into a cargo-cult ritual. Take the Apple special event. These used to be some of the most electrifying experiences in the tech industry. Start with a groundbreaking product launch (iMac, iPhone, MacBook Air), sprinkle in some Steve Jobs razzle-dazzle, and fill the auditorium with a crowd so whoop-prone they should be tested for pertussis, and the result is, well, magical. Why would you hold an event to announce your product, when events cost money and put everyone involved to great inconvenience? Why not just ship the devices straight out to stores, and spend the money on advertising? Because the person-to-person experience has no equal for sharing a sense of enthusiasm. Because seeing is believing. And because a one-off event makes people plan their week around finding out what you've got to announce, adverts just make them reach for the remote. Apple still holds press events -- it held one last month -- but they're completely different these days. Nobody can do what Steve Jobs once did, but his role is filled by a rotating cast who do their best to come close: Tim Cook as compere; Jonny Ive (until he departed) as the mystical evangelist; Craig Federighi as the likable gag man. Some can equal the founder's polish, but none can match his stagecraft, his ability to build anticipation and make an event unmissable. On top of this, Apple has largely given up on the idea of the live event. This policy began as a pragmatic response to COVID-19 but has continued well beyond the point when it was medically useful because the company recognized the secondary benefits. Pre-recorded events carry no risk of product malfunctions (such as Federighi's unfortunate experience when unveiling Face ID in 2017), require less logistical organization, and enable presenters to rattle through a greater volume of material in less time. But they also remove the entire purpose of press events, which is to make the audience feel part of history, that they were there when something happened. There's a reason why Rolling Stones tickets cost $150 and Rolling Stones DVDs cost $10. With all this in mind, I can't pretend to be especially sad to discover that the rumored October event will instead be a weeklong series of announcements, presumably by means of a press release or three. A lot of Apple's meetings could have been an email; this one actually will be. And little, I suspect, will be lost. I will admit that going for press releases instead of an event isn't a terribly promising sign, in the sense that Apple would probably hold an event if it thought the announcements were going to be momentous enough to justify one. And for that reason we shouldn't expect anything this week, despite Greg Joswiak's optimistic word choice, to rival the original iMac or MacBook Air for excitement. But were we expecting that anyway? And has the company allowed dullness to stop it from holding events in the past? September's event was pretty dull in the grand scheme of things, and my suspicion is that habit rather than a sense of urgency caused Apple to send out the invites on that occasion. In actual fact, here at Macworld, we're expecting announcements this week that may not live up to that "exciting" tag, but should be important and worthwhile. Apple has a lot of Macs to unveil: the M4 versions of the iMac, the MacBook Pro, and the Mac mini, the latter of which is likely to feature an actual physical redesign, something Mac fans haven't seen in a while. The Mac mini is a key product in Apple's ecosystem, much like the iPhone SE and 10th-gen iPad, but because it isn't a "pro" device it will probably never get the stage time it merits. This week (today, in fact) will also mark the public launch of Apple Intelligence, which will arrive with the iOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1 updates. Whether that will be officially tied in with Exciting Week remains to be seen, but the joy of a week, as opposed to an event, is that you don't have to limit the number of things you talk about, or even come up with a coherent theme. Who knows, we might even get a press release about the much-needed 11th-gen iPad... although I rather doubt it. Ultimately, though, the primary reason why this is better than an event is it's easier for journalists to cover it. We don't have to sit through a two-hour presentation taking notes like a maniac and then write them up for six hours while mainlining pizza and vanilla rooibos. We can cover the announcements at a leisurely pace, as they come in, and give each one the time and attention it deserves. And if there's anything more exciting than calm working conditions, I'd like to hear about it. Happy Exciting Week, everyone. Welcome to our weekly Apple Breakfast column, which includes all the Apple news you missed last week in a handy bite-sized roundup. We call it Apple Breakfast because we think it goes great with a Monday morning cup of coffee or tea, but it's cool if you want to give it a read during lunch or dinner hours too. Apple is all set to release iOS 18.1, and with it comes Apple Intelligence, Apple's much-hyped set of AI features. In the latest episode of the Macworld Podcast, we talk about what we can expect from iOS 18.1 and how it will affect how you use your iPhone. We may also see new M4 Macs.