Apple’s M3-series MacBook Pro was released in the fall of 2023, but Apple has seemingly put the laptop on a more frequent update cycle, with reports of an M4 MacBook Pro hitting the rumor mill.
We’ll see more rumors between now and the M4 MacBook Pro release. This article will keep track of what’s being reported, as well as offer a perspective based on Apple’s current lineup.
Updated June 18, 2024: Analyst Ross Young posted that Apple’s schedule for display panels indicates that a new M4 MacBook Pro could ship by the end of 2024.
MacBook Pro M4: Release date
Apple has yet to make a big impression in the AI market, which is sizzling hot right now. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman on April 11, Apple wants to make a big splash with the M4 chip, which will have big AI enhancements and Apple wants to release the M4 as soon as possible. Gurman states that Apple plans to release M4 MacBook Pro models later this year.
Apple could ship in the fall of 2024, which would be about a year after the M3-series MacBook Pro was released. Gurman warns that the plans could change–whether he meant they could ship earlier or later, he doesn’t say.
Gurman followed up that April 11 report with another one on April 14, stating that Apple may release the M4 MacBook Pro in “late 2024” while the M4 Pro/Max model could be released at the same time or in “early 2025.” Apple may want to stagger the chips and separate the M4 Pro/Max from the M4 to give the higher-end machines their own spotlight.
In June, analyst Ross Young posted (subscription required) that display panel shipments for a new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro are scheduled for Q3 2024, which could mean that a new MacBook Pro with M4-series chips may happen by the end of the year.
MacBook Pro M4: Design and Features
The M4 upgrade would be the fourth generation of this particular MacBook Pro design. Apple isn’t expected to change it at all, so the 2024 release will likely be a chip upgrade only.
The M4 could change its memory configuration, though. Mark Gurman reported in April that Apple may increase the upper memory limit of its high-end desktop Macs. He didn’t say anything about MacBooks, but it’s not a reach to conclude that the M4 and its enhanced AI capabilities could lead to more RAM on the chip for MacBooks, too. However, design constraints could prevent the MacBooks from having an upper limit increase as big as on desktop Macs.
Another feature that could change is battery life. The M4 could be more efficient, or it could be more power-hungry, affecting battery life. Reports about the M4’s power consumption have yet to be made.
Apple could offer a new color. With the M3 Pro/Max release, Apple introduced Space Black, which replaced Space Gray, with the other color option being Silver. The base M3 MacBook Pro is available in Space Gray or Silver, not Space Black.
Space Black made its debut with the M3 Pro/Max MacBook Pro last fall.
Space Black made its debut with the M3 Pro/Max MacBook Pro last fall.
Foundry
Space Black made its debut with the M3 Pro/Max MacBook Pro last fall.
Foundry
Foundry
Apple increased the display brightness from 500 to 600 nits with the M3 MacBook Pro, so this probably won’t change with the M4. The size, weight, camera, mics, speakers, ports, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth are likely to stay the same.
A report by Omdia states that Apple is likely to use OLED displays in the MacBook Pro, but not until 2026.
MacBook Pro M3: Specs and price
Here are the prices for the current standard configurations of the M3 MacBook Pro for reference.
14-inch MacBook Pro
- $1,599/£1,699: M3 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU; 8GB unified memory; 512GB SSD
- $1,799/£1,899: M3 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU; 8GB unified memory; 1TB SSD
- $1,999/£2,099: M3 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU; 16GB unified memory; 1TB SSD
- $1,999/£2,099: M3 Pro with 11-core CPU, 14-core GPU; 18GB unified memory; 512GB SSD
- $2,399/£2,499: M3 Pro with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU; 18GB unified memory; 1TB SSD
- 3,199/£3,299: M3 Max with 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU; 36GB unified memory, 1TB SSD
16-inch MacBook Pro
- $2,499/£2,599: M3 Pro with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU; 18GB unified memory; 512GB SSD
- $2,899/£2,999: M3 Pro with 12-core CPU, 18-core GPU; 36GB unified memory; 512GB SSD
- $3,499/£3,599: M3 Max with 14-core CPU, 30-core GPU; 36GB unified memory; 1TB SSD
- $3,999/£4,099: M3 Max with 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU; 48GB unified memory; 1TB SSD
Reports for the M4 MacBook Pro prices have yet to be made. Apple will likely offer similar configurations and it remains to be seen if the prices will increase or not.
