M4 MacBook Pro: Everything you need to know

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 coming before the end of 2024 hitting the rumor mill.

In this article, we are keeping track of all the rumors about the M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro.

MacBook Pro M4 Release date – When will Apple update the MacBook Pro?

It’s only been a year since the M3-series MacBook Pro were introduced in October 2024, but it looks like Apple is getting ready to update them again, despite the fact that the company seems to have forgotten to update many desktop Macs to run on the M3 series chips. With the arrival of the M4 in the iPad Pro back in May it looks like the company has already done the groundwork, so surely an M4 Mac will arrive soon.

All the signs indicate that Apple will launch new M4-powered Macs before the end of the year. It seems we can expect a new Mac mini, a new iMac, and new MacBook Pro models. In a mid-September 2024 newsletter Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggested that Apple will release Macs with the M4 chip “in the coming weeks.”

Gurman has been making predictions about the introduction of Macs with M4 chips for some time. Back in April, he wrote that the M4 rollout would begin later in 2024 and continue throughout 2025. His prediction at that time was that in late 2024 we will see the following:

Entry-level MacBook Pro, M4, 14-inch: Late 2024

iMac, M4, 24-inch: Late 2024

MacBook Pro, M4 Pro/M4 Max, 14-inch and 16-inch: Late 2024/Early 2025

Mac mini M4/M4 Pro: Late 2024/Early 2025

We could see just the entry-level MacBook Pro in October, but we think that separating the launch of the entry-level MacBook Pro from the higher-end models would be a curious move, so we expect to see the whole range of MacBook Pro, including the M4 Pro and M4 Max launched at the same time. Alternatively, 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. Of course, only Apple knows what the plans are at this point.

There is one indication that all three MacBook Pro types are due to be updated sooner rather than later. 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.

New Apple products launch throughout the year, read: when is the next Apple event to learn more about the company’s product launch plans.

MacBook Pro M4 Price – What will the new MacBook Pro cost?

We don’t expect that the prices of the MacBook Pro range will change when the M4 models are introduced. Here’s how much they cost right now in the U.S. and U.K:

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

Apple will likely offer similar configurations and it remains to be seen if the prices will increase or not.

MacBook Pro M4 Specs: How much better will the M4 MacBook be?

The AI market is sizzling hot right now so you can be sure Apple wants to make a big impression. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman back in April 2024, Apple wants to make a big splash with the M4 chip, which will have big AI enhancements.

We already know some of what to expect from the M4 chip because it has already made an appearance in the iPad Pro, which faired even better than the M3 MacBook Pro in some of our tests. We know to expect a 20 percent multi-core CPU boost over the M3 (when comparing 10-core CPUs), for example.

The entry-level MacBook Pro could be the one getting the biggest generational changes, with some updates addressing the disadvantages of the M3 MacBook Pro. The new entry-level model could increase the standard 8GB RAM to 16GB RAM, add more Thunderbolt ports and introduce Space Black as a color option.

A leaked image propertied to be from the box for the new M4 model shows that the model will have 16GB RAM as standard, three Thunderbolt ports, and a Space Black color option. The M3 Pro model currently ships with 18GB RAM as standard.

The M4 Pro and M4 Max will be variants of the base M4, implementing more CPU and GPU cores and more unified memory.

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.

Wi-Fi 7 support may be added now that the Wi-Fi Alliance has made the standard official.

Another feature that could change is battery life. The M4 could be more efficient, or it could be more power-hungry, affecting battery life. On the basis that the A17 chips in the iPhoen 16-series brought with them better battery life we hope to see the same effects on battery life with the M4 series.

MacBook Pro M4 Design: Will Apple update the design of the MacBook Pro?

The M4 upgrade would be the fourth generation of this particular MacBook Pro design, first introduced in 2021. Apple isn’t expected to change it at all, so the 2024 release will likely be a chip upgrade only.

As mentioned above, it looks like the Space Black color option may be available for the entry-level MacBook Pro. With the M3 model only silver or Space Grey is available. That entry-level model may also get more ports: it’s currently limited to two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, an HDMI port and SDXC card slot, headphone jack and MagSafe 3 port for charging, while the other MacBook Pro get three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port and SDXC card slot, headphone jack and MagSafe 3 port.

MacBook Pro M4 Screen: Will the new MacBook Pro have a better screen?

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.

Apple is not expected to upgrade the Liquid Retina XDR display. Analyst Ross Young of Display Supply Chain Consultants tweeted in August on X that display panel shipments for the MacBook Pro “are starting in July/August.”

A report by Omdia states that Apple is likely to use OLED displays in the MacBook Pro, but not until 2026.