Apple is planning a mess of M4 Mac updates this fall with ‘dramatic changes’ in store
In just a few weeks, Apple will unveil the iPhone 16 and Apple Watch Series X, maybe new AirPods and an iPad or two. But a new report claims that won’t be all—a new lineup of Macs might be on the way as well.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman reports that Apple is planning a bevy of updates this year to usher in the M4 chip, including the Mac mini, iMac, and MacBook Pro. He notes that the Mac Studio, Mac Pro, and MacBook Air will also get M4 chips, but not until 2025.
Last year, Apple held its Scary Fast event in late October to usher in the M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips, which were featured in updates to the MacBook Pro. It also updated the iMac at the same event, though none of the new machines received much in the way of upgrades beyond the chip. Additionally, the MacBook Air’s M3 upgrade earlier this year was little more than a spec bump.
The Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro all still run M2 chips, so this could be the first time all of Apple’s Macs are running the same generation of processors.
While the upgrades will likely focus on the new capabilities of the M4 chip and its effect on Apple Intelligence in macOS 15, “at least one Mac model will get more dramatic changes,” Gurman reports. He doesn’t say which model it is or what the changes will be, but only a couple of Apple’s current Macs make sense.
The MacBook Air just got a major new look last year with a new 15-inch model, so it’s highly unlikely another redesign is on the way, and the same goes for the Mac Studio, which has only been on shelves for about two years.
The iMac is also unlikely to see a dramatic redesign since it only just got an overhaul in 2021, but Apple could switch up the colors and add a Pro model. And the Mac Pro has had the same design since 2019 despite switching to Apple silicon.
But the most likely candidate for a “dramatic change” is the Mac mini. Apple hasn’t changed the design of the Mac mini since 2018, and there have been rumors for years that it has been working on an overhaul of the diminutive desktop. And since all the Mac accessories still have Lightning ports, Apple could take the opportunity to launch a new Magic Mouse, Keyboard, and Trackpad as well.
