Apple’s shiny new high-performance MacBooks are finally here. The Cupertino tech giant has unveiled the revamped MacBook Pro lineup, introducing it with the powerful M4 chip. The new MacBook Pro comes with Apple Intelligence – Apple’s suite of AI-powered tools and services – and will be made available in space black and silver finishes.
Central to the revamped MacBook Pro lineup is the introduction of the family of the M4 chipset. The devices will come with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max processors, bringing an upgrade in both CPU and GPU performance. Apple describes this as “the world’s fastest CPU core” and “the industry’s best single-threaded performance,” meaning that this will be useful for users who are engaged in video editing, 3D modeling, software development, and similar tasks. The M4 Max can be configured with up to 16 CPU cores and 40 GPU cores, and it also comes with a second-generation 16-core neural engine, which allows for enhanced machine learning capabilities as well.
There are two variants of the new devices – a 14-inch MacBook Pro and a 16-inch variant. Both will now come with an extra USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 port, so users will have a greater range of connectivity options (especially users who often require multiple external devices). They will also come with Thunderbolt 5 ports, which enable faster data transfer and improved compatibility with high-resolution displays. According to the Cupertino-headquartered tech titan, the M4 MacBook Pro offers an improved speed of 1.8 times when compared to its predecessor.
“MacBook Pro is an incredibly powerful tool that millions of people use to do their life’s best work, and today we’re making it even better,” John Ternus, Apple’s Senior VP of Hardware Engineering, commented on the matter. “With the powerful M4 family of chips, and packed with pro features like Thunderbolt 5, an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera, an all-new nano-texture display option, and Apple Intelligence, the new MacBook Pro continues to be, by far, the world’s best pro laptop.” The entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,599 (for M4), while the 16-inch variant begins at $2,499. The 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro starts at $1,999, though. The base RAM configuration for the 14-inch model has been increased from 8GB to 16GB of RAM, while the M4 Pro models will have base RAM of 24GB. Interested customers can pre-order the devices from today, and shipping begins Friday, November 8.
In addition to this, there is a new and improved webcam – it is now a 12-megapixel version with support for features like Center Stage, ensuring that users remain in focus during video calls, and Desk View. There are also options for nano-texture display (which was previously available only in Apple’s Pro Display XDR). The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip can provide up to 22 hours of usage, while the M4 Max offers around 18 hours. For the 16-inch model, users will find that the M4 Pro comes with support for up to 24 hours, while the M4 Max offers support for up to 21 hours. Other features include macOS Sequoia, a Liquid Retina XDR display, and a six-speaker sound system. The powerful chipsets already bring improvements to AI-powered workloads, and Apple notes that with the new devices, users will be able to access ChatGPT for free (thanks to Apple Intelligence).
In addition to this, the tech behemoth is also bringing a revamped MacBook Air. Models with the M2 and M3 chipsets will be made available with 16GB of unified memory, as well as in four colours – midnight, starlight, silver, and space gray. The devices start at $999, so the price remains unchanged. The M2 model will be made available at $999, the M3 model will cost $1,099, while the 15-inch variant will be the priciest at $1,299. “MacBook Air is the world’s most popular laptop, and with Apple Intelligence, it’s even better. Now, models with M2 and M3 double the starting memory to 16GB, while keeping the starting price at just $999 — a terrific value for the world’s best-selling laptop,” the company noted.
