Apple will begin announcing its M4 Mac lineup next week with updates to the iMac, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini to begin the transition to the new M4.
Although there will be no official Apple Event, Apple’s head of marketing Greg Joswiak announced a series of announcements over the next week, heavily hinting that they will be Mac-focused.
Equipped with 16GB RAM as standard
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Garman, Apple is likely to start shipping new M4 Macs, including the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, new Mac mini, and new iMac, with at least 16GB of RAM.
This is a welcome change, as Apple has included 8GB of RAM in its base Mac models for the past eight years. This definitely makes sense considering that Apple Intelligence consumes more memory on your device.
Additional Thunderbolt ports
According to an analysis of the M4 die shot by Fred on Twitter, Apple’s M4 chip appears to have four Thunderbolt controllers, compared to two prior to the M3 chip.
This likely means that all base M4 Macs will have additional Thunderbolt ports across the board. Thanks to a warehouse leak, we already know that the base M4 MacBook Pro will have three Thunderbolt ports, while the M3 model will have two. The M4 iMac may also have four Thunderbolt ports, compared to the current two Thunderbolt ports and two USB-C.
small Mac mini
Apple’s next Mac mini will be the biggest redesign in the computer’s 14-year history, with the next model expected to be significantly smaller, according to recent reports. It may also lose USB-A support in the process, but an additional USB-C port should be added to compensate. Like Mac Studio, it also has ports on the front.
We don’t know what that will look like yet, but it should be exciting, especially considering the fact that this is Apple’s cheapest Mac.
USB-C Magic Mouse, Keyboard, and Trackpad
Rumor has it that a new iMac will arrive this month, opening the door for Apple to finally revamp all of its Magic accessories. Given the fact that Apple has to comply with the European Union’s USB-C mandates by the end of this year, it’s almost certain that the new M4 iMac refresh will mark a lightning farewell to Apple’s desktop accessories.
Additionally, code found in macOS 15.1 RC also seems to hint at this fact, with new references to additional Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Mouse models.
Cheapest MacBook Pro Space Black
According to packaging leaks and subsequent unboxing information, the cheapest 14-inch MacBook Pro with the base M4 chip will be available in space black for the first time. Last year, the base model of the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 was still in the old Space Gray color, likely because it was produced earlier than later M3 Pro and M3 Max models.
Brand new M4 Pro and M4 Max chips
It’s already been confirmed that the base model M4 chip debuted in the iPad Pro in May, but we haven’t seen Apple’s higher-end chips, the M4 Pro and M4 Max, yet. These chips should first debut in the new high-end MacBook Pro later this month.
There are no concrete leaks regarding the M4 Pro and Max chips, other than the fact that they should be based on TSMC’s more efficient 3nm process, which is shared with the A18 and M4 chips. There is no word on the number of cores at this time, but it will be fast as usual.
Wi-Fi7
Apple is likely to support the Wi-Fi 7 standard in its next M4 Macs, similar to the iPhone 16 lineup.
Wi-Fi 7 supports speeds up to 46 Gbps. This is more than five times faster than Wi-Fi 6E’s 9 Gbps. Wi-Fi 7 also operates on 320 MHz channels and supports the 6 GHz band, significantly reducing interference and signal congestion.
summary
Overall, the M4 Mac lineup looks very exciting, especially the base model MacBook Pro. It will be interesting to see if the RAM upgrade changes the price. The Mac mini, redesigned for the first time in over a decade, is also exciting, especially when it comes to front I/O.
Are you excited about the upcoming M4 Mac lineup? Will you buy one? Let us know in the comments.
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