Apple has just rolled out the 2024 MacBook Pro, now with the powerful M4 chip. You can pre-order it right now, and it’s lining up alongside the refreshed iMac and Mac mini, all making the jump to M4 chips. This upgrade promises faster performance and better AI features. Mark your calendars for November 8, when it officially launches, starting at $1,599.
“MacBook Pro is an incredibly powerful tool that millions use to do their best work, and today we’re making it even better,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior VP of Hardware Engineering.
The new MacBook Pro is packed with Thunderbolt 4 and 5 ports, an HDMI port that supports up to 8K resolution, an SDXC card slot, a MagSafe 3 charging port, and a headphone jack. You can choose between black and silver.
There are three models, each showcasing a different version of the M4 chip:
– The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 features a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, and starts with 16GB of memory. It’s priced at $1,599.
– The 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro is aimed at developers and creative professionals. It offers a 14-core CPU, up to a 20-core GPU, and excels in AI tasks and complex data models, beginning at $1,999.
– The 14-inch or 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Max is built for heavy-duty workloads, catering to animators and developers using large language models. It comes with up to a 16-core CPU, a 40-core GPU, and features a Media Engine designed for smoother 4K video editing. This model starts at $2,499.
In addition to the MacBook Pro, Apple also unveiled new MacBook Air models featuring the M2 and M3 chips. These now come with a base memory of 16GB for $999.
The display on the new MacBook Pro benefits from a nano-texture screen, which improves visibility in bright settings. Each laptop boasts Apple’s 12MP Center Stage camera along with “Center Stage” and “Desk View” modes, allowing users to present both their face and workspace.
Apple claims the M4 chip offers impressive efficiency that contributes to a battery life of up to 24 hours, making tasks like photo and animation editing much quicker.
The M4’s neural engine enhances AI capabilities, powering features in the revamped Siri that can handle more natural interactions. However, this upgrade currently supports U.S. English and is designed for macOS Sequoia 15.1. The expected rollout of Apple Intelligence enhancements is coming in December, promising tools for rewriting, summarizing, and image generation.
