It’s only been 6 months since Apple launched its first line of Macs and MacBooks with the new M3 chip. The MacBook Air M3 models only began shipping last month. Some desktop models haven’t even received the M3 chip upgrade yet.
But rumors have begun about Apple’s next generation of its silicon chipset, the M4.
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According to Apple insider Mark Gurman of BloombergApple is already preparing to produce the M4, and the company is reportedly putting these chips at the center of Apple’s new focus on AI capabilities.
What we know so far about the M4 chip
Apple fans have become accustomed to multiple iterations of Apple’s silicon chipset every year, and the same seems to be the case with the M4.
According to Gurman, the M4 entry-level chip is currently codenamed Donan and would be found in Apple’s entry-level computers. These include the base models Mac mini and MacBook Pro. A more powerful mid-range version of the chip called Brava would power the more expensive, upgraded MacBook Pro and Mac mini models. The most powerful M4 chip, Hidra, would be reserved for Apple’s most powerful computer, the Mac Pro.
Apple’s desktop Mac Pro, its most expensive offering, is its least-selling computer, but has a solid consumer base among professionals who need the absolute most processing power. And to further accommodate these users, Apple wants to increase the maximum storage capacity from 192GB in the current generation Mac Pro to 512GB in the upcoming M4 Mac Pro.
This seems to somewhat let down the Mac Studio, Apple’s mid-range desktop that’s priced between the Mac mini and the Mac Pro. According to Gurman, Apple is still testing an unreleased M3 model of the Mac Studio and one with the M4 Brava chipset. An M4 Mac Studio isn’t expected until 2025, so it’s unclear whether Apple will continue with the M3-based version of the Mac Studio or simply extend the lifespan of the M2 Mac Studio for another year.
In addition to the Mac Studio, we’ll also likely see a 2025 release date for the M4 Mac Pro and MacBook Air models.
If you want to be one of the first with an M4 Mac, the current plan seems to be for M4 MacBook Pros, iMacs and Mac minis later this year. The M3 MacBook Pro and iMac were announced in October 2023, so we could see an announcement for the M4 in October 2024.
Compared to the aggressive AI pivots of its competitors like Microsoft and Google, Apple has lagged far behind in AI announcements. The company is clearly looking to catch up in the AI space, and all signs point to there being some significant AI-related announcements at the upcoming WWDC event in June. There’s a chance we’ll get a little teaser for the M4 there too. (However, as mentioned, there is an expectation that they will launch a new M3 Mac Studio, so we may have to wait a few months for any mention of M4.)
Gurman points out that Apple not only wants to catch up in the AI race, but also wants to reinvigorate its computer line with the M4. Mac sales fell 27 percent last year, and apparently the new M3 models weren’t different enough from the M2 lineup to justify an increase in consumer sales.
We’ll see if the M4 chip works for Apple, both in the AI space and in increasing Mac sales.