Apple's Mac M4 Chip Lineup: Uncover New Features

Posted By Mariana Hlodan | 23 Dec 2024

Soon, on November 1, 2024, Apple plans to introduce a line of Macs based on the new M4 chip. The iMac, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini will receive this powerful chip. Let's take a closer look at the innovations of the lineup with the new Mac M4 Chip that we have recently become aware of.

1. M4 Pro and M4 Max Chips

The main characteristics of the M4 chip were revealed after its introduction in May. It is expected that early next month the new innovative features of M4 Pro and M4 Max will be revealed. They are likely to be built on the same 3nm technology. It is possible that they will offer even greater performance, which will be implemented in the new top-of-the-line MacBook Pro.

We remind you that the Apple Mac M4 Chip is based on the second generation of TSMC N3E 3nm technology, which makes it more efficient and powerful. The chip has up to 10 cores (4 high-performance and 6 energy-efficient), a GPU with 10 cores, and a 16-core Neural Engine capable of processing up to 38 trillion operations per second. These innovations significantly improve AI performance and support modern technologies such as ray tracing and dynamic caching. The memory bandwidth is 120 GB/s and the number of transistors is 28 billion.

2. RAM

One of the features of the Mac M4 Chip lineup that will definitely please laptop fans is the amount of RAM memory that the new M4 computers can get, namely 16 GB including the base 14-inch MacBook Pro model, the new Mac mini and the new iMac.

For the past 8 years, basic Mac models have had 8 GB of RAM. Most likely, the RAM memory increase is due to the fact that the entire Apple Mac M4 Chip line will have built-in Apple Intelligence, which takes up a lot of memory.

Also: Apple Intelligence: What It Is and What It Can Do

3. Mac mini with a new design

As for the cheapest model of the line with the new chip, it is known that the design of the Apple’s Mac Mini with M4 Chip will undergo the biggest changes in the 14-year history of the computer.

Among the main changes are Mac mini with M4 chip:

the model will become more compact, i.e. smaller in size.
The Mac mini is likely to lose USB-A support, but will get additional USB-C ports instead.

The upcoming model is expected to shrink in size significantly. In the process, it will most likely lose USB-A support, although it will gain a few extra USB-C ports to compensate.

4.Wi-Fi 7

Apple is expected to add Wi-Fi 7 support to new Macs with M4 Chip, similar to the iPhone 16 line.

Wi-Fi 7 offers speeds of up to 46 Gbps, which is several times faster than Wi-Fi 6E (9 Gbps). In addition, this standard operates on 320 MHz and 6 GHz channels, which significantly reduces the likelihood of interference and network congestion.

Also: MacBook Air M4 Release Date and What to Expect from it

5. Updating accessories

In addition to the release of the new MacBook Pro and Mac mini, they also plan to launch a new iMac. This was the reason for Apple to update all Magic accessories. Given the European Union's requirement to switch to USB-C by the end of this year, there is a high probability that we will see a change in the way we charge the mouse, keyboard, and trackpad for Apple desktops with the iMac update on the M4 chip.

6. Space Black in the cheapest MacBook Pro

Most likely, the new M4 MacBook Pro model will come in Space Black color. The previous base model M3 MacBook Pro did not not have this color, but also came with the macOS Ventura operating system, although it was expected to run on macOS Sonoma, like the older versions of the M3 Pro and M3 Max. This could be due to the fact that the basic models had been ready earlier, but were not released at the same time as the older versions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mariana Hlodan
Tech journalist

Mariana Hlodan is an experienced writer specializing in Apple products. With a background in tech journalism, Mariana offers a deep dive into the latest Apple news, product reviews and trends.