Apple Inc. announced a significant overhaul of its Mac lineup, aiming to reignite sluggish computer sales with a new generation of M4 processors boasting advanced artificial intelligence capabilities.
This comes just five months after the introduction of M3-powered Macs. Sources familiar with the plans, which remain undisclosed officially, claim the M4 chip will come in at least three variants and integrate into every Mac model.
The move is crucial as Mac sales dipped 27% last year after a 2022 peak. The M3 chips failed to significantly outperform their M2 predecessors, dampening momentum. Additionally, Apple seeks to catch up with rivals like Microsoft and Google in the AI race.
The new Macs, featuring M4 chips, are expected to launch late 2024 and roll out into early 2025. This includes refreshed iMacs, a 14-inch MacBook Pro, high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, and Mac minis.
The refresh schedule is swift, especially for the iMac and MacBook Pro, which received updates last October. The Mac mini’s last upgrade was in January 2023. Further M4 Mac rollouts are planned throughout 2025, including updates to the MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
The M4 lineup consists of the entry-level Donan, the more powerful Brava, and the top-tier Hidra chip. These processors will be emphasized for their AI capabilities and integration with the upcoming macOS version, to be unveiled in June at the developer conference.
Donan will be featured in entry-level models, while Brava equips high-end devices. The Mac Studio might receive either an unreleased M3 chip or a variant of the M4 Brava. The high-end Mac Pro is slated for the Hidra chip, alongside a potential upgrade to support up to half a terabyte of memory, addressing customer concerns.
Apple’s shift to in-house chips, driven by the Apple Silicon initiative, has proven successful in performance and design. The Mac chips, based on the same Arm architecture as iPhones and iPads, enable sleeker devices with longer battery life and reduced cooling needs.
