Apple's M4 chip is said to be similar to the company's purported A18 chip that is expected to power the iPhone 16 series of smartphones.
Apple launched the M3-powered MacBook Pro in October 2023
Apple has reportedly started work on a new MacBook Pro model that is powered by a fourth generation Apple Silicon processor. The Cupertino company launched Mac computers with its M3 chip last year — its first processors built on the firm's 3nm technology that was also used to produce the A17 Pro chip that powers the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. This year's Mac models, including the purported MacBook Pro, are expected to run on the next-generation M4 chip.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman (via 9to5Mac) states that Apple has started work on its next MacBook Pro model that is expected to arrive as the successor to the M3-powered 2023 MacBook Pro. In the Q&A section of his Power On newsletter, Gurman responded to a user stating "[...] maybe I will snap up an M4 MacBook Pro, which by the way, just started formal development."
Details of Apple's M4 chip are scarce, but the processor is expected to be similar to the purported A18 Pro chip that is expected to power the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The company's flagship iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are equipped with a 3nm A17 Pro chip, while its latest iMac, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro models are available with M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips.
It's worth noting that it could be a while before Apple launches its next MacBook Pro model — it is yet to release M3-powered versions of its desktop Mac computers, unlike the aforementioned models. The company is yet to share any details of the next-generation processor, and it could be launched after the arrival of macOS 15, or even in 2025.
Last year, benchmark scores for Apple's top-of-the-line M3 Max chip revealed that performance was much higher than its predecessor (the M2 Max) and on par with the M2 Ultra chip that was launched in 2022. During its 'Scary fast' launch event in October 2023, Apple claimed that the flagship M3 Max chip offered "up to 50 percent" better performance than the M2 Max. The M4 chip series is also expected to offer improved AI performance — macOS 15 (alongside iOS 18) is expected to bring several new AI features when it is released later this year.
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