3 minute read
Hot on the heels of a great third financial quarter for Apple, where it unveiled the first M4-powered device, the iPad Pro, we now have a clearer idea of what's next: A completely redesigned Mac mini, plus a new MacBook Pro and iMac, all powered by the M4.
Newly redesigned Mac mini will feature the M4 and M4 Pro
Apple released the M3 chip last year, making it the smallest Apple silicon at 3nm, but it painted itself into a corner with how the chip was developed. While we saw the release of several Macs powered by the SoC (System on a Chip) — MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and iMac — the company didn't release an M3-powered Mac mini, Mac Studio, or Mac Pro.
Enter the M4, also at 3nm but created with an improved neural engine and other enhancements (which will be great for Apple Intelligence): Apple surprised everyone with a spring announcement and that it would first appear in the iPad Pro. It helped boost sales and Apple had a fantastic third quarter. But now it's time to see the Macs.
Apple news and rumors guru Mark Gurman says we'll see a redesigned (and much smaller) Mac mini powered by the M4 and M4 Pro debut in the fall. It will be the first time the Mac mini has had a significant design upgrade since 2010. (I actually bought my parents the first one, which was a PowerPC, way back in 2005. They've owned an Intel and now the M2 version.)
The Mac mini was last redesigned 14 years ago
Reports and rumors point to a much smaller design yet it may be a bit taller than the current model at 1.4 inches. Additionally, it will feature an M4 and M4 Pro SoC along with an HDMI I/O port, three USB ports, and more.
The Mac mini is a classic design; after its debut we saw the original Apple TV, which was nearly identical to it before it shrank into the cloud-based device we all know. The Mac Studio looks like a tall Mac mini and packs quite the punch.
An M4 Pro Mac mini would be a pretty good and quite an affordable option if you're looking for a fast Mac at a reasonable price. Obviously this is all speculation, but right now, an M2 Pro Mac mini starts at $1299, which is a decent price. Add an affordable monitor, keyboard, and mouse and you're doing pretty good. By comparison, a 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro starts at $1599.
What about the MacBook Pro and iMac?
The fall will also see Apple drop MacBook Pros and iMacs with an M4 chip. I suspect we’ll see the standard M4 and M4 Pro models and save the M4 Max for 2025. Apple could also drop all three flavors of M4 just in time for holiday shopping, and in the standard 14- and 16-inch sized options.
It’s interesting how quickly Apple is moving away from the M3, particularly with the iMac. The M3 iMac came three years after the first Apple Silicon version (2023 and 2020, respectively). Clearly Apple is in a hurry to get their Macs to the M4.
2025: MacBook Air, plus Mac Studio and Mac Pro will go straight to M4 Max and M4 Ultra.
An M4 version of this could absolutely fly
It makes sense that Apple will release the high-end pro models in 2025, but would it have been better to unveil an M4 MacBook Air in time for the 2024 holiday shopping season? Regardless, one of Apple’s most popular laptops will get the M4 treatment next year.
For the first two generations of the Mac Studio, it was released annually with an M1/M2 Max and M1/M2 Ultra SoC. The Mac Pro was the final Intel Mac to move to Apple silicon, but despite the size and high price, it was identical to the Mac Studio M2 Ultra.
The M4 Max and M4 Ultra Mac Studio and Mac Pro will likely debut in 2025 and I'm really hoping they differentiate the high-end Mac Studio and Mac Pro. My 'pie-in-the-sky' dream is that Apple can somehow make it so you can swap out SoCs in the Mac Pro — this way you can get an M4 Ultra now and upgrade to the M5 Ultra etc down the road.
Conclusion
As Apple perfects its silicon design with the M4, it's safe to assume all Macs will feature the new System on a Chip (SoC) by 2025. With the new chip design, Apple will be set for the future with the M5, M6, and beyond. And as Apple rolls out its Apple Intelligence and it gains more features, the new Apple silicon chips will be able to handle the technology with ease.
tl;dr
- Apple is set to debut a completely redesigned Mac mini, as well as new MacBook Pro and iMac models, all powered by the M4 chip.
- Apple is rapidly moving away from the M3 chip, with plans to introduce M4-powered MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro models in 2025.
- The M4 chip, developed with improved neural engine and other enhancements, is expected to power the Mac mini and other upcoming models.
- Reports suggest that the redesigned Mac mini will feature the M4 and M4 Pro SoC, along with an HDMI I/O port, three USB ports, and more.
Tags: Technology
Comments