Apple this week updated several of its Mac product lines, as well as the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, and Magic Trackpad accessories. These Macs have been updated with variants of the M4 chip, the same chip that was introduced with the 2024 iPad Pro. In addition, the base configurations of these updated Macs now include 16GB of ram.
These updates come against the backdrop of the release of the first set of Apple intelligence features, and Apple’s marketing materials accompanying the updates make that clear. However, it’s worth noting that all Macs with the M1 or later support Apple Intelligence, although it’s safe to surmise that more powerful chips will offer improved AI performance, as well as support for future Apple Intelligence capabilities yet to be announced. More details about each product update are provided below:
iMac
On Monday, Apple introduced a new iMac with the M4 chip, an upgraded camera, a new nano-texture glass display option, Thunderbolt 4 support, and new colors.
With M4, the new iMac is up to 1.7x faster for daily productivity, and up to 2.1x faster for demanding workflows like photo editing and gaming compared to iMac with M1, according to Apple’s press release for the iMac. Apple additionally claims that the neural engine in M4, capable of 38 trillion operations per second, (tops) offers over 3X faster AI performance compared to iMac with M1.
While Apple has not offered direct comparisons between the new iMac and the previous generation (M3) model, a MacRumors analysis suggests that while there are several notable improvements in CPU, GPU, and neural engine benchmarks, many users of the iMac with M3 are unlikely to benefit substantially from the M4’s upgrades.
Besides the upgraded chip, the new iMac also features a 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View, allowing users to show more of their surroundings during video calls. In addition, all USB-C ports on the new iMac support Thunderbolt 4, with data transfer speeds of up to 40GBPS, in contrast to the previous generation in which only a subset of ports had this capability.
In addition to the existing silver finish, the new iMac is available in "Fresh shades" of green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and blue. All models come with a color-match Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse, as well as an optional Magic Trackpad, soled separately.
The new iMac can be preordered from Apple today for a starting price of US $1299, and will begin shipping on Friday, November 8.
Mac Mini
Apple has also updated the Mac Mini with a new design that measures in at 5 by 5 inches, (reportedly less than half the footprint of the previous generation) an improved thermal architecture for better performance and power efficiency, M4 and M4 Pro chips, and Thunderbolt 5 support on the M4 Pro model.
With M4, the new Mac Mini offers up to 1.8x faster CPU performance and up to 2.2x faster GPU performance compared to the Mac Mini with M1, according to Apple's press release for the Mac Mini. Apple lists the following additional comparisons to the Mac Mini with M1:
- Performs spreadsheet calculations up to 1.7x faster in Microsoft Excel
- Transcribes with on-device AI speech-to-text up to 2x faster in MacWhisper
- Merges panoramic images up to 4.9x faster in Adobe Lightroom Classic
The M4 Pro, with up to a 14 core CPU (4 efficiency cores and 10 performance cores) and up to a 20 core GPU, is up to twice as fast as the M4, and the neural engine is reportedly up to 3x faster than that found in the Mac Mini with M1. Apple lists the following comparisons to the previous generation Mac Mini with M2 Pro:
- Applies up to 1.8x more audio effect plugins in a Logic Pro project
- Renders motion graphics to RAM up to 2x faster in Motion
- Completes 3D renders up to 2.9x faster in Blender
With the new design, Apple has preserved the audio jack, HDMI, and Ethernet ports, and has added two front-facing USB-C ports. The Mac Mini with M4 Pro includes 3 Thunderbolt 5 ports, allowing for data transfer speeds of up to 120GBPS, while the M4 model retains the Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Apple touts the new Mac Mini as being its "First carbon neutral Mac," relying on 100% recycled aluminum, 100% recycled gold plating in Apple printed circuit boards, and 100% recycled rare earth elements, according to its press release. This effort is in the context of Apple 2030, Apple's environmental roadmap to the end of the decade.
The new Mac Mini can be preordered from Apple today for a starting price of US $599, and will begin shipping on Friday, November 8.
MacBook Pro
Finally, Apple introduced updated versions of the 14 inch and 16 inch MacBook Pro with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, an upgraded camera, Thunderbolt 5 support on M4 Pro and M4 Max models, a nano-texture glass display option, and improved battery life.
The MacBook Pro with M4 features similar performance gains as other Macs that have adopted this chip, according to Apple's press release for the MacBook Pro. It now features three Thunderbolt 4 ports, (up from the two found in the previous generation) and supports up to two external displays, even with the lid open.
Similarly, the MacBook Pro with M4 Pro offers similar gains as the Mac Mini updated with this chip. In addition, Apple claims that this model can get up to 24 hours of battery life, the longest ever documented in a Mac.
The MacBook Pro with M4 Max features up to a 16 core CPU, up to a 40 core GPU, and a neural engine that is over 3x faster than that found in the M1 Max, per Apple's claims. It is configurable with up to 128GB of ram, and supports up to 546GBPS of memory bandwidth. Apple lists the following comparisons to previous generation MacBook Pros:
- Up to 7.8x faster scene rendering performance with Maxon Redshift when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9, and up to 3.5x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max.
- Up to 4.6x faster build performance when compiling code in Xcode when compared to the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9, and up to 2.2x faster when compared to the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max.
- Up to 30.8x faster video processing performance in Topaz Video AI when compared to the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9, and up to 1.6x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max.
Besides the upgraded chips, the new MacBook Pros also feature a 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View, allowing users to show more of their surroundings during video calls.
The new MacBook Pros can be preordered from Apple today for a starting price of US $1599, and will begin shipping on Friday, November 8.
MacBook Air gets more base ram
Continuing Apple's apparent trend of including 16GB of ram in base configurations of its Macs, the MacBook Air now starts at 16GB of ram. This will likely be a welcome change for users who can now get more for their money.
Accessories
In addition to new Mac models, Apple also updated the Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse that come with all desktop Macs, as well as the Magic Trackpad. The only change of note in these updates is the replacement of Apple’s proprietary Lightning port with USB-C, continuing the gradual transition away from Lightning.
The Magic Keyboard is included with all desktop Macs, and can be purchased for US $149. The Magic Keyboard with numeric keypad can be purchased for US $199. The Magic Mouse, also included with all desktop Macs, can be purchased for US $79, and the Magic Trackpad can be purchased for US $129.