Apple Mac Undergoes Major Transformation: M4 Chip Ushers in the AI Era

Apple Mac Undergoes Major Transformation: M4 Chip Ushers in the AI EraFour years ago, Apple made a monumental shift, transitioning its Mac computers from Intel chips to its own custom processors. Now, the Mac is on the brink of another significant transformation

Apple Mac Undergoes Major Transformation: M4 Chip Ushers in the AI Era

Four years ago, Apple made a monumental shift, transitioning its Mac computers from Intel chips to its own custom processors. Now, the Mac is on the brink of another significant transformation. Starting this week, Apple will introduce the M4 processor across its Mac lineup, laying the groundwork for its foray into the age of artificial intelligence.

The M4 chip made its debut in the iPad Pro in May, delivering a notable performance boost to the tablet. Now, it's set to bring the same level of improvement to Macs, especially in tackling AI tasks and gaming. Compared to the M3 series, the M4 boasts a significant increase in core count. iPad Pro users have already witnessed the notable performance gains in everyday usage brought about by the M4 chip.

This week, Apple will launch a range of new products, including the 24-inch iMac, two versions of the Mac mini, the new 16-inch MacBook Pro, and both low-end and high-end configurations of the 14-inch laptop. The iMac will feature the entry-level M4 chip, the Mac mini will offer both a base model and an M4 Pro option, while the MacBook Pro will be powered by the high-end M4 processor.

For Apple Intelligence and other AI tasks, the M4's neural engine will provide a substantial performance leap for the three Macs. The neural engine in the M2 (currently used in the Mac mini) can handle 15.8 trillion operations per second, or 15.8 TOPS. The M3 component in the iMac and MacBook Pro reaches up to 18 TOPS. The M4 nearly doubles that performance in these Macs, achieving 38 TOPS.

The Mac mini will also gain support for ray tracing for the first time, a graphics technology that renders more realistic images, a significant boon for gamers, especially if Apple further expands its Mac game library. Next year, both the Mac Studio and Mac Pro are expected to receive similar upgrades, leaping from M2 to M4.

In terms of overall CPU performance, the M3's improvements are notable but not mind-blowing. However, for M1 Mac users, this upgrade may be as significant as the initial transition from Intel to Apple's custom silicon.

To gain a better understanding of the upcoming products, we can refer to the specifications and performance of the M4 chip in the iPad Pro:

• The M4 comes in a 9-core variant, with 9 CPU cores (3 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores) and a 10-core GPU.

• Another version of the M4 features 10 CPU cores (4 performance cores and 6 efficiency cores), also with a 10-core GPU.

For the base model MacBook Pro at least, Apple might skip the 9-core CPU configuration and go straight to the 10-core version. Apple could also introduce low-end Macs equipped with at least 16GB of RAM for the first time. Apple Intelligence features will be released on Monday, and while they only require 8GB of RAM to run, they might utilize a few GB in practice, leaving less room for other tasks.

While the high-end processors in the MacBook Pro are the highlight of this release, the Mac mini is also getting a rare design overhaul. The new Mac mini will be even smaller, approaching the size of Apple TV, featuring two front-facing ports (similar to the Mac Studio), and at least in some versions, three rear ports. According to sources familiar with the product, this Mac strikes a great balance between size and performance, making it one of Apple's most impressive products to date. The new release marks the first significant update to the Mac mini since it was refreshed in January 2023.

For the MacBook Pro, Apple has established a pattern of updates every fall. The first MacBook Pros with high-end Apple-designed chips were released at the end of 2021, while the early 2023 update was essentially a refresh of the late 2022 models. Further updates followed in late 2023 and fall 2024. By the second half of 2025, we can expect the M5-powered MacBook Pro.

As for the iMac, this new model marks a strategic shift for Apple. The iMac received its M3-powered upgrade at the end of 2023 after the introduction of the M1 version in the spring of 2021. Now, just 12 months later, another update is imminent. Clearly, the M4 chip is vital for Apple and its AI strategy, prompting Apple to deploy it across its entire Mac lineup, the first time Apple has done a full-fledged upgrade since switching to its own processors.

There have been reports suggesting the MacBook Air will get the base-level M4 chip between January and March next year, the Mac Studio is scheduled for an upgrade with the chip between March and June, while the Mac Pro with the top-end M4 is anticipated to launch somewhere between June and fall next year.

Apple's approach to releasing the Mac computers is also noteworthy. Since the pandemic, Apple has typically released new products with pre-recorded videos lasting between 30 minutes and two hours. Recently, Apple has started inviting its preferred media members to its headquarters for live viewing events. Last October, Apple played the Mac launch video at a location in New York City; in May, the company showcased the iPad launch at its new London office. For those events, Apple sent out invites in advance.

This time, Apple is taking a different route. Earlier this week, the company privately invited several media members and creators to a product briefing scheduled for Wednesday at a location in Los Angeles. On Thursday, after revealing the upcoming iPhone launch, Greg Joswiak, Apple's marketing chief, confirmed that Apple is about to unleash a series of major announcements. He hinted that announcements would begin on Monday morning and continue throughout the week. This implies that Apple could be rolling out new Macs for three consecutive days, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, with hands-on opportunities available immediately after each release. While unconventional, this strategy isn't entirely new. The last time Apple launched new products over three consecutive days was in 2019, where it unveiled the iPad mini and Air, new iMacs, and updated AirPods, one after the other.