Mac Studio, Mac Pro, MacBook Air: When are the M4 versions coming?
Apple has started the transition to faster SoCs, but has so far left three model series out. It could be a while before that changes.
Apple's M4 SoCs: The M4 Ultra is still missing.
(Image: Apple)
The transition to Apple's latest SoC for Macs has been quite unusual this year: Apple initially only sold the M4 in the 11-inch and 13-inch iPad Pro from May, before the new processor unit made it into three of the company's six computer lines in November. But after the Mac Mini M4 and M4 Pro, iMac M4 and MacBook Pro M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max, the Mac Pro and Mac Studio workstations and Apple's most popular notebook, the MacBook Air, are still missing. When can we expect the M4 variants and what will they look like? An overview.
New workstations are overdue
Apple should present new hardware, especially for the Mac Studio and Mac Pro. Both models have not taken the step to the M3. Anyone who buys the devices today will receive them with outdated technology despite the high prices. Apple wants at least 8299 euros for an M2 Ultra for the Mac Pro and at least 2399 euros for an M2 Max for the Mac Studio. The only advantage: Apple has never released an Ultra version of the M3 with (theoretically) twice the computing power, the M2 Ultra (standard in the Mac Pro, for an extra charge of 2400 euros in the Mac Studio) remains the highest price.
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Apple would therefore jump from the M2 to the M4 for both workstations. Observers such as the usually well-informed Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman expect that both machines will be released next year and that Apple is also planning an M4 Ultra. (The M4 Max is already available in the MacBook Pro.) In his opinion, Apple will probably install a 32-core CPU plus an 80-core GPU –, which would correspond to twice the number of cores of the M4 Max. The availability period for the Mac Studio M4 Max and M4 Ultra could conceivably be between the end of the first quarter and the end of the second, i.e. from March to June. The date of WWDC 2024, which is expected around June 6, would be a good fit.
M5 Macs follow quickly
The Mac Pro M4 Ultra will probably take until the second half of the year. The disturbing thing about this is that the first Macs with M5 will probably be ready in the fall if Apple maintains the annual cycle. The M4 Ultra promises faster AI applications thanks to an improved Neural Engine, faster rendering including ray tracing and greater energy efficiency.
It remains to be seen whether the form factor will change – but it is likely that Apple will retain the basic look of the Mac Studio and Mac Pro, but add new interfaces such as Thunderbolt 5 and (hopefully) Wi-Fi 7. A possible (even) faster "M4 Extreme", which combines two Ultra SoCs, seems to be off the table for now.
MacBook Air with M4 could come (more) quickly
Work on the MacBook Air M4 should be faster than on the workstations. The latest version is the MBA M3, which has been on sale since March 2024. This means that Apple could update the devices available in 13- and 15-inch sizes in spring 2025. It already seems clear that Apple will be giving the machines 16 GB of RAM, the new standard according to criticism from the user base.
Further improvements are conceivable, such as a new FaceTime camera with 12 megapixels plus center-stage functions and desk view.
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