Apple is gearing up to refresh its Mac lineup with the introduction of the M4 chips, expected to debut in late 2024. According to a report by Bloomberg, the M4 chips are aimed at enhancing performance for artificial intelligence (AI) tasks, building on the foundation laid by the M3 chips introduced last year. This focus on AI aligns with the expected theme of WWDC 2024, which is set to heavily feature AI advancements.
The M4 lineup is rumored to follow a similar release pattern to the M3 chips, with a potential unveiling in October 2024. The report suggests that the rollout will commence with updates to several key Mac models, including the iMac, 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini. These devices are expected to receive the M4 chips in late 2024 and early 2025.
Subsequent updates are anticipated for the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models in spring 2025, the Mac Studio in mid-2025, and the Mac Pro later in 2025. This phased approach indicates Apple’s strategy to gradually integrate the M4 chips across its entire Mac lineup.
The M4 chips will be manufactured using the same 3-nanometer process as the M3 chips, but with improvements from Apple supplier TSMC for enhanced performance and power efficiency. Additionally, Apple plans to drastically improve the Neural Engine in the M4 chips, increasing the number of cores for handling AI tasks, which could lead to significant improvements in AI-related performance.
One of the notable upgrades with the M4 lineup could be the support for up to 512GB Unified Memory in Mac desktops, a substantial increase from the current 192GB limit on the Mac Studio and Mac Pro. This enhancement is expected to deliver improved performance and multitasking capabilities for users across the Mac lineup.
Overall, the introduction of the M4 chips is poised to bring notable advancements to Apple’s Mac lineup, offering users enhanced performance and AI capabilities across a range of devices.
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