Apple has released a fresh generation of the basic M4 MacBook Pro. The laptop has updated the hardware, improved the webcam and added RAM. At the same time, the initial price corresponds to the previous model. How significant was the upgrade? Here are the opinions and tests of the Western media.
M4 MacBook Pro Proven design
The 14- and 16-inch versions of the laptop are now available only in dark color (Space Black). The case can still collect prints, even if they are not critical. Otherwise, the appearance of the “pros” has not changed since 2021. As noted in Digital Trends, the “bangs” at the top of the display should have been abandoned, but this revision was postponed. A third Thunderbolt port appeared on the right, making it convenient to connect chargers or monitors from either side.
A nice bonus is the ability to buy a nanotexture coating for $150. It allows you to work comfortably in imperfect lighting conditions, the journalist of The Verge points out. The new 12-megapixel webcam supports the Center Stage algorithm, which keeps the person in the frame. In general, the picture has become more contrasting and clearer. But the Desk View function turned out to be raw. This is a program view from above, showing what is on the table. In practice, everything is distorted and displayed in low resolution. For such a scenario, Continuity Camera, which uses the iPhone as a webcam, is much better.
M4 MacBook Pro Performance and battery
The basic configuration of the novelty is equipped with an M4 chip paired with 16 GB of RAM. That is, the RAM is twice as much as the same variant with the M3. The processor contains a 10-core GPU and the same number of computing cores (two more than in the M3). Here are the benchmark results and how they compare to its predecessor:
- Cinebench Multi: M4 — 1003, M3 — 612;
- Cinebench Single: M4 — 172, M3 — 141;
- Cinebench GPU: M4 — 3988, M3 — 3334.
This shows a 64 percent increase in multi-core mode. Performance improved by 20% per core, and by 25% in terms of graphics. The average figure during the 30-minute run also increased by 41%. The current firmware coped with exporting a 4K project from Adobe Premiere Pro in 3 minutes 14 seconds, the previous model in 3 minutes 47 seconds. That is, in general, the upgrade is significant. The battery life is about 12 hours with a medium intensity load.
M4 MacBook Pro Faster, colder, smarter
The base model of the Apple M4 MacBook Pro is equipped with 10 processor cores and 10 graphics cores. The Apple tech giant claims that the chipset, produced using the second generation of the 3nm process, provides a 1.5x increase in CPU performance compared to the M2. In addition, the chip produces the same power as the generation before last, consuming half as much energy. The platform was also equipped with an improved Neural Engine (computing power – 38 trillion operations per second).
In Geekbench, the new Apple M4 showed an increase of 25% compared to the M3. The chip is comparable in multi-core performance to the Apple M2 Max (14,550 points for the M4 versus 14,800 for the M2 Max).
The exact set of cores in the older models of the family – M4 Pro and M4 Max – is still unknown. The M3 Pro comes with a 12-core CPU and an 18-core GPU, while the M3 Max comes with a combination of 16+40. Every year the composition of the blocks increases.
If we continue the trend regarding the M2 and M3 generations, we should expect at least a 14-core processor and a 20-core video accelerator in the M4 Pro. And the M4 Max may well offer 20 CPU units. Taking into account the fact that one M4 processor core is 20% faster than the M3 core, the total power increase of the new chips can exceed 30%.
What devices will Apple M4 get
Usually, Cupertino presents the current generations of Mac and iPad in October or November. Judging by insider reports, 2024 will be no exception.
With a high degree of probability, the iPad mini 7 will be presented. It is possible that this model will receive an Apple M-series chip for the first time in order to meet the system requirements of Apple Intelligence. But it is unlikely that a fresh M4 will be installed in a budget tablet (it looks like we will see the M2 or the mobile A17 Pro).
The 14″ and 16″ models will be the company’s first laptops based on the M4 family of chips. Most likely, the younger 14″ MacBook Pro will get the base M4, its advanced version will get the M4 Pro or M4 Max, and the MBP 16″ will offer a choice of configurations with the M4 Pro and M4 Max. In addition, Apple may abandon configurations with 8 GB of unified memory in favor of more spacious ones. The iMac 24″ will probably be equipped with a fresh processor.
