Rumor mill: New M4 Macs are imminent. Given recent shifts in Apple’s supply chain, we can anticipate M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBooks arriving before year-end, possibly as soon as late October. Standard M4 Macs are also expected, though the timeline remains uncertain.
Supply chain reports indicate Apple has commenced mass production on four MacBook Pro variants, featuring 14- and 16-inch models with M4 Pro and M4 Max configurations. DigiTimes has reported that assembly lines are scaling up this month.
MacRumors notes that this production timeline coincides with earlier reports this month, indicating Apple’s display supplier began shipping 14- and 16-inch screens to assembly lines in July. Display analyst Ross Young suggests this manufacturing activity hints at a fourth-quarter launch for the M4 MacBook Pros.
The report also corroborates Bloomberg’s forecasts.
“You should expect M4 Pro and M4 Max chips later this year as part of the high-end MacBook Pro,” noted Apple aficionado Mark Gurman in May.
Gurman also predicts three new Macs powered by the standard M4 chip: an entry-level 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro, an M4 iMac, and an M4 Mac mini.
While the exact release timeline remains unknown, Apple typically unveils Macs following its new iPhones. Given that Apple has scheduled its “Glowtime” event for September 9, October appears ideal for introducing the latest Mac hardware. Last year, Apple debuted the M3 Macs in late October, suggesting a similar timeline is plausible.
Earlier this year, Apple released an M4 iPad Pro in May, marking a significant upgrade to Apple’s high-end tablet lineup. The new 11- and 14-inch variants feature significantly more screen real estate than the previous 11.9-inch model. With a 60x performance improvement over the A11 Bionic, thanks to Apple’s new Neural Engine, the device is about 25% more powerful and efficient than the M3 MacBook Pro.
This year has seen little speculation regarding new Mac hardware designs. Thus, no major physical changes to Apple’s forthcoming computers are anticipated, which is acceptable as the company struck a visual “sweet spot” after removing the Touchbar display in 2021. Gurman expects Apple to develop thinner MacBooks in the future and eventually transition to OLED displays. However, these adjustments are likely still a few years away.
