Discount available on MacBook Air M3
Discount available on MacBook Air M3

This week is a significant one for Apple enthusiasts, as the company is expected to release several new Mac products sporting its powerful M4 CPU beginning today. This update marks another significant milestone for Apple, following the 2020 transition from Intel CPUs to its in-house technology. The M4 promises to be a significant upgrade for Macs, particularly for complex applications such as artificial intelligence and gaming, with faster performance than prior generations.

What is launching this week?

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that several redesigned Mac models will be introduced in the coming days. Here are the items on the list: 

  • 24-inch iMac: Set to include the entry-level M4 chip, which will provide considerable performance increases for general use and some AI activities.
  • Mac mini: This model will include both the base M4 and the enhanced M4 Pro CPUs, giving users more power options.
  • Apple is replacing the 16-inch MacBook Pro, as well as the 14-inch model’s high- and low-end models, with higher-performance M4 CPUs.

The M4 chip

Apple’s new M4 CPU is more than just about speed. According to Gurman, it is designed to power AI jobs while also providing features that gamers will enjoy, such as ray tracing, which improves graphics for a more realistic experience. The Neural Engine of the M4 microprocessor is a specialized section of the processor for AI.  

will handle roughly twice as many operations as its predecessor, with a capacity of 38 trillion operations per second. For comparison, the M3-powered iMac and MacBook Pro could handle up to 18 trillion.

With this new CPU, the Mac mini will finally have ray tracing, a significant improvement for creating convincing pictures – excellent news for gamers.

Enhanced performance

For those upgrading from older models, particularly those running M1 or Intel-based Macs, the M4 promises a significant increase in speed. While the rise from M3 to M4 is not significant, it is projected to have an impact on CPU performance.

Apple is also increasing memory options: several lower-end Macs will come with 16GB of RAM as standard, indicating a move to accommodate AI capabilities that demand large capacity.

Apple is giving the Mac mini a new appearance, making it smaller yet more powerful. This tiny variant will feature two ports on the front (similar to the Mac Studio) and up to three more on the back. It is expected to be one of the most powerful versions of Apple’s silicon-powered Macs to date.

Meanwhile, the iMac and MacBook Pro lines are being refreshed, with the iMac switching to the M4 CPU only a year after adopting the M3. Apple’s goal appears to be clear: equip all Macs with the M4, unifying the portfolio around this powerful chip as part of its push toward AI-driven computing.

Apple’s unconventional launch strategy.

In a departure from its typical routine, Apple is releasing these announcements across three days. culminating with in-person seminars in Los Angeles. Last week, select media and content makers were secretly invited to gain hands-on experience with the new tools, which will be available starting Wednesday.

According to the story, Apple plans to debut these Macs on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, followed by direct encounters with the press at the final event. This strategy is similar to one used by Apple in 2019 when it released iPads, iMacs, and AirPods on successive days.