Alleged M4 MacBook Pro Unboxing Video Reveals These Four Upgrades

[EugW]

The MacBook Pro M4 was suspected by some (including myself) to get three Thunderbolt 4 ports, similar to the rumoured M4 Mac mini. If true, would the MacBook Pro M4 Pro get four Thunderbolt 4 ports? I mean, even the M4 SoC has four Thunderbolt controllers.

 

[Fomalhaut]

I suspect the Geekbench score may be real. However, I am suspicious of the video, mainly because it carefully avoids providing evidence that it is the true source of the Geekbench score.

3 TB ports are present on the other MacBook Pros - M3 Pro/Max.

Is the only way to visually differentiate an M3 Pro and Max (or an alleged M4 base with 3 ports) to see the SKU or serial number text on the base of the machine?

 

[Dadcelo]

Is the only way to visually differentiate an M3 Pro and Max (or an alleged M4 base with 3 ports) to see the SKU or serial number text on the based of the machine?

Seems like it. Now not even by the color anymore (if the leak is correct).

 

[EugW]

I found it hilarious that for the longest time on the Apple refurb page, the Mac laptop that they had at the top of the page was a 2015-2017 12" MacBook, even though they had stopped selling that model on the refurb store many years prior. However, nobody here ever commented on it, I suspect because at first glance it just looked to most people like a MacBook Air. I think Apple finally removed it last year or something like that.

Anyhow, if the M4 MacBook Pro really does comes with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, I'd expect them just to re-use the existing 3 USB-C chassis, colours TBA. However, they could release a new chassis for M4 Pro/Max, with four Thunderbolt 4 ports.

 

[Fomalhaut]

The M3 Pro MacBook Pro starts at 18. The M3 MacBook Pro starts at 8.

It will be interesting to see if the M4 Pro keeps the 3 RAM module layout found in the M3 Pro, which led to the 18GB (3 x 6GB) or 36GB (3 x 12GB) RAM options.

Presumably there are 8GB RAM modules available (which gave the base M3 options for 2 x 8GB & 2 x 12GB).

So an M4 Pro could have 24GB (3 x 8GB) and 36GB (3 x 12GB) options.

It would be great if the M4 Pro started at 24GB, to differentiate it clearly from the 16GB base M4.

 

[Fomalhaut]

just one mystery left, why would they go from 18GB to 16GB? 🤔

They didn't. If this is an M4, then it has gone from 8GB to 16GB base memory. The M3 Pro was 18GB, and will either stay with that (underwhelming compared to the alleged 16GB base M4) or go to 24GB.

 

[Fomalhaut]

I found it hilarious that for the longest time on the Apple refurb page, the Mac laptop that they had at the top of the page was a 2015-2017 12" MacBook, even though they had stopped selling that model on the refurb store many years prior. However, nobody here ever commented on it, I suspect because at first glance it just looked to most people like a MacBook Air. I think Apple finally removed it last year or something like that.

Anyhow, if the M4 MacBook Pro really does comes with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, I'd expect them just to re-use the existing 3 USB-C chassis, colours TBA. However, they could release a new chassis for M4 Pro/Max, with four Thunderbolt 4 ports.

Having 4 x TB4 ports on an M4 Pro & Max would actually be quite an improvement, assuming all the other ports stay in place of course!

Would the rumored 5-port M4 Mini Pro have 4 x TB4 + 1 x USC-C 3.2? Or more likely 3 x TB4 at the rear and 2 x USB-C at the front?

 

[chucker23n1]

So an M4 Pro could have 24GB (3 x 8GB) and 36GB (3 x 12GB) options.

I’m kind of holding out hope for a higher option. I’m not going to get an M4 Max just to get more RAM than that. If 48 GiB were an option for another $200, that’d be quite tempting. Instead, the option is effectively $1,100 right now.

That said, I’ll go up from 32 to 36. That’s already nice, too.

 

[EugW]

They didn't. If this is an M4, then it has gone from 8GB to 16GB base memory. The M3 Pro was 18GB, and will either stay with that (underwhelming compared to the alleged 16GB base M4) or go to 24GB.

Some mentioned this earlier, but even if the M4 configuration shown is a real standard retail model, this doesn't definitely prove M4 base is 16 GB. It just shows a possible 16 GB standard configuration. However, not even that would be new, since even the M3 MacBook Air already has a standard 16 GB configuration. You can buy that off Best Buy and Amazon. 16 GB is no longer considered a custom configuration for the low end Mac laptops anymore, ever since the release of the M3.

I don't believe there will be an 8 GB M4, but I'm just saying a standard off-the-shelf retail 16 GB configuration is not new for lower end Macs.

Having 4 x TB4 ports on an M4 Pro & Max would actually be quite an improvement, assuming all the other ports stay in place of course!

Would the rumored 5-port M4 Mini Pro have 4 x TB4 + 1 x USC-C 3.2? Or more likely 3 x TB4 at the rear and 2 x USB-C at the front?

I'm not sure. How many Thunderbolt controllers will M4 Pro have? I note that M3 has 2 Thunderbolt controllers, and M3 Pro has 4 Thunderbolt controllers. M4 non-Pro likely has 4 controllers. What's the fourth controller used for? Will M4 Pro and M4 Max still have four Thunderbolt 4 controllers, or would they have more?

My guess is the M4 Pro Mac mini (five USB-C) will have three Thunderbolt 4 / USB 4 ports at 40 Gbps (rear), plus two USB 4 ports at 20 Gbps (front) with Thunderbolt compatibility.

 

[TVreporter]

I thought it was a Macintosh? Chess, no?

The landmines joke might have missed the mark!

 

[Fomalhaut]

I’m kind of holding out hope for a higher option. I’m not going to get an M4 Max just to get more RAM than that. If 48 GiB were an option for another $200, that’d be quite tempting. Instead, the option is effectively $1,100 right now.

That said, I’ll go up from 32 to 36. That’s already nice, too.

We can hope! I would be pretty happy if M4 Pro started with 24GB, and might be OK with that even though I've been using a 32GB M1 Max MBP. If an upgrade from 24GB to 36GB is the "standard $200", then I might be tempted given that it's a 12GB increase rather than only 8GB. This is similar to the current M3 Pro upgrade from 36GB to 48GB, so seems quite possible.

I was originally planning on holding out for an M4 Studio as a stationary desktop system, but if a base M4 Pro Mini (or with only $200 of upgrades) is available in November, I may just settle for that. If I'm realistic, I don't *need* a Mac Studio because I'm still doing mostly OK with an M1 Max with 24-core GPU and 32GB. It seems pretty likely that an M4 Pro Mini would surpass the (binned) M1 Max for GPU workloads, and would be at least 50% faster for CPU workloads.

I've even seen a suggestion that Apple might skip the M4 Max Studio and go straight to an M5 version in H2 of 2025. I've grown tired of 2nd guessing the Mac Studio release timeline and the fact that the "workstation" product gets stuck with the older generations of the SoC.

 

[rwh63]

Lots of speculation. Will this be a quiet launch? Will it just sneak in? Typically how many days before availability is the announcement made?

 

[tenthousandthings]

The box packaging argument is tiring. We've seen M2/M3 MBA ship in the exact same box.

All three previous editions of the MacBook Pro 14/16 have had different screen wallpaper on the box. There’s no reason to think they won’t do that again, and there’s every reason to think they will.

The M2/M3 Air thin-profile image on the box doesn’t have screen wallpaper to change. That doesn’t change the fact every generation of the MacBook Pro 14/16 has had a different box.

 

[Newbee2025]

Anyone else wondering when apple will offer a nice sleeve for their Mac books?

Oh wait they canceled leather to make the grettas of the world happy.

No apple sleeves, enjoy!

How dare you?!

 

[Chancha]

All three previous editions of the MacBook Pro 14/16 have had different screen wallpaper on the box. There’s no reason to think they won’t do that again, and there’s every reason to think they will.

The M2/M3 Air thin-profile image on the box doesn’t have screen wallpaper to change. That doesn’t change the fact every generation of the MacBook Pro 14/16 has had a different box.

The M2 Pro/Max 14" 16" used M1 gen red and blue wallpapers, only thing changed was going from light mode to dark mode which are almost identical at a glance. But on the website and everywhere else, the image they used then changed the wallpaper to the green and purple diamond wallpaper that we remember.

It seems obvious to me that, every time re-using a box design happens, it is because they couldn't finalize on the eventual promotional visuals in time before having to print the actual boxes.

 

[iSayuSay]

But with 3 ports you do get that? Hopefully, someday, at least one on each side is indeed the standard for all MBs, but at least it will be on all MBPs going forward.

Some people actually prefer a miniLED displays. I am in no way holding out for an OLED display.

Well I’m the opposite, I was holding on to my 2017 10.5” iPad Pro long enough, so I can buy an OLED iPad Pro. So yeah the M4 is the pinnacle of big screen mobile computer display for me.

Been using OLED TVs on the whole house and office. So the 13” M4 is the long awaited upgrade. Once you go OLED, anything else is just bad downgrade. My final closure would be the 32” OLED 4K monitor but maybe next year.

 

[tenthousandthings]

The M2 Pro/Max 14" 16" used M1 gen red and blue wallpapers, only thing changed was going from light mode to dark mode which are almost identical at a glance. But on the website and everywhere else, the image they used then changed the wallpaper to the green and purple diamond wallpaper that we remember.

It seems obvious to me that, every time re-using a box design happens, it is because they couldn't finalize on the eventual promotional visuals in time before having to print the actual boxes.

I know what you mean, but I wouldn't say they are "almost identical at a glance." M2 has a black background where M1 has a white background. That's a stark difference, not a minor detail. You are probably right about the stock image used at launch and in product listings -- those need to be clearly differentiated, and they are.

I think it's certainly possible the M4 box image will be a variant of the M3 box image, and I'm sure they are proud of that image, but for them to not change the box at all would be new for the Pro. There's nothing in either of the videos that isn't either simply extant or easily spoofed. The only thing with actual changes are the SKU and model-number identification stickers on the back, which don't entirely follow Apple's past approach to presenting that information (which is not to say that approach can't change). But everything there is information that has already been leaked -- the 10 CPU cores and the 16GB memory.

The earlier poster insists that it's everything in the videos taken together that argues for their authenticity. I'd argue that it's the opposite. Any one of those things might well be true, but together they are a lie.

 

[Chancha]

I know what you mean, but I wouldn't say they are "almost identical at a glance." M2 has a black background where M1 has a white background. That's a stark difference, not a minor detail. You are probably right about the stock image used at launch and in product listings -- those need to be clearly differentiated, and they are.

I think it's certainly possible the M4 box image will be a variant of the M3 box image, and I'm sure they are proud of that image, but for them to not change the box at all would be new for the Pro. There's nothing in either of the videos that isn't either simply extant or easily spoofed. The only thing with actual changes are the SKU and model-number identification stickers on the back, which don't entirely follow Apple's past approach to presenting that information (which is not to say that approach can't change). But everything there is information that has already been leaked -- the 10 CPU cores and the 16GB memory.

The earlier poster insists that it's everything in the videos taken together that argues for their authenticity. I'd argue that it's the opposite. Any one of those things might well be true, but together they are a lie.

I can somewhat share your doubts, as with anything internet let alone from Russia. But the bits and pieces of this specific leak just smells right this time. Like the box design argument, it goes both ways, but consider if one were to create a make-believe scenario for clicks or whatnot, the base model MBP would be a pretty poor choice for that. Like wise, those specs and port changes are supposed to be believable, can be because they were actually real in the first place.

 

[WilliApple]

So turns out, around 200 of them got STOLEN from the factory and are out in the wild. They all seem to be base models from what I have seen, and the M4 MBP BASE MODEL looks like my dream MacBook (Coming from the M1 MacBook Air with 8 GB of Ram). Everything else we know is:

• 2 external displays are supported, no need to close the lid
• 3 Thunderbolt 4 ports
• Space Black replacing Space Gray
• 16 GB of Ram as base
• No Apple Stickers (Expected unfortunately)

They came with macOS 15.0 build 24A8332 (Which you cannot get on a currently released MacBook), and it doesn't look like the latest betas of macOS Sequoia or macOS 15.0.1 is supported on these MacBooks.

I unfortunately do not have one, and I don't want to have one until release because it seems kind of illegal to own one.
Let me know if you know anyone else with them, I have many questions. I will keep the person anonymous as well. If I find out more things, I will update this thread.

 

[tedwill]

An alleged unboxing video for an unannounced 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip was uploaded to YouTube today by Russian channel Wylsacom. The video was later linked to on social media platform X by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

It is possible that this is the same MacBook Pro box shown in photos that were shared by leaker ShrimpApplePro in late September, as he claimed that this MacBook Pro unit was apparently being sold in a private Facebook group at the time.

While we cannot confirm the authenticity of this leak, the box reveals four potential upgrades for what seems to be the base model 14-inch MacBook Pro:

• 25% faster M4 chip: The box lists this 14-inch MacBook Pro as having an M4 chip with a 10-core CPU, whereas the current model has the M3 chip with an 8-core CPU. An alleged Geekbench 6 benchmark result shared by the YouTube channel behind this leak suggests that the M4 chip will be up to 25% faster than the M3 chip. Apple already introduced the M4 chip in the iPad Pro in May, and it indeed has up to a 10-core CPU and up to 25% faster performance compared to the M3 chip.
  16GB of RAM: It was previously rumored that 16GB of RAM could become the minimum for all future Macs, and the alleged packaging indeed suggests that the next 14-inch MacBook Pro would start with 16GB of RAM, unless it is somehow a built-to-order configuration that will be offered on Apple's online store.
• Three Thunderbolt 4 ports: The box suggests the base 14-inch MacBook Pro will have three Thunderbolt 4 ports, up from two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the current model.
• Space Black: The box suggests that Space Black would become a color option for the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, whereas it is currently exclusive to models configured with the M3 Pro or M3 Max chip.

Here is a screenshot of the box from the video:

Gurman today said he expects Apple to announce the first Macs with M4 chips in late October, and release at least some of them on Friday, November 1.

Here is the video, which could be removed from YouTube at any point:

Article Link: Alleged M4 MacBook Pro Unboxing Video Reveals These Four Upgrades

I thought this was Erik Voss from New Rockstars!

 

[EugW]

MacRumors just posted their YouTube summary of this article but unfortunately it has the same errors about 16 GB only existing as CTO for the M3 MacBook Pro and about that machine having 2 TB4 ports.

 

[JPack]

Of course they're stolen - there's no situation where Apple will legally transfer ownership of an unannounced product to another party before the event.

Base models are the highest volume sellers so it makes sense these were more readily available to grab.

Sad that they've been stolen. But at the same time, there's no other country in the world where it's possible for reviewers be able to afford the high cost of acquiring the item and do a video review without repercussions due to current relations.

 

[Astuces iOS]

The weird thing is about the wallpaper on the box... Still the same so very weird... And 2 external display is already there on m3 MacBook Pro.

 

[WilliApple]

The weird thing is about the wallpaper on the box... Still the same so very weird... And 2 external display is already there on m3 MacBook Pro.

This isn’t the first time they reused the same wallpaper. Last I remember them reusing wallpapers was for the 2018-2020 Intel MacBook airs.

 

[dmr727]

And 2 external display is already there on m3 MacBook Pro.

But you'll have to close the lid to use two external displays with the M3 MBP - this thing allows you to continue using the internal display, essentially giving you a third screen.