Apple Testing Four New M4 Macs Ahead of Fall Launch

[tipoo]

M4s? Mini-M4?

They might get rid of the A series and call everything M.

This is for the entry level Macs, has nothing to do with the A series. The M is what the A14X and its successors would have been, never made sense to unify them and the people wanting an M in an iPhone will never get it, both brands are well established too.

The entry Mac M4 appears to be 4 performance and 4 efficiency cores, where the entry iPad Pro had 3 P and 6 E cores, which makes sense since the iPad is the more power limited

 

[sw1tcher]

Base RAM 16GB is the best news in the article.

Without knowing the starting price for the base 14-inch MacBook Pro M4, I cannot share in that sentiment.

The current base 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 8/512 starts at $1,599.00. If a base 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 16/512 starts anywhere near $1,799.00, that's no different than upgrading the current base 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 8/512 to a 16/512 configuration.

I'd 🤣 if Apple made the configuration of the base 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 a 16/256 for $1,599.00 to make their cost a wash. People who want 512 storage will have to pay the typical $200.

 

[S.B.G]

I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out this Fall. I may be looking to pick up a new Mac mini, or a new iMac.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

God, I hope this won't be us getting all the internals we'd like but then them cutting most of the I/O on the back.

Them slimming it way down has me worried.

Either way, I'm still betting on Apple cutting the USB-A and ethernet ports and opting for USB-C type Thunderbolt ports only.

Only Apple gets away with making the number of ports a premium feature.

If these only come with 16GB and 32GB RAM then there has to be a major price hike incoming too.

 

[Andres Cantu]

I suspect the redesigned M4 Mac mini will carry a premium price, as they will probably leave the M2 Mac mini in the lineup.

I would also not be surprised to see the base model M4 iMac be one of the unfortunate ones with an 8/8 configuration.

 

[Chuckeee]

A few odd things:

4 Models is a bit odd, recently Apple typically seems stock 3 models and other configurations are BTO. Unless one of the 4 is dedicated to the educational market

8, 9 and 10 core versions of the M4 chips. I thought the new N3E process was supposed to have higher yields and fewer defects. Strongly suspect this isn’t all a result of just binning based on defects.

 

[tomtad]

You just know Cook will be reusing Apple TV casings for the Mac mini. All about the bottom line.

 

[joloriquelme]

Don't get too excited yet.

October event is for the new M4 "Pros" and "Minis": 16 GB base. Everybody celebrates.

January "refresh" will be for the still-8 GB base M4 MacBook Air. Everybody cries.

 

[tipoo]

You just know Cook will be be resusing Apple TV casings for the Mac mini. All about the bottom line.

That's honestly all I wanted when Apple Silicon first came out and I'd be ok with it. That size and chassis, TB ports and an HDMI port on the back, and hopefully keep the little fan so it can keep up sustained performance, sounds like a great Mac Actually Mini to me.

But afaik it's not recycling as Gurms said it's aluminum

 

[Macaholic868]

All four of the M4 Macs have either 16GB or 32GB of Unified Memory

It’s about time!!!! If I see 8 GB in a system labeled “Pro” I’m going to vomit. Enough already!!!!!

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

No Pro chips? Huh. I wonder what they’re cooking up

Profits. 💰💰💰

 

[Populus]

All four of the M4 Macs have either 16GB or 32GB of Unified Memory.

Wow, this gives me hope that we’ll finally see 16GB as base RAM even for the base M4, with a single upgrade (hopefully not more than $250) for 32GB!

And maybe this also means the M4 Pro could start at 24 or maybe even 32GB of RAM.

I wonder if one of those new Macs is a 12” MacBook, now that they’ve miniaturized even more the M4 logic board for the new, smaller Mac mini.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Base RAM 16GB is the best news in the article.

16 GB of RAM to start across multiple Apple product lines?!?!? 😮🤯

Timmy must have gotten replaced by an alternate universe doppelgänger... this news is the clearest evidence I've seen for the existence of a multiverse... 🤔

(joking aside, I'm glad Apple is finally moving up the base RAM for the first time in over a decade)

It’s about time!!!! If I see 8 GB in a system labeled “Pro” I’m going to vomit. Enough already!!!!!

I've now read the article 3 times trying to see what you guys are seeing. I see no reference to a new "base" (RAM). Instead, it says these are tests on higher RAM Macs... just like we can BTO now. I just rechecked and M2 Mac mini "base" can be upgraded to 16GB or 32GB of RAM right now in Apple's store.

If I was testing new Macs for A.I., I'd probably be ordering more than base RAM too for such tests.

But I'll hope right along with everyone else.

Update: Chuckee down in #47 caught my mistake. 16GB with M2 YES. But no 32GB, except in PRO variant. Nevertheless, still not convinced that "testing with" = "new base RAM." Apple likes them "another record quarter..."s too much and "we" consumers seem to "just buy anyway."

 

[boak]

It’s obvious which chip is for which Mac.

iMac gets 8+8 and 10+10.
MBP gets 10+10 and higher variants.
Mac mini gets 10+10 and Pro variant.

MBA eventually gets 8+8 and 10+10.

 

[citysnaps]

You just know Cook will be be resusing Apple TV casings for the Mac mini. All about the bottom line.

That would never work. It'll be a newly designed case to meet the requirements of the Mac Mini. That's not Cook's area of expertise (though he'll certainly understand the reasoning and need).

 

[gk_brown]

I want an M4 Pro/64GB mini. I would like it now but am willing to wait until it is available.

 

[Populus]

The new Macs that appeared are labeled with the identifiers “16,1,” “16,2,” “16,3” and “16,10.”

Let’s start with the speculation!

The 10-core CPU has the same specifications as the M4 processor in the iPad Pro, including four high-performance parts and six cores focused on efficiency. But the fourth chip seen in the developer logs only includes eight total cores, split between four high-performance parts and four efficiency cores.

Interesting…

 

[Populus]

I want an M4 Pro/64GB mini. I would like it now but am willing to wait until it is available.

As for myself, if the M4 Pro starts with 32GB, I’m good with that honestly.

 

[boak]

iPad Pro 3P+6E M4 is probably a binned 4P+6E M4.

 

[DrWojtek]

Since the M2 only goes up to 24 GB, this does indeed suggest 16 GB RAM is the new base.

 

[ppalombo]

This gives me hope that they will also *finally* release USB-C versions of their keyboard, mouse and trackpad. I bought a new Mac Mini last year, but I didn’t replace my old peripherals because I didn’t want to buy the ones with Lightning ports. Here’s to hope!

 

[Chuckeee]

I just rechecked and M2 Mac mini "base" can be upgraded to 16GB or 32GB of RAM right now in Apple's store.

Nope, that is wrong. The M2 Mac mini "base" can be upgraded to 16GB or 24GB of RAM. Not 32GB. Perhaps you were looking at the Mac mini M2pro

 

[canadianpj]

It might seem like a waste to some, but when it's out, I'll be bumping my M2 Macbook Air to an M4.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Nope, that is wrong. The M2 Mac mini "base" can be upgraded to 16GB or 24GB of RAM. Not 32GB. Perhaps you were looking at the Mac mini M2pro

View attachment 2408772

You're right. Clicked PRO variant.

But, In a generation TWO newer than M2, adding another 8GB module (to the 24GB peak) doesn't seem out of the question either.

Besides what happened to all of the 12GB/24GB/36GB rumors driven by iPad M4 analysis? I'm doubting they would make a 12GB M4 only for iPad Pro.

 

[jwdsail]

“According to people familiar with the situation” who somehow keep feeding Gurman the company’s plans with the CEO simply not being able to find out who they are after all these years.

Apple is a ship that leaks from the top...