Apple unveils MacBook Pro with new M4 chip range

Apple has announced the launch of the new MacBook Pro range, equipped with the M4 family of chips, promising enhanced performance and capabilities.

The newly unveiled MacBook Pro, available in 14-inch and 16-inch models, features the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips. John Ternus, Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, stated, "MacBook Pro is an incredibly powerful tool that millions of people use to do their life's best work, and today we're making it even better. With the powerful M4 family of chips, and packed with pro features like Thunderbolt 5, an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera, an all-new nano-texture display option, and Apple Intelligence, the new MacBook Pro continues to be, by far, the world's best pro laptop."

The M4 series of chips, built using second-generation 3-nanometer technology, boasts significant performance improvements. These chips incorporate machine learning accelerators, an advanced GPU, and a Neural Engine designed for AI applications. Apple claims that its M4 family offers up to 24 hours of battery life, the longest ever for a MacBook.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the M4 chip is tailored for entrepreneurs, students, and creators and starts at NZD $2,999 including GST. It includes a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, enabling faster performance for tasks such as photo editing and 3D rendering compared to the previous generation models.

According to Apple, "MacBook Pro with M4 delivers: Up to 7x faster image processing in Affinity Photo when compared to the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Core i7, and up to 1.8x faster when compared to the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1. Up to 10.9x faster 3D rendering in Blender when compared to the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Core i7, and up to 3.4x faster when compared to the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1. Up to 9.8x faster scene edit detection in Adobe Premiere Pro when compared to the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Core i7, and up to 1.7x faster when compared to the 13-inch MacBook Pro with M1."

The M4 Pro version, aimed at professionals requiring enhanced performance, includes a 14-core CPU and a 20-core GPU. Apple describes it as being "up to 3x faster than models with M1 Pro, speeding up workflows like geo mapping, structural engineering, and data modelling."

For those needing the utmost performance, the M4 Max offers a 16-core CPU and a 40-core GPU, and is capable of supporting up to 128GB of unified memory. Apple highlights that "MacBook Pro with M4 Max enables: Up to 7.8x faster scene rendering performance with Maxon Redshift when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with Intel Core i9, and up to 3.5x faster when compared to the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Max."

All new MacBook Pro models come with an enhanced Liquid Retina XDR display, now featuring a nano-texture option for reduced glare. "MacBook Pro includes a new 12MP Center Stage camera that delivers enhanced video quality in challenging lighting conditions," Apple announced, adding further utility for video conferencing needs.

Additionally, Thunderbolt 5 comes to the MacBook Pro with M4 Pro and M4 Max, offering faster transfer rates and improved connectivity options, supportive of professionals relying on extensive peripheral devices.

With the inclusion of Apple Intelligence, these devices introduce features such as advanced AI capabilities, which allow functions like automated text refinement and interactive personalized emoji creation, whilst maintaining a focus on privacy with on-device processing.

The MacBook Pro range is complimented by macOS Sequoia, which integrates features like iPhone Mirroring and enhanced browsing capabilities, thus completing the MacBook ecosystem with further streamlined and intuitive functionality.

This launch also includes updates to the MacBook Air series, now beginning with 16GB of memory and made with 100% recycled materials.