Apple has introduced this year’s refresh of the MacBook Pro line-up, consisting of 14 and 16-inch models, which are equipped with its new M4 chips. More specifically, the new laptops now feature the base M4 chip, the M4 Pro version that’s first introduced with the new Mac mini, and the newly announced high-end M4 Max.
For design, the newly announced MacBook Pros are mostly unchanged from last year’s models. However, the 14-inch variant now comes with the Space Black colour option, previously exclusive to the 16-inch model, and an additional USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 port on the right side. Additionally, both models include Thunderbolt 5 USB-C ports, marking a first for Mac laptops. With Thunderbolt 5, users can experience up to 80 Gbps data transfer speeds, with the potential to reach 120 Gbps through Bandwidth Boost.
Display-wise, both MacBook Pro models now support a brighter screen, with up to 1,000 nits of brightness (compared to the previous 600 nits). Apple has also added a nano-texture display option, which reduces glare, ideal for users working in bright environments or direct sunlight. Camera quality has been upgraded, where both variants are now equipped with 12MP Center Stage webcams, replacing the 1080p models. Still no Face ID, however.
In terms of performance, Apple says the new M4 Max chip is expected to provide substantial performance gains, with a 16-core CPU (12 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores) and a 40-core GPU, while supporting up to 128GB of RAM and offering 30 percent more memory bandwidth than the previous M3 Max. For comparison, the M4 Pro sports a 14-core CPU and a 20-core GPU, while the base M4 chip offers configurations of 8 or 10 cores with a 10-core GPU.
Additionally, both the M4 Pro and Max chips come with faster GPU cores and a ray-tracing engine that’s reportedly twice as fast as the previous generation. Also onboard is an upgraded neural engine that’s 2x faster than the M3 series, significantly benefiting AI and machine learning tasks.
Apple says the new MacBook Pro models will be available soon for purchase on its website, but no exact date is given just yet. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip starts at RM6,999 (RM6,569 for education), while the 14‑inch with the M4 Pro begins at RM8,499 (RM7,859 for education). The 16‑inch MacBook Pro starts at RM10,999 (RM10,149 for education), with all models offered in space black and silver.
The company also revealed that its existing M2 and M3 MacBook Air now features 16GB of unified memory by default. These start at RM4,499 (RM4,069 for education) and are available in midnight, starlight, silver, and space grey colour options.
(Source: Apple Malaysia press release)
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