Yet, while all the attention is on the MacBook Pro line-up in general and the entry-level M4-powered MacBook Pro, the real game changer has yet to arrive.
In the early generations of the Mxx Apple Silicon series, Apple launched the base chipsets in with two MacBook Air models (a standard spec and a lower-specced entry-level model) alongside a consumer-focused MacBook Pro.
When the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models appeared with different physical configurations, it was clear that the first M1 MacBook Pro was an upgraded Air rather than a true MacBook Pro.
The professionally focused 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro will have options to use the more advanced and powerful M4 Pro and M4 Max chipsets.
The M4-powered MacBook Pro may look like an attractive alternative to the mighty M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pros, but if you want a powerful MacBook Air specced laptop… why not wait for the real thing?
Updated on October 13 with Russian MacBook Pro specifications.
Three new MacBooks will be released by Apple later this month. These, like the recent iPhone launch, will put a significant burden on the platform to successfully deliver a generative AI experience to the devoted Apple community. These will ship with the newest M4 Apple Silicon chipsets.
The true game-changer hasn’t arrived yet, though, despite the focus being on the MacBook Pro lineup as a whole and the entry-level M4-powered MacBook Pro. Waiting is advised for customers searching for the best macOS laptop for their requirements.
Update: Sunday, October 13: A number of MacBook Pros with M4 processors are up for sale on Russian classified websites this weekend, posing an unprecedented hardware leak threat to Apple. The versions have 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. That represents an improvement over the blatantly inadequate 8 GB of RAM found in the most recent MacBook Pro entry-level model with its M3 chipset.
With a 14-point 2-inch liquid retina screen with a resolution of 3024×1964, three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports, an HDMI port, an SDXC card reader, and a 10-core CPU and GPU make up the M3 configuration. A 70W USB-C adapter and a USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable are listed in the retail packaging that comes with these laptops.
Prior to the formal announcement, Apple had not responded to inquiries about the MacBook Pros’ availability. Though I wouldn’t be shocked if Tim Cook decided to move up the launch date in order to reclaim Apple’s narrative control over the new macOS laptop, this was always going to happen very late in October.
Apple introduced entry-level and standard MacBook Air models, as well as a MacBook Pro model geared toward consumers, with the base chipsets in the early generations of the Mxx Apple Silicon series. In general, the MacBook Pro models with the initial M1 chipsets were similar to the MacBook Air with the addition of active cooling via a fan, as revealed by teardowns conducted by sites such as iFixit.
It was evident that the first M1 MacBook Pro was not a true MacBook Pro, but rather an upgraded Air, when the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models debuted with distinct physical configurations.
Similarly, the M2 MacBooks performed as expected. The MacBook Pro that came with the standard M2 processor was more of an Air than a Pro. With the M3 generation, Apple employed a devious marketing ploy, releasing the M3 MacBook Pro in November and delaying the release of the M3 MacBook Air until March of the subsequent year. This prevented customers from making an instantaneous and straightforward comparison to aid in their purchase selection.
With the M4 family, Apple appears to be pulling off the same ruse as before.
At the impending launch event in October, three new MacBook Pro models are anticipated. It will be possible to use the more potent and sophisticated M4 Pro and M4 Max chipsets with the professionally oriented 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro. Simultaneously, the more affordable MacBook Pro aimed at consumers will come with the M4, which is still entry-level but still reasonably powerful.
The MacBook Air has vanished from sight, despite numerous rumors that it will surface in March 2025. You could consider the MacBook Air if you’re searching for the entry-level model, but Apple won’t formally unveil that model for another six months. Rather, what you have is the M4 MacBook Pro, which is essentially a MacBook Air and far inferior in terms of performance and engineering to the real MacBook Pros that are also available for purchase.
There is one bright spot in the whole situation. Apple’s decision to launch the MacBook Pro line with a meager 8 GB of RAM has drawn constant criticism. With the base M4 MacBook Pro coming with the previously mentioned 256 GB of storage and 16 GB of RAM, that appears to be about to change. Why the increase? Apple Intelligence requires a larger memory footprint to function.
Apple will have no choice but to incorporate the same RAM boost into the next MacBook Air models as well as the Pro models in order to fulfill its goal of having Apple Intelligence throughout the entire platform. The MacBook Air will gain from generative AI’s performance requirements, just as the iPhone 16 did.
Waiting for the real thing is preferable if you’re looking for a powerful laptop with MacBook Air specifications, even though the M4-powered MacBook Pro might seem like an appealing substitute for the formidable M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pros.
