M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro [left], M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro [right]
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Last updated 15 hours ago
The new 14-inch M4 Pro MacBook Pro delivers incredible performance and is a solid upgrade over the M1 Pro. That's what makes a three-year difference.
Three years is a long time in computing. It's also around the time consumers start looking for potential upgrades and replacements for their hardware.
With the arrival of the M4 Pro for Mac, the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip is now a viable upgrade for owners of the M1 Pro version.
There should be enough improvements in three years to make the upgrade to the M4 Pro a worthwhile decision for existing 14-inch MacBook Pro users.
14-inch MacBook Pro
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Here's a look at the features and what's and hasn't changed in three years.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs. M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro – Specs
| Specifications | M4 Pro MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2024) | M1 Pro MacBook Pro (14-inch, 2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $1,999 | $1,999 |
| Dimensions (inches) | 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 | 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 |
| Weight (lbs) | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Display | 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, wide color gamut (P3) True Tone ProMotion, Nano-texture (optional) |
14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, wide color gamut (P3) True Tone ProMotion |
| Resolution | 3024 x 1964 | 3024 x 1964 |
| Brightness | 1000 nits sustained full-screen, 1600 nits peak HDR, 600 nits SDR |
1000 nits sustained full-screen, 1600 nits peak HDR, 500 nits SDR |
| Processor | Apple M4 Pro 10-core, Apple M4 Pro 12-core | Apple M1 Pro 8-core, Apple M1 Pro 10-core |
| Graphics | 10-core GPU 16-core GPU |
14-core GPU, 16-core GPU |
| Memory | 24 GB 48 GB |
16 GB, 32 GB |
| Storage | 512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4TB |
512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB |
| Battery | 72.4Wh Li-Polymer | 70Wh Li-Polymer |
| Network | 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E Bluetooth 5.3 |
802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Touch ID | Yes | Yes |
| Camera | 12-megapixel front camera with desktop preview | 1080p FaceTime HD |
| Audio | Six-speaker sound system Force-canceling woofers Three-microphone array with beamforming and high signal-to-noise ratio Headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones Dolby Atmos support for spatial audio |
Six-speaker sound system Force-canceling woofers Three-microphone array with beamforming and high signal-to-noise ratio Headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones, Support for Dolby Atmos with spatial audio |
| Ports | Three Thunderbolt 5 ports, SDXC card slot, HDMI, 3.5mm headphones, MagSafe 3 |
Three Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, SDXC card slot, HDMI, 3.5mm headphones, MagSafe 3 |
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro – Design, Weight, Size
In most ways, the M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro is an upgrade. There are a lot of internal changes, but not so much on the outside, with one big exception.
The M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro measures 12.31 inches long, 8.71 inches wide, and 0.61 inches thick. It is a very recognizable flat slab of aluminum in the laptop market.
The M4 version is functionally identical in size and weight. Both generations weigh 3.5 pounds each.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs. M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro: The core design hasn't changed in years.
The exception comes into play when you consider the color. Previously, you had a Space Gray or Silver MacBook Pro, but the M4 generation now offers a Space Black option.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro – Display
As with the exterior, you can expect virtually no real change in display technology between the M1 Pro and M4 Pro releases.
That means you get a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with a 3,024 by 1,964 resolution, giving it a pixel density of 254 pixels per inch. The mini-LED backlighting provides a million-to-one contrast ratio.
In terms of brightness, the M4 Pro delivers up to 1,000 nits for SDR content outdoors, increasing to 1,000 nits of “XDR brightness” for sustained full-screen HDR content. At its peak, it can deliver up to 1,600 nits for HDR content.
The M1 Pro version is similar, except it bumps the brightness up to 500 nits for SDR content. The XDR brightness is the same.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs. M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro: The Notch Is Still Alive
All displays support Wide Color (P3), True Tone, and ProMotion adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz. Both models have a notch at the top to accommodate the camera.
As for working with external displays, the M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro can handle two 6K 60Hz external displays. The M4 Pro can do the same, or one 6K 60Hz external display and a 4K 144Hz display via HDMI.
If you only need one external display, the M4 Pro can run an 8K display at 60Hz or a 4K display at 240Hz via HDMI.
New for 2024 is an optional Nano-texture display treatment. This is an etching that helps reduce glare from nearby light sources, borrowed from the Pro Display XDR and not available on the M1 Pro.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro – Performance
The M1 Pro was sold in two variants. The base version had an 8-core CPU with six performance cores and two efficiency cores, as well as a 14-core GPU. The other two variants were available with 10-core CPUs and either 14-core or 16-core GPUs.
These chips also had a 16-core Neural Engine, as well as a Media Engine for hardware acceleration of video encoding and decoding.
When it came to memory, the choice was either 16GB or 32GB of unified memory with 200GB/s of memory bandwidth.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs. M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro: The M4 Pro sits between the M4 and M4 Max chips
The M4 Pro comes in two flavors. The first is a 12-core CPU with eight performance cores and four efficiency cores, along with a 16-core GPU.
The upgraded version has a 14-core CPU with ten performance cores and four efficiency cores, along with a 20-core GPU.
Both have a 16-core Neural Engine and Media Engine.
Memory options for the M4 Pro are also limited, but start at the top 24GB of combined memory, with 48GB as an upgrade option. Memory bandwidth is also much higher, at 273GB/s.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro Benchmark Estimate
There is currently no way to directly test the M4 Pro, so for now we have to trust Apple's claims in its announcement. Apple also doesn't directly state what the improvements are, so we have to extrapolate from other benchmarks to get an approximate level of improvement.
As for the CPU, Apple said in its M4 Pro Mac mini announcement that it would deliver 1.8x the performance of the m1 Pro equivalent, which seems reasonable.
In terms of the GPU, the M4 Pro is “twice as powerful as the M4.” For the M4 Mac mini, Apple said the GPU is 2.2 times more powerful than the M1.
Using these links, we can at least get a rough idea of what the M4 Pro’s performance should be.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs. M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro: Geekbench Single-Core and Multi-Core Score
The M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro with 10 cores scored 2,387 on Geekbench’s single-core test and 12,349 on the multi-core test.
Based on Apple’s 1.8x figure, the M4 Pro should score around 4,300 on the single-core test and over 22,000 on the multi-core test. That sounds like a lot, but keep in mind that we’re talking about a three-generation gap here.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs. M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro: Geekbench Metal Scores
For Metal, the M1 Pro's 67,367 is matched by the M4 Pro's over 140,000.
Remember, this is just a temporary estimate, at least until real-world benchmark results come in.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro – Camera and Audio
The M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro has a 1080p FaceTime HD camera in the notch. By contrast, the M4 Pro uses a 12-megapixel Center Stage camera.
It’s still capable of shooting 1080p video, complete with the use of an advanced image signal processor for improved computational video. It also adds Desk View, an Apple camera feature to show what’s on your desk instead of your face.
As for audio, the M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro has a premium six-speaker sound system with bass cancellation, which the M4 Pro also uses.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs. M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro: Six speakers continue to improve sound quality
Along with wide stereo sound, they also have Spatial Audio support for Dolby Atmos content, both through the speakers and using compatible headphones like AirPods.
If you're an audiophile, both generations have a 3.5mm headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones.
For recording audio, Apple has continued to use the same three-mic array from the M1 Pro to the M4 Pro. These are “studio-quality” mics with a high signal-to-noise ratio and directional beamforming.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs. M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro – Storage, Connectivity, Power
The base configuration of the 14-inch MacBook Pro M1 Pro uses a 512GB SSD with 8GB of storage. While Apple has dropped the 8TB option for the M4 Pro, the other capacities remain the same.
Apple has provided two unified storage options for the M1 Pro model: a base 16GB and a premium 32GB option. For the M4 Pro, you also get two options: a starting 24GB and a maxed-out 48GB.
The physical connectivity options are nearly identical, with one tweak. The M1 Pro had three Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports, while the M4 Pro has three Thunderbolt 5 ports with double the bandwidth.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro: Apple has added Thunderbolt 5 to the M4 Pro MacBook
A MagSafe 3 connection for power, a 3.5mm headphone jack, HDMI, and an SDXC card slot are also available on both generations.
In terms of wireless connectivity, the M1 Pro supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. The M4 Pro has Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, which will be useful if you have the appropriate network infrastructure or accessories to take advantage of them.
In terms of power, the M1 Pro has a 70Wh lithium-polymer battery. The M4 Pro has a slightly higher capacity of 72.4Wh.
Either way, you'll have more than enough battery to get you through the day without worrying about running out of juice.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro Pricing
The base M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro model cost $1,999 at launch.
The new M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro, with a 12-core processor, 16-core GPU, 24GB of memory, and 512GB of storage, also costs $1,999.
If you want the top-of-the-line option with a 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU, it'll cost you an extra $200. Going from 24GB to 48GB will cost you an extra $400.
Increasing storage will cost you $200 to get 1TB, another $400 for 2TB, and another $600 for 4TB.
The nano-texture glass will cost an extra $150.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro – Which One Should You Buy?
It's safe to say that the new 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro will be a very high-performance device compared to the M1 Pro model. Over a few years and a couple of generations, you can see a big difference, and that's evident here.
The better memory options are also welcome, as is the option to choose a Space Black laptop and even a Nano-texture one. However, not much has really changed in Apple's highly sought-after laptop lineup.
We have virtually the same display technology, design, and port selection, if you ignore the move to Thunderbolt 5.
It’s unlikely that owners of the 14-inch MacBook Pro M1 Pro will want to upgrade to the M4 Pro version of the same model. The main idea is to get more performance.
If performance is that important, a potential upgrade would be to consider the M4 Max chips. But even then, they may be enough to justify the move to a new laptop.
What Apple is delivering is continued improvement to an excellent computing base. For those who want a MacBook Pro, the 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 Pro is a very good buy.
M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro vs M1 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro – Where to Buy
Apple's M4 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro is already on sale, with Apple Authorized Reseller Adorama taking $100 to $200 off the laptops with the promo code APINSIDER. The same promo code also gets $30 off a three-year AppleCare plan for the 14-inch laptops.
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