Tim Hardwick
Apple's upcoming entry-level 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro can support up to two external displays with the lid open, while the current M3 model only supports one display, according to recent leaks.
Apple's existing 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro features two Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, down from the three Thunderbolt 4 ports found on the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models based on the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips.
In addition to having fewer USB-C ports, the lack of Thunderbolt 4 support on the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the base M3 chip means it only supports one display with a resolution of up to 6K at 60Hz (or one display with a resolution of up to 4K at 120Hz via HDMI) with the lid open. Currently, the only way to support up to two external displays at the same time is with the lid closed, based on the resolution (up to 6K) and refresh rate (up to 60Hz) of each external display.
However, if we assume that the alleged Russian leaks about Apple’s unannounced 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip are true, then the new M4 variant of Apple’s entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro will feature three Thunderbolt 4 ports, as opposed to the two Thunderbolt 3/USB4 ports found on the current model. This would mean that it could support two external displays with the lid open, instead of one.
While the upgrade from two TB3 ports to three TB4 ports has not yet been confirmed, such a change would better align the entry-level machine’s capabilities with Apple’s more powerful MacBook Pro models.
As a reminder, the M3 Pro supports up to two external displays at up to 6K resolution at 60Hz via Thunderbolt. The M3 Pro-based MacBook Pro models also support one external display at up to 6K at 60Hz via Thunderbolt and one external display at up to 4K at 144Hz via HDMI.
Meanwhile, the M3 Max supports up to four external displays in the following configuration: up to three external displays at 6K at 60Hz via Thunderbolt and one external display at up to 4K at 144Hz via HDMI.
Additionally, the M3 Max MacBook Pro models can support up to three external displays by connecting two displays at 6K at 60Hz via Thunderbolt and one display at up to 8K at 60Hz or one display at 4K at 240Hz via HDMI.
Finally, both the M3 Pro and M3 Max also support native DisplayPort over USB-C and one display at up to 8K at 60Hz or 4K at 240Hz via HDMI.
We should know exactly what the specs of the base 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro are before the end of the month. Apple is expected to announce new iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro models with M4 chips by the end of October, with some of the new Macs rumored to launch on November 1.
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