Apple is expected to hold another Apple event later this month with potential updates to various Mac and iPad models. One of those updates will be the MacBook Pro, which is expected to receive a number of small but significant changes. The new MacBook Pro will reportedly be in the hands of customers starting November 1.
Faster M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max Chips
Obviously, with the new MacBook Pro set, we're also getting a new set of chips – And that remains true with the upcoming MacBook Pro. We’ll see the M4 chip that originally debuted in the iPad Pro earlier this year, alongside the more expensive M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.
The M4 chip has a 10-core CPU, up from the M3’s 8 cores. We could potentially see similar core count increases in the M4 Pro and M4 Max, though there are no specific leaks for the more expensive M4 chips. The M4 is about 20-25% faster than the M3.
More Unified Memory
Previous Bloomberg reports indicated that all M4 Macs would start with at least 16GB of RAM, according to information found in developer logs. The base model M4 MacBook Pro will start with 16GB of RAM, expandable to 32GB. Previously, M3 models started with 8GB, with the ability to expand to 16GB or 24GB.
The M3 Pro currently starts with 18GB of unified memory, while the M3 Max starts with 36GB. While there's no direct confirmation, the M4 Pro and M4 Max will likely also come with additional unified memory, possibly 24GB on the M4 Pro and 48GB on the M4 Max.
Three Thunderbolt ports on all models
According to leaked packaging information, the base M4 MacBook Pro will likely come with three Thunderbolt ports on all models. Previously, the base model of the M3 MacBook Pro line only had two Thunderbolt ports, with both of them on the left side.
Space Black on All Models
According to the same packaging leak referenced earlier, it is also likely that the base model M4 MacBook Pro will come in Space Black, rather than Space Gray like the current model.
The current base model M3 MacBook Pro is likely coming in Space Gray, as it was set to launch before the M3 Pro and M3 Max models. We know this because the M3 MacBook Pros ran the older macOS Ventura operating system out of the box, while the M3 Pro and M3 Max models ran the latest macOS Sonoma.
Wrapping Up
Are you excited about the new MacBook Pros? The base model sounds like a very attractive proposition with 16GB of storage and Space Black. Let us know in the comments below.
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