For the first time ever, it looks like Apple will update every Mac with an M4 chip, if the rumors are true. There have been a few times where it's been close, but it hasn't happened in at least a decade.
Earlier this fall, Apple unveiled the first Macs with the M4: the MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini. There were a few notable upgrades, including more (and faster) Thunderbolt ports, nanotexture display options, and Center Stage camera updates.
These upgrades covered most of the Mac lineup, leaving just the MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the MacBook Air will get the M4 in the spring, while the Mac Studio and Mac Pro will get it by mid-2025. So, assuming that's the case, every Mac in the lineup will be refreshed.
Historical Mac Refreshes
There haven’t been many times where every Mac in the lineup has stayed updated. We were pretty close with M1, when almost every Mac got it within about 18 months — except for the Mac Pro. In fact, since the Mac Pro gets updated so infrequently, we have to use that as our key indicator.
The last Mac Pro update was in 2023, when it got the M2 Ultra. Most Macs got the M2 family of chips, with the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro starting at WWDC22, the Mac mini and MacBook Pro following in January 2023, and the Mac Studio and Mac Pro finishing at WWDC23. There was no iMac update with M2, though, creating an imperfect cycle.
Going back even further, to 2019, when we first saw the current Mac Pro design, it was another year where Apple refreshed most of the Macs, with the iMac (both sizes) launching early in the year, the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro joining them mid-year, and the all-new 16-inch MacBook Pro and subsequent Mac Pro towards the end of the year.
There was no update to the iMac Pro or Mac mini, however, making 2019 an imperfect cycle once again. Even if you factor in the Mac mini that year, since it was pretty late in 2018, the lack of an iMac Pro update would negate it.
Best comment by jgibson2400
Weirdly worded headline, they didn't update all Macs to the m4 ten years ago.
I really hope this becomes the new normal. It would be nice if there was some predictability in the new models so that buyers didn’t have to read the tea leaves to determine whether it’s the right time to buy a particular model in the lineup.
But I suspect this is more a need to get rid of the M3 than a new normal.
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I could go into more detail, but I’ll keep it short. The last time every Mac was refreshed for 12 months was 2013, when Apple introduced the garbage Mac Pro and refreshed the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini all within a year.
Wrapping Up
So if the rumors are true, the M4 will be the first time in over a decade that Apple has refreshed every single Mac. The MacBook Air looks like it’s just around the corner, as do the Mac Studio and Mac Pro. Let's hope Apple doesn't change their plans and then all will be well.
What do you think of Apple's M4 Mac lineup? Let us know in the comments.
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