In his Power On newsletter, Mark Gurman reiterates that new Mac models with the M4 chip are still on track to launch later this year, although there is one interesting new detail. Gurman also adds that MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro will receive their M4 updates in 2025.
Apple last updated the MacBook Pro and iMac models last October at its “Scary Fast” event, introducing M3 chips across the board. MacBook Pro received a new Space Black finish, as well as a cheaper entry-level model that replaced the old 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. The 24-inch iMac stayed mostly the same, although the included Magic Mouse, Magic Trackpad, and Magic Keyboard did not transition to USB-C. Those accessories unfortunately still use Lightning.
With a new update coming to these models this fall, Gurman doesn’t expect much other than the introduction of new M4 chips. The M4 chip first debuted in the iPad Pro back in May, with no Mac models receiving the new chip yet. Since the iMac still uses Lightning accessories, I’d also guess that we’ll see USB-C accessories in the box of the 24-inch iMac model with M4 later this year.
Gurman also says that we’ll see a Mac mini update later this year, which is a bit more interesting. The Mac mini skipped the M3 series of chips, and was last updated in January 2023. Back with that refresh they introduced a new model of Mac mini with the M2 Pro chip, but other than that it was a light refresh.
In this newsletter, Gurman mentions one interesting new detail:
Though the M4 overhaul will mostly focus on making the computers more powerful, there’s at least one Mac model that will get more dramatic changes.
Since the transition to Apple Silicon, Apple has given a fresh new look to most of its Mac lineup. The MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and iMac have all received new designs. The only models that haven’t received a redesign are the Mac Pro and Mac mini.
Top comment by Bruce Turner
I've been happily using an early 2013 macbook pro that I bought as refurbished in 2017. Ĥd Google will no long support Google Drive for this OS - and that app is an important part of my work flow. My laptop is not eligible for any more OS upgrades. Thus, my machine will shortly become a proverbial "brick." I am doubly resentful about this because I am retired and on a fixed income, and this is not a good time for me to be plunking down serious money for a new machine. I am in the midst of writing a book in my field and don't relish the annoyance of acclimating to a new computer either. Nonetheless, I have just ordered a refurb M3 max, hoping that it will be sometime before I again get the rug pulled out from under me by Apple and/or Google. I cannot do without a fully functional computer.
Apple last refreshed the Mac Pro in 2022, and it reused the same design as the 2019 Mac Pro. This was a perplexing decision to a lot of people, given the fact that the 2019 Mac Pro was focused on modularity and upgradability, whereas Apple Silicon prevents a large amount of that. The 2019 Mac Pro chassis is clearly not ideal for Apple Silicon, as it is largely empty.
As for the Mac mini, the design has remained mostly unchanged since 2010. Since the introduction in 2010, it’s lost the DVD drive and Apple changed most of the ports, but its always remained a 7.7 inch aluminum square.
Most likely, one of these models will end up getting the “dramatic changes” that Gurman mentions, although it’s possible that it could be something else. After all, next year will be 4 years since Apple redesigned the MacBook Pro, and there tends to be a 4-5 year redesign cycle for that laptop.
Are you looking forward to M4 refreshes of Mac models? Is there a particular Mac you’d like to see a revamp with? We’ve included a poll below, but also feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!
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