Apple has once again revolutionized personal computing with the introduction of the new MacBook Pro, now equipped with the powerful M4 family of chips and enhanced by the innovative Apple Intelligence. This latest iteration promises significant improvements in performance, efficiency, and user experience, making it a standout choice for professionals and creatives alike.
The new MacBook Pro features the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips, built on industry-leading second-generation 3-nanometer technology. These chips offer the fastest CPU cores ever in a Mac, delivering the best single-threaded performance in the industry and significantly faster multi-threaded performance. Here’s a closer look at each chip in the M4 family:
- M4 Chip: Boasts a 10-core CPU with four performance cores and six efficiency cores, alongside a 10-core GPU. This setup provides up to 1.8x faster CPU performance and up to 2x faster GPU performance compared to the M1.
- M4 Pro Chip: Features up to 20 cores, making it the world’s fastest CPU core with unparalleled single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. The GPU enhancements and 2x faster ray-tracing engine deliver incredible graphics performance.
- M4 Max Chip: The top-of-the-line option, providing even more powerful performance for the most demanding tasks, such as video editing, 3D rendering, and complex data processing.
Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system integrated into the new MacBook Pro, transforms how users work, communicate, and express themselves while protecting their privacy. Some key features include:
- Writing Tools: Helps users rewrite, proofread, and summarize text in various apps, including Mail, Messages, Notes, and Pages. These tools offer grammar and sentence structure suggestions and allow users to adjust the tone of their text.
- Enhanced Siri: Now smarter and more capable, with improved natural language understanding, multimodal input (text and voice), and onscreen awareness. Siri can answer questions about Apple features and settings and maintain context across multiple requests.
- Photo and Video Search: Users can search for specific photos and videos by describing their content, and the new Clean Up tool allows for removing unwanted background objects from photos without affecting the main subject.
The new MacBook Pro introduces Thunderbolt 5, providing faster data transfer speeds and enhanced flexibility across peripherals. This feature, coupled with the support for up to three external displays and a larger 2TB SSD on the M4 Pro and M4 Max models, makes the MacBook Pro a versatile and powerful tool for a wide range of professional applications.
Apple continues to prioritize sustainability with the new MacBook Pro. It is built with over 50% recycled materials and manufactured using 100% renewable energy. This commitment to reducing its environmental footprint makes the MacBook Pro an eco-friendly choice without compromising performance or design.
The new MacBook Pro is available for pre-order starting at $1,999 (approximately R36,000) for the M4 model, with the M4 Pro and M4 Max models available at higher price points. The official release date is November 8, 2024, giving consumers plenty of time to explore the latest features and decide which model best suits their needs.
