While Apple silicon has done great things for the Mac, Apple has yet to settle on a predictable update cycle for its Mac lineup. Along with shifting release schedules, each generation of chips has skipped a model without a clear reason why.
The Mac Pro and high-end Mac mini never got the M1 chip. The iMac completely skipped the M2. And the M3 hasn’t made it to the Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. But a new report claims the M4 will finally put the entire Mac lineup on a level playing field as Apple plans to update its entire catalog with the next-gen chip.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the M4 rollout will begin later this year and continue throughout 2025. Here’s when the new models are expected to arrive:
- Late 2024 (M4): Entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro
- Late 2024 (M4): 24-inch iMac
- Late 2024/Early 2025 (M4 Pro/M4 Max): 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros
- Late 2024/Early 2025 (M4/M4 Pro): Mac mini
- Early 2025 (M4): 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air
- Mid-2025 (M4 Max/M4 Ultra): Mac Studio
- Late 2025 (M4 Ultra): Mac Pro
The schedule here indicates that Apple is looking to establish an annual update pattern for the Mac much like the iPhone and Apple Watch. A late 2024 iMac and MacBook Pro release would be 12 months after the M3 models, while the M4 MacBook Airs would also arrive about a year after the M3 models.
Separating the entry-level MacBook Pro from the higher-end models would be a curious move, though Apple may want to stagger the chips and separate the M4 Pro/Max from the M4 to give the higher-end machines their own spotlight. It also makes sense to separate the Mac Studio from the Mac Pro since they are marketed toward different audiences despite having similar specs.
A report last week claimed that the M4 chip will have an AI focus, which likely means some newer macOS 15 features will require a Mac with an M4 chip. Apple will unveil the newest features of macOS at WWDC in June, but some features could be held back until the new chips are unveiled later this year similar to how Apple handles iPhone releases.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor
Michael Simon has been covering Apple since the iPod was the iWalk. His obsession with technology goes back to his first PC—the IBM Thinkpad with the lift-up keyboard for swapping out the drive. He's still waiting for that to come back in style tbh.