After the iPhone 16 series officially launched globally, Apple is shifting its focus to refreshing its Mac lineup.
Apple is expected to announce a series of new products this week, focusing on the introduction of the M4 chip, designed to enhance artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities across the entire Mac lineup.
Apple's new product line could launch in the early morning of October 29.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple's new product lineup this week will include a new 24-inch iMac, two redesigned Mac minis, and upgraded versions of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros. Specifically, the iMac will use the basic M4 chip, while the Mac mini will have M4 and M4 Pro options. The MacBook Pro will be equipped with higher-performance M4 versions.
First introduced with the iPad Pro in May, the M4 chip promises a significant jump in performance, especially in AI-related tasks and gaming. The M4's neural engine is capable of 38 trillion operations per second (TOPS), up from 18 TOPS on the M3 chip and putting the M4's performance on par with the Snapdragon X Elite chip in the latest Windows PCs.
MacBook Pro M4 is the most anticipated name.
Graphics performance will also be improved on the M4, with the Mac mini expected to get ray tracing for the first time, which will bring more realistic visuals and shadow effects to gamers. While Apple's game library is still not as robust as that of Windows PCs, these improvements show the company's efforts to attract more gamers to the Mac ecosystem.
Another major update is that all Mac models will likely come with a minimum of 16GB of RAM, up from 8GB in previous models. Additionally, the new Mac mini could feature a more compact physical design, roughly the size of an Apple TV set-top box, with two ports on the front and additional ports on the back. Gurman said the new design is “the most impressive Mac ever” due to its combination of size and power.
Apple guests will have the opportunity to experience a series of new devices on October 30.
Apple is also changing its launch strategy this time around. Instead of holding a big event, the company invited a handful of media and creators to a hands-on experience in Los Angeles on Wednesday, suggesting that the new products will be introduced over several days, expected to last from Monday to Wednesday, with each day announcing a new device before the press conference.