Apple updated most of their Macs during their October event which lasted over three days. As their piece de resistance, they unveil the newly updated MacBook Pro. Design-wise, nothing changed, but Apple introduced new powerful mobile chips such as the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max. The M4 Max is now the most powerful chip in the entire lineup.
One such novelty is Apple introducing the base chip, the M4 for the MacBook Pro, a device that is meant for professionals. This decision did not make sense when Apple introduced it on the M3 MacBook Pro, but it made a lot of sense on the M4 generation.
M4 Performance in Apple Silicon
The M4, Apple’s lastest entry-level chip for laptops and desktops has seen performance improvements that go beyond leaps and bounds.
Based on CPU performance, the base M3 is on par with M3 Pro and M2 Max. This means that for $1,599, you will get the same CPU performance as a $2,899 laptop just two years ago.
Graphic-wise, M3 Pros and even M2 Pros of yesteryears still beat the base M4, but if your workflow is not using that much graphics, the M4 got you covered as low as $1,599.
A few of the reasons why this happens are not only because of the manufacturing improvements in building the chip, but Apple designed the chip to be more performance-orientated while maintaining a strict power budget of around 10 watts. Yes, this is the same M4 that needs to run on a fanless iPad Pro and MacBook Air.
With a starting memory of 16GB, the entry-level M4 MacBook Pro is a compelling choice.
Conclusion
When Apple put the M3 in the MacBook Pro body, it does not make sense to many. The processor was powerful, but not that powerful to match M3 Pro’s performance. And 8GB starting memory hobbles many workflows that intend to be used by professionals. Of course, Apple plans are measured in years, so it all begins to make sense now. This is an example of Apple long term thinking.
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| Base | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| iPhones | iPhone 16 / iPhone 16 Plus - (Amazon) | iPhone 16 Pro / iPhone 16 Pro Max - (Amazon) |
| Watch | Apple Watch SE (Amazon) / Apple Watch Series 10 | Apple Watch Ultra 2 (Amazon) |
| AirPods | AirPods 4 (Amazon) | AirPods Pro 2 (Amazon) / AirPods Max (Amazon) |
| iPad | iPad 10 (Amazon) / iPad Mini (Amazon) | iPad Air M2 (Amazon) / iPad Pro M4 (Amazon) |
| Laptops | MacBook Air M3 (Amazon) | MacBook Pro M3 (Amazon) / MacBook Pro M3 Pro/Max (Amazon) |
| Desktop | Mac Mini (Amazon) / iMac (Amazon) | Mac Studio / Mac Pro |
| Displays | Studio Display (Amazon) | Pro Display XDR (Amazon) |
Other Ecosystem Items