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The MacBook Pro is finally getting the processor it deserves. Sure, Apple’s powerhouse almost always has the best and brightest of Apple’s Silicon lineup, but after iPad Pro was blessed with the M4 while the MacBook Pro line was still stuck in M3 territory, something seemed out of sync.

That ends today with the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, both of which not only get new 3-nanometer M4 processors, but also a pair of new and even higher-performing flavors: the new M4 Pro and M4 Max.

As is usually the case, only the 14-inch MacBook Pro will support the now entry-level M4 processor. Both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models will be offered in configurations that include the more powerful M4 Pro and M4 Max.

M4 Max pushes the limits of performance possibilities with up to 16-core CPU, up to 40-core GPU and support for up to 128GB of unified memory. The MacBook Pro M4 gains an additional Thunderbolt 4 port, bringing the total to three.

Both the MacBook Pro M4 Pro and the new MacBook Pro M4 Max support Thunderbolt 5 for a throughput of 120 Gbps. And like the Mac mini M4 and the new one iMac M4The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 starts with 16GB of RAM, and the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 will start with 24GB of RAM.

Familiar aspects

Apart from this tantalizing performance, there are only a few important feature changes. No, not the design, as these MacBook Pros look almost identical to their predecessors. However, they now have the new 12MP Centerstage camera, which uses framed portions of an ultra-wide lens to track you so you’re never out of frame during a video call.

Both laptops still have a Liquid Retina XDR display, but Apple now offers a nanotexture display coating (also found on the new M4 iMac) that helps diffuse direct light and makes the MacBook Pro M4 a better work partner outdoor. The new ability to push 1,000 nits with SDR content can also give you a boost in direct sunlight. You can still get up to 1,600 nits with HDR content, and they can also connect to two high-resolution displays simultaneously.

Despite the M4’s extra power, Apple is now promising up to 24 hours of battery life. It’s not clear what activity would provide that longevity, though it’s likely video playback rather than heavy video and 3D playback tasks. Simply put, your mileage may vary.

While I didn’t get my hands on these new systems, I did see one in action, editing a 3D image of a race car in the Substance 3D Viewer. In it, I changed the color of the car from black to red and the rims from black to a shiny gold. Even though the 400 MB image was made of millions of vertices, the changes were completed in seconds.

I saw some too console-level gaming on the MacBook Prowho skillfully ran 505 games’ Control. There were visible real-time reflections in the water and a spectacular explosion when I dropped what might have been a bomb into a furnace.

As with other MacBooks running Apple Silicon, these new MacBook Pros will run Apple Intelligence, compatible with whatever version of Apple’s brand of Generative AI is available at the time of delivery.

The 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 starts at $1,599 / £1,599 / $2,499 with a 10-core processor, 10-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro starts at $2,499 / £2,499 / $3,999 with a 14-core processor, 20-core GPU, 24GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 is configurable up to a 14-core processor, a 32-core GPU, 36GB of RAM and 1TB of storage for $3,199 / £3,199 / $4,999. The 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 is configurable up to a 16-core processor, a 40-core GPU, 48GB of RAM and 1TB of storage for $3,999 / £3,999 / $6,499.

Both sizes of MacBook Pro are available in silver and space black and are available for pre-order starting today (October 30). Ships November 8th.

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