Mark Gurman from Bloomberg reports that Apple, aiming to boost low sales, is preparing to update the entire line of Mac computers and laptops with a new generation of custom processors designed with a focus on artificial intelligence.
The company released Mac computers with M3 chips just five months ago, but is already approaching the next generation, the M4 processors. The new chip will have at least three variations.
Apple plans to release updated computers later this year and continue into early next year. New iMacs, a budget 14" MacBook Pro, high-quality 14" and 16" MacBook Pro, as well as Mac mini will all come with M4 chips, but plans may still change. Apple plans to continue producing Macs with M4 throughout 2025. This includes updates for the 13" and 15" MacBook Air in the spring, Mac Studio around mid-year, and Mac Pro later in 2025.
The M4 chip lineup includes an entry-level version called Donan, more powerful models called Brava, and a top-of-the-line processor code-named Hydra. The company plans to highlight the processing capabilities with artificial intelligence and how they will integrate with the next version of macOS in June at the annual Apple developers conference.
The Donan chip will be available for entry-level MacBook Pro, new MacBook Air, and the budget version of Mac mini, while the Brava chips will work with high-end MacBook Pro and the more expensive version of Mac mini. For Mac Studio, Apple is testing versions with both the unreleased M3 generation processor and a variation of the M4 Brava processor. Apple's most expensive desktop computer, the Mac Pro, will receive the new Hydra chip.
Apple is considering allowing its high-end Mac desktop computers to support up to half a terabyte of memory. Current Mac Studio and Mac Pro models have up to 192 gigabytes — less than previous Apple Mac Pro models that used Intel processors and processed up to 1.5 TB. In Apple's custom processors, the memory is integrated into the chip itself, making it difficult to add.
This year Apple is focusing heavily on new artificial intelligence features. The company plans to introduce a range of new features at the June conference. Most of these features are designed to work on the devices themselves, rather than on remote servers, and faster chips will help implement these enhancements. Apple also plans to update the iPhone processor this year, with a focus on AI.
New Mac computers are being developed following a 27% drop in Mac sales in the last fiscal year, which ended in September. The company's profit from the computer line remained unchanged during the holiday period. In October of last year, Apple tried to breathe new life into the Mac business with M3 processors, but these processors did not bring significant performance improvements compared to M2. Apple is also trying to catch up with competitors in artificial intelligence.
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