Apple plans a comprehensive refresh of its Mac lineup starting in late 2024 and continuing into 2025, introducing updated M4 chips across the entire range. The Mac Studio, a mid-tier desktop machine, is also expected to receive an M4 chip refresh. Apple has a lineup of M4 chips in development, including the standard M4, the M4 Pro, and M4 Max, as well as a higher-end version that’s codenamed “Hidra.” This higher-end chip could be an “Ultra” version that’s equivalent to the M2 Ultra, or it might even be something even more powerful. The current Mac Studio machines use M2 Max and M2 Ultra chips, so we can expect the M4 models to be equipped with M4 Max and M4 Ultra (or its equivalent) chips. There isn’t a lot of differentiation between the Mac Studio and Mac Pro as of right now, so Apple may be planning for a more powerful M4 Ultra variant for the Mac Pro. Apple is going all-in on artificial intelligence across its product lineup in the coming months, so the M4 is expected to have a focus on boosting AI and machine learning performance. Rumors suggest there will be an updated Neural Engine with a greater number of cores to handle AI tasks. The next Mac Studio and Mac Pro could support as much as 500GB of Unified Memory, up from the current 192GB maximum. While the Mac Studio has not had a design update since its launch in 2022, it is not expected to receive a refreshed look in the near future, with Apple typically waiting several years for major hardware changes.
Apple to Revamp Mac Lineup with M4 Chips in 2024 and Beyond
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