Apple Will Reportedly Release New M4 Macs and iPads in October, Marking the Beginning of the AI Era in Macs

At its latest event on Sept. 9, Apple presented the iPhone 16, the Apple Watch Series 10, and the AirPods 4. If everything goes according to the usual Apple launch schedule, the company’s upcoming releases will include Macs with the M4 chip and updates to the iPad lineup. The upcoming product launches and schedule were recently confirmed by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

Why it matters. The news will interest anyone looking to update their Mac. Most importantly, it represents the introduction of the M4 chip to Apple computers for the first time. During the unveiling of the latest iPad Pro in May, the company mentioned that the M4 is the first Apple chip designed with AI capabilities, which makes its release all the more important.

Additionally, experts expect the M4 to deliver significant performance improvements.

Key points:

• Apple is reportedly planning an October event to announce the new products.
• The Mac M4s are projected to offer up to 1.5 times the performance of the two-generation-old M2 Macs.
• We anticipate that the company will include new AI features similar to those demonstrated with the iPhone 16 lineup, along with what Apple already announced at the 2024 WWDC with macOS Sequoia.
• Some iPad models will also reportedly receive upgrades, but not all.

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What to expect:

MacBook Pro:

• New 14-inch model featuring an M4 chip.
• High-end 14- and 16-inch versions with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.

iMac:

• Upgrade to M4 chip, but no redesign or new sizes.

Mac mini:

• Redesign to make it much more compact, similar to the Apple TV.
• Both M4 and M4 Pro versions.
• Elimination of USB-A ports.

iPad mini:

• A new generation with a more powerful chip, presumably the A17 Pro.
• Improvements in cameras, screen, and connectivity.

Standard iPad:

• Possible internal overhaul with no major external design changes.

In theory, the remaining models (MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro) won’t get a refresh until 2025, when they’ll also include the M4 chip.

The big question. What specific features will Apple introduce to fully embrace the AI era, if it does at all? Microsoft has made Copilot ubiquitous in Windows and even added a dedicated physical key for it on new computers. It’s also introduced the Copilot+ certification.

The rumored upgrades for Macs and iPads are mainly focused on increasing raw power and adapting hardware for AI functions. It’s yet to be seen if additional features will be added, but these upgrades are significant, to say the least.

Image | Amal Saikrishna (via Unsplash)

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