MacRumors

Apple just unveiled the first Mac mini redesign in over a decade. The previous major updates to the device were the transition to Apple silicon in 2020 and the option of a Pro-grade chip in 2023, so how does the latest model compare to its two immediate predecessors?

The new ‌Mac mini‌ looks dramatically different to previous models thanks to a markedly smaller enclosure and two front USB-C ports, but it is also much more powerful thanks to the M4 and M4 Pro chips. All of the hardware differences between the 2020, 2023, and 2024 ‌Mac mini‌ models are detailed below:

‌Mac mini‌ (late 2020)	‌Mac mini‌ (early 2023)	‌Mac mini‌ (late 2024)
Height: 1.41 inches (3.58 cm)	Height: 1.41 inches (3.58 cm)	Height: 2.0 inches (5.0 cm)
Width: 7.75 inches (19.70 cm)	Width: 7.75 inches (19.70 cm)	Width: 5.0 inches (12.7 cm)
Depth: 7.75 inches (19.70 cm)	Depth: 7.75 inches (19.70 cm)	Depth: 5.0 inches (12.7 cm)
Weight: 2.6 pounds (1.18 kg)	Weight (M2): 2.6 pounds (1.18 kg) Weight (M2 Pro): 2.8 pounds (1.28 kg)	Weight (M4): 1.5 pounds (0.67 kg) Weight (M4 Pro): 1.6 pounds (0.73 kg)
Thermal design with rear air intake and exhaust	Thermal design with rear air intake and exhaust	New thermal design that drives air up through the base
Rear power button	Rear power button	Bottom power button
Wi-Fi 6	Wi-Fi 6E	Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth 5.0	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3
3.5mm headphone jack	3.5mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones	3.5mm headphone jack with advanced support for high-impedance headphones
HDMI 2.0	M2: HDMI 2.0 M2 Pro: HDMI 2.1	HDMI 2.1
Two rear USB-A ports	Two rear USB-A ports	Two front USB-C ports
Two Thunderbolt 3/USB4 USB-C ports	M2: Two Thunderbolt 4 ports M2 Pro: Four Thunderbolt 4 ports	M4: Three Thunderbolt 4 ports M4 Pro: Three Thunderbolt 5 ports
Maximum of two external displays	Maximum of three external displays	Maximum of three external displays
256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage	M2: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage M2 Pro: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB storage	M4: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage M4 Pro: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB storage

The chips offered across the three ‌Mac mini‌ generations are a key point of difference. These changes are outlined below:

‌Mac mini‌ (late 2020)	‌Mac mini‌ (early 2023)	‌Mac mini‌ (late 2024)
M1 chip (made with TSMC's 5nm (N5) process)	M2 or ‌M2‌ Pro chip (made with TSMC's enhanced 5nm (N5P) process)	M4 or M4 Pro chip (made with TSMC's enhanced 3nm (N3E) process)
8 CPU cores (4 performance + 4 efficiency)	M2: 8 CPU cores (4 performance + 4 efficiency) M2 Pro: 10 or 12 CPU cores (6 or 8 performance + 4 efficiency)	M4: 10 CPU cores (4 performance + 6 efficiency cores) M4 Pro: 12 or 14 CPU cores (8 or 10 performance + 4 efficiency)
3.23 GHz maximum CPU clock speed	3.50 GHz maximum CPU clock speed	4.30 GHz maximum CPU clock speed
8 GPU cores	M2: 10 GPU cores M2 Pro: 16 or 19 GPU cores	M4: 10 GPU cores M4 Pro: 16 or 20 GPU cores
		Updated GPU architecture with improved efficiency
		Hardware-accelerated ray-tracing
		Dynamic caching
Video decode engine	Higher-bandwidth video decode engine	Higher-bandwidth video decode engine
Hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC	Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW	Hardware-accelerated H.264, HEVC, ProRes, and ProRes RAW
	ProRes encode and decode engine	ProRes encode and decode engine
		Support for AV1 decode
LPDDR4X memory	LPDDR5 memory	LPDDR5X memory
68.25GB/s memory bandwidth	M2: 100GB/s memory bandwidth M2 Pro: 200GB/s memory bandwidth	M4: 120GB/s memory bandwidth M4 Pro: 273GB/s memory bandwidth
8GB or 16GB memory	M2: 8GB, 16GB, or 24GB memory M2 Pro: 16GB or 32GB memory	M4: 16GB, 24GB, or 32GB memory M4 Pro: 24GB, 48GB, or 64GB memory
16-core Neural Engine, 11 trillion operations per second	16-core Neural Engine, 15.8 trillion operations per second	16-core Neural Engine, 38 trillion operations per second
		Dedicated display engine

The M4 and M4 Pro ‌Mac mini‌ represent the most significant update to Apple's compact desktop in years, marking an evolution not only in performance but in design and functionality as well. The new, dramatically smaller enclosure, improved thermal design, and front USB-C ports are standout changes that make the M4 Mac mini much more versatile. For users who prioritize compactness and connectivity without sacrificing power, these design upgrades alone make the 2024 ‌Mac mini‌ an appealing choice.

In terms of performance, the M4 and M4 Pro chips offer substantial advancements. With higher clock speeds, more efficient core architecture, and memory bandwidth improvements, the ‌M4 Mac mini‌ brings noticeable gains in performance over the ‌M1‌ and ‌M2‌ models. The new chips also introduce hardware-accelerated ray-tracing, support for AV1 decoding, and an updated GPU architecture, which are particularly beneficial for users in graphic design, video editing, and other GPU-intensive tasks. Paired with LPDDR5X memory, these upgrades make the ‌Mac mini‌ more competitive than ever, even nearing the capabilities of the Mac Studio for many professional workflows.

For ‌M1‌ ‌Mac mini‌ users, the latest model is a compelling upgrade that delivers tangible improvements in speed, graphics capability, and future-proofing. The leap in Neural Engine performance alone, which now handles 38 trillion operations per second, will significantly enhance AI-driven tasks and applications. Even ‌M2‌ ‌Mac mini‌ users may find the M4 and M4 Pro models tempting, given the design overhaul and even more high-end configuration options.

However, ‌M2‌ Pro users who already have a higher-spec configuration may not find the jump to the latest model as essential, especially if their needs are already being met by their current machine's power and capabilities. For these users, it might be worth waiting for an even more transformative update later down the line.

What is clear is that the M4 and M4 Pro ‌Mac mini‌ provide a noteworthy upgrade for users seeking a high-performance, compact, and cost-effective desktop Mac. The latest generation blurs the line between the ‌Mac mini‌ and ‌Mac Studio‌, delivering substantial power and formidable specifications in a much smaller footprint. It stands out as one of the best-value options for desktop computing in Apple's lineup, making it an excellent choice for many users.

Apple's new MacBook Pro models are available with a nano-texture display option—the first time the option has ever been available on an Apple laptop.

First introduced with the Pro Display XDR in 2019, nano-texture glass is etched at a nanometer scale, which is meant to preserve image quality while scattering ambient light to cut down on glare. It is the most matte display type that Apple makes, and Apple claims that it is useful for high-end, color-managed workflows or demanding ambient lighting environments.

The new MacBook Pro introduces an all-new nano-texture display option that dramatically reduces glare and distractions from reflections. In bright lighting conditions, the new MacBook Pro can now show SDR content at up to 1,000 nits and still displays HDR content at up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness. All together, it’s a game-changing experience for users working outdoors.

Earlier this week, Apple reintroduced the nano-texture display option to the iMac. The MacBook Pro's nano-texture glass is a build-to-order option that costs $150, configurable at the point of purchase. It is now available across the Pro Display XDR, Studio Display, ‌iMac‌, ‌MacBook Pro‌, and iPad Pro.

Apple today shared a 17-minute announcement video on YouTube for the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, which feature M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chip options, Thunderbolt 5 support for higher-end configurations, and more.

To learn more, read our coverage of Apple's announcements for the base 14-inch MacBook Pro and the higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch models.

Apple also shared an ad for the M4 chip, which is shown after the end credits in the full 17-minute announcement video as well:

The new MacBook Pro models are available to pre-order today and launch on Friday, November 8.

Be sure to check out Apple's video announcement for the new iMac and the new Mac mini if you missed those earlier this week.

Apple today in its new MacBook Pro press release announced that the MacBook Air lineup now starts with 16GB of RAM, up from 8GB previously.

This change applies to the 13-inch model with the M2 chip, the 13-inch model with the M3 chip, and the 15-inch model with the M3 chip.

In the U.S., the MacBook Air lineup continues to start at $999, so there is no price increase associated with the boost in RAM.

Apple:

MacBook Air is the world's most popular laptop, and with Apple Intelligence, it's even better. Now, models with M2 and M3 double the starting memory to 16GB, while keeping the starting price at just $999 — a terrific value for the world's best-selling laptop.

In addition, the highest-end MacBook Air configurations now include 24GB of RAM at no extra cost, as part of a corresponding lineup adjustment.

This increase comes after Apple announced new iMac, Mac mini, and base 14-inch MacBook Pro models this week with a minimum of 16GB of RAM as well, ending the 8GB of RAM era for the Mac after years of criticism from a vocal contingent.

No other changes beyond RAM were announced for the MacBook Air today.

The latest 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M3 chip were released in March, and new models with the M4 chip are expected in March again next year.

Apple today announced the M4 Max chip alongside new MacBook Pro models—its most advanced and powerful Apple silicon chip to date.

Like the M4 chip introduced in the iPad Pro and the M4 Pro chip unveiled yesterday in the redesigned Mac mini, the M4 Max chips are fabricated with TSMC's enhanced 3nm (N3E) process. Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Technologies Johny Srouji said:

Apple silicon has taken the Mac to unprecedented heights, and the rapid pace of innovation continues with M4 Pro and M4 Max. With the world's fastest CPU core, immensely more powerful GPUs, and the fastest Neural Engine ever, the power-efficient performance and capabilities of the M4 family extend its lead as the most advanced lineup of chips in the industry.

The M4 Max's 16-core CPU contains 12 performance cores and four efficiency cores, making it 2.2x faster than the M1 Max. The GPU contains up to 40 cores for performance up to 1.9x faster than the ‌M1 Max‌. The M4 Max supports up to 128GB of unified memory with up to 546GB/s of memory bandwidth. The chip also contains an enhanced Media Engine with two video encode engines and two ProRes accelerators. Like the M4 Pro chip, the M4 Max supports Thunderbolt 5 with up to 120Gb/s data transfer capability.

Apple also today drew attention to the M4 and M4 Pro chip, with the M4 Max completing the new chip lineup. Apple's new MacBook Pro models are available with either the M4, M4 Pro, or M4 Max chips, depending on the model and configuration.

Apple today announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models featuring M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, alongside a new entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the M4 chip.

The new M4 Pro and M4 Max machines come with a minimum of 24GB of Unified Memory as standard, up from 18GB in the previous models. Both models feature three Thunderbolt 5 ports, the newest specification of Thunderbolt that offers speeds of up to 120 Gb/s with Bandwidth Boost, which is triple the maximum bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4.

The new standard also features support for native DisplayPort 2.1 output over USB‑C. Thunderbolt 5 is fully compatible with USB4, and supports advanced protocols such as PCIe 4.0, allowing faster data access speeds for storage devices and peripherals.

M4 Pro features a 14-core CPU with 10 performance cores and four efficiency cores, along with up to a 20-core GPU that is twice as powerful as M4, according to Apple. With M4 Pro, the new MacBook Pro offers a 75% increase in memory bandwidth over the prior generation. The new MacBook Pro with M4 Pro is also up to 3x faster than models with M1 Pro, says Apple.

The M4 Max model features up to a 16-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU, over half a terabyte per second of unified memory bandwidth, and a Neural Engine that is over 3x faster than M1 Max. With M4 Max, MacBook Pro delivers up to 3.5x the performance of M1 Max, according to Apple. The M4 Max also supports up to 128GB of unified memory.

All models include an improved Liquid Retina XDR display thanks to an all-new nano-texture display option, offering up to 1000 nits of brightness for SDR content. There's also a new 12MP Center Stage camera, which Apple says delivers enhanced video quality in challenging lighting conditions. The new camera also supports Desk View, which shows both your face and the desk immediately below. On the 14-inch MacBook Pro, the M4 Pro model offers up to 22 hours of battery life, while the M4 Max model offers up to 18 hours. For the 16-inch MacBook Pro, users opting for the M4 Pro can get up to 24 hours of battery life, while the M4 Max offers up to 21 hours.

All MacBook Pro models feature an HDMI port that supports up to 8K resolution. The M4 Pro model is able to support up to three 6K displays at 60Hz over Thunderbolt or HDMI, an improvement over the previous M3 Pro model. Apple's M4 Pro chip alternatively supports one display at 6K resolution over 60Hz and a second display at 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 240Hz.

Meanwhile, the M4 Max model supports up to three external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI, or up to two external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or one external display with 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI.

In addition, both models come with a SDXC card slot, a MagSafe 3 port for charging, and a headphone jack, along with support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

"MacBook Pro is an incredibly powerful tool that millions of people use to do their life's best work, and today we're making it even better," said John Ternus, Apple's senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. "With the powerful M4 family of chips, and packed with pro features like Thunderbolt 5, an advanced 12MP Center Stage camera, an all-new nano-texture display option, and Apple Intelligence, the new MacBook Pro continues to be, by far, the world’s best pro laptop."

Like their predecessors, the new MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max are available in space black and silver colors. The new MacBooks are available to pre-order starting today, and they will be available beginning Friday, November 8. In the US, pricing starts at $1,599 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, and $2,499 for the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

Alongside higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, Apple today announced a handful of upgrades for the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro, including the standard M4 chip, a minimum of 16GB of RAM instead of 8GB, an additional Thunderbolt port, a Space Black color option, and more.

In the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, the M4 chip is available with a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, and it has a 16-core Neural Engine for Apple Intelligence. For the 10-core CPU, there are four performance cores and six efficiency cores. Memory bandwidth has increased to 120 GB/s for this model, up from 100 GB/s previously.

Apple already introduced the M4 chip in the iPad Pro earlier this year, and in the new iMac and Mac mini models this week. Geekbench 6 benchmark results showed the M4 chip is up to 25% faster than the M3 chip in the iPad Pro, and performance improvements should be similar for Macs with the M4 chip compared to previous models with the M3 chip.

Just like the new iMac, the base model 14-inch MacBook Pro now comes with a minimum of 16GB of RAM, compared to 8GB for previous models. The base model is now available with up to 32GB of RAM, up from the previous 24GB limit.

Storage capacity options remain 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB.

The base-model 14-inch MacBook Pro is now equipped with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, whereas the previous model has two Thunderbolt 3 ports. The laptop now supports up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution, even when the lid is open.

The base-model 14-inch MacBook Pro can now be configured with a nano-texture display, which has a special coating that better scatters light to further minimize glare on the screen. And the base model's display brightness has also increased from 600 nits to 1,000 nits for standard non-HDR content in outdoor environments, according to Apple's tech specs.

The base model also gets an upgraded 12-megapixel camera with Center Stage support to keep you centered in the frame, and a Desk View feature can show others your face and an overhead view of your desk at the same time.

Apple says the MacBook Pro now offers up to 24 hours of battery life for "video streaming," the "longest ever in a Mac."

Apple has made the darker Space Black finish available for the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro this year, alongside Silver. Space Black was previously exclusive to 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models configured with M3 Pro or M3 Max chips.

The base model 14-inch MacBook Pro has no major external design changes, and some specs are the same as the previous model, such as Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. In addition to three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port and an SD card slot remain.

Apple says the new MacBook Pro models are available to pre-order starting today, and they will launch in many countries on Friday, November 8. In the U.S., the base 14-inch MacBook Pro continues to start at $1,599.

Proton today released its native Apple TV app, allowing users to access VPN services directly on their Apple TV following tvOS 17's introduction of built-in VPN support last year. The company has also announced compatibility with Apple Vision Pro.

The new tvOS app enables users to connect to ProtonVPN's network of over 8,500 servers across 112 countries, providing access to geo-restricted content while maintaining privacy from internet service providers. The interface has been specifically designed for television screens, according to the company, and features larger icons and remote control optimization for comfortable viewing on a television.

David Peterson, general manager of ProtonVPN, noted that the Apple TV app was "one of the most expected and requested features" from their community. The service promises 4K streaming capabilities without buffering or throttling.

The app is available to subscribers with paid plans, including Proton VPN Plus, Proton Unlimited, and Proton Visionary. Users can download the app directly from the App Store on their Apple TV.

In 2023, Apple updated the Mac Studio with the M2 Max and ‌M2‌ Ultra chips. Apple has now refreshed the Mac mini with the M4 and M4 Pro chips, meaning that the ‌Mac Studio‌ faces a formidable competitor that offers "Pro" capabilities at a substantially lower price point.

There are now two desktop Macs and four Apple silicon chip options for users who do not need the expandability of the Mac Pro. The ‌Mac Studio‌ starts at $1,999, overshadowing the $599 starting price of the M4 Mac mini and even the $1,399 starting price of the M4 Pro ‌Mac mini‌, so do you need the performance of the ‌Mac Studio‌, or is the humble ‌Mac mini‌ sufficient for your needs? Our guide helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two desktop Macs is best for you.

The ‌Mac mini‌ and the ‌Mac Studio‌ share some fundamental features, including a familiar, boxy silver aluminum design, two front-facing USB-C ports along with HDMI and ethernet on the rear, and Apple silicon chipsets. That being said, the two machines have much more in contrast than they do in common, including different chip options, memory capacities, ports, and external display support capabilities.

‌Mac mini‌ (2024)	‌Mac Studio‌ (2023)
M4 or M4 Pro chip (made with TSMC's enhanced 3nm (N3E) process)	‌M2‌ Max or ‌M2‌ Ultra chip (made with TSMC's enhanced 5nm (N5P) process)
4.30 GHz maximum CPU clock speed	3.50 GHz maximum CPU clock speed
M4: 10-core CPU (4 perform­ance cores + 6 efficiency cores) M4 Pro: 12- or 14-core CPU (8 or 10 perform­ance cores + 4 efficiency cores)	M2 Max: 12-core CPU (8 performance cores + 4 efficiency cores) M2 Ultra: 24-core CPU (16 performance cores + 8 efficiency cores)
M4: 10-core GPU M4 Pro: 16- or 20‑core GPU	M2 Max: 30- or 38-core GPU M2 Ultra: 60‑ or 76-core GPU
Updated GPU architecture with improved efficiency
Hardware-accelerated ray-tracing
Dynamic caching
LPDDR5X memory	LPDDR5 memory
M4: 120GB/s memory bandwidth M4 Pro: 273GB/s memory bandwidth	M2 Max: 400GB/s memory bandwidth M2 Ultra: 800GB/s memory bandwidth
M4: 16GB, 24GB, or 32GB unified memory M4 Pro: 24GB, 48GB, or 64GB unified memory	M2 Max: 32GB, 64GB, or 96GB unified memory M2 Ultra: 64GB, 128GB, or 192GB unified memory
M4: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB storage M4 Pro: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB storage	M2 Max: 512GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB storage M2 Ultra: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, or 8TB storage
16-core Neural Engine, 38 trillion operations per second	M2 Max: 16-core Neural Engine, 15.8 trillion operations per second M2 Ultra: 32-core Neural Engine, 31.6 trillion operations per second
Video decode engine, video encode engine, and ProRes encode and decode engine	M2 Max: Video decode engine, two video encode engines, and two ProRes encode and decode engines M2 Ultra: Two video decode engines, four video encode engines, and four ProRes encode and decode engines
AV1 decode
Dedicated display engine
Support for up to three external displays	M2 Max: Support for up to five external displays M2 Ultra: Support for up to eight external displays
M4: Three rear Thunderbolt 4 ports M4 Pro: Three rear Thunderbolt 5 ports	Four rear Thunderbolt 4 ports
Two front USB-C ports	M2 Max: Two front USB-C ports M2 Ultra: Two front Thunderbolt 4 ports
	Two rear USB-A ports
Gigabit Ethernet or 10Gb Ethernet port	10Gb Ethernet port
	SDXC card slot (UHS-II)
Bottom power button	Rear power button
M4: Starts at $599 M4 Pro: Starts at $1,399	M2 Max: Starts at $1,999 M2 Ultra: Starts at $3,999

Following the ‌Mac mini‌'s redesign this year, the dimensions of the two devices are now radically different, with the ‌Mac Studio‌ dwarfing the ‌Mac mini‌ in every way.

	‌Mac mini‌	‌Mac Studio‌
Height	2.0 inches (5.0 cm)	3.7 inches (9.5 cm)
Width	5.0 inches (12.7 cm)	7.7 inches (19.7 cm)
Depth	5.0 inches (12.7 cm)	7.7 inches (19.7 cm)
Weight	M4: 1.5 pounds (0.67 kg) M4 Pro: 1.6 pounds (0.73 kg)	M2 Max: 5.9 pounds (2.7 kg) M2 Ultra: 7.9 pounds (3.6 kg)

To some extent, purchasing decisions should be driven by budget, but it is worth bearing in mind that any savings on the desktop computer itself can be put toward a good external display such as Apple's Studio Display, which starts from $1,599. For example, an M4 Pro ‌Mac mini‌ paired with a Studio Display comes to $2,898, which is just $899 more than a lone base model ‌Mac Studio‌ and $1,101 less than the ‌M2‌ Ultra ‌Mac Studio‌ with no display.

You should only consider the ‌Mac Studio‌ if you have a professional workflow that can leverage the extreme power of the ‌M2‌ Max or ‌M2‌ Ultra, as well as its additional ports and memory options. If you need the ‌Mac Studio‌, you will likely know that you are looking for a highly powerful machine that is capable of supporting specific intense workflows. Most customers should choose the M4 Pro ‌Mac mini‌ over the ‌M2‌ Max ‌Mac Studio‌, saving $700 when looking at the base models. There will likely still be substantial savings when it comes to custom configurations.

The ‌Mac mini‌ is also a better choice for most users at the current time since its chip technology is two generations ahead of the ‌Mac Studio‌, offering higher clock speeds, much faster single-core performance, a redesigned GPU architecture, AV1 decode, a markedly more powerful Neural Engine, and more. As a result, those looking to buy an ‌M2‌ Max ‌Mac Studio‌ may be better served by the M4 Pro ‌Mac mini‌. Those who can take advantage of the performance of the ‌M2‌ Ultra ‌Mac Studio‌ may still be better off with that high-end machine.

Apple promised three Mac-related product announcements this week, and it has delivered on two of them so far with the new iMac on Monday and the redesigned Mac mini on Tuesday. The final announcement today is expected to be updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips.

Below, we outline what to expect from the new MacBook Pro models.

14-Inch MacBook Pro With M4 Chip

• A minimum of 16GB of RAM (up from 8GB for the current base model), as already seen with the new iMac and Mac mini
• Three Thunderbolt 4 ports (up from two Thunderbolt 3 ports on the current base model)
• Support for two external displays with up to 6K resolution, even when the lid is open
• Space Black color option (previously exclusive to M3 Pro and M3 Max models)
• No major design changes are expected

14-Inch and 16-Inch MacBook Pro With M4 Pro and M4 Max Chips

• The already-announced M4 Pro chip has up to a 14-core CPU and up to a 20-core GPU
• A minimum of 24GB of RAM is expected for 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M4 Pro chip
• Thunderbolt 5 support is likely for up to 120 Gb/s data transfer speeds
• No major design changes are expected

Both the new iMac and Mac mini were announced at 11 a.m. Eastern Time over the past two days, so expect the new MacBook Pro models to be unveiled then too.

Amazon this week has a few solid deals on popular Apple accessories, including the Apple Pencil Pro, M4 iPad Pro Magic Keyboards, and MagSafe Charger. There's also a new best-ever price on the Orange AirPods Max with USB-C at $62 off, available only on Amazon.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

AirPods Max

Apple's AirPods Max with USB-C have hit a new all-time low price on Amazon this week, available for $487.00, down from $549.00. The only color available at this price is Orange, and it beats the Prime Day price by about $11.

Apple Pencil

Starting with the Apple Pencil Pro, you can get this accessory for $92.99, down from $129.00. This is just $3 higher compared to the record low Prime Day price we saw earlier in the month. Amazon also has the USB-C Apple Pencil available for $69.00, down from $79.00.

Magic Keyboards

Moving to the new 2024 Magic Keyboards for iPad Pro, you can get the 11-inch model in Black for $249.99, down from $299.00. This is a new all-time low price on this version of the accessory, and it beats the previous low price by about $10.

Amazon also has the 13-inch M4 iPad Pro Magic Keyboard on sale, available for $279.99 in both colors, down from $349.00. This is another record low price on the Magic Keyboard, and you'll find similar delivery estimates of early November for this model.

MagSafe Charger

This week, you can get both of the new MagSafe Chargers for all-time low prices on Amazon. The 1-meter model is available for $28.00 and the 2-meter model is available for $36.00, down from $49.00.

The new MagSafe Chargers provide overall faster charging speeds with compatible iPhone models. When paired with a 30W power adapter, iPhone 16 models can charge at up to 25W wirelessly over MagSafe, which is 10W faster than a regular non-MagSafe Qi2 wireless charger.

If you're on the hunt for more discounts, be sure to visit our Apple Deals roundup where we recap the best Apple-related bargains of the past week.

Deals Newsletter

Interested in hearing more about top deals as we head into the holidays? Sign up for our Deals Newsletter and we'll keep you updated so you don't miss the biggest deals of the season!

Samsung is considering introducing a new premium smartphone brand that would exist alongside or even replace its iconic "Galaxy" branding, according to Korean publication E-Today.

The potential rebranding initiative reportedly aims to differentiate Samsung's high-end devices from its budget offerings. Currently, the company's broad use of "Galaxy" spans from entry-level Galaxy A and M series phones priced around $100-200 to premium Galaxy S flagships and Galaxy Z foldables that can cost upwards of $1,800.

Industry analysts suggest the wide price range under a single brand may dilute the premium perception of Samsung's high-end devices. The belief is that when consumers associate the Galaxy name with budget-friendly options, it becomes more challenging for Samsung to position its flagship devices as direct competitors to Apple's iPhone in the premium segment.

In comments made at CES 2024 in January, Samsung's global marketing head, Lee Young-hee, hinted at the potential branding strategy: "Galaxy has so many lineups that I understand people are expecting a new name when there is an innovative turning point," said Lee.

What Samsung considers an innovative turning point is unclear, but such an initiative would involve significant marketing costs. The news comes as the company faces increasing competition from Apple in the premium segment, especially among younger consumers. For example, a recent Gallup Korea survey revealed that 64% of South Korean consumers in their 20s use iPhones, with that figure rising to 75% among women in the same age group.

Industry observers have compared the potential strategy to Hyundai's successful Genesis luxury brand launch. Introduced in 2015, Genesis reached one million global sales by August 2023 and helped elevate Hyundai's brand image and profitability. Samsung has not revealed any specific alternative brand names, but it is reportedly conducting internal studies to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of introducing a new premium brand.

Apple has reportedly designed a new AI-based system that will summarize reviews in the App Store to highlight the most common customer feedback for users before they download an app.

According an unlisted App Store article seen by 9to5Mac, AI-generated summaries will appear on app product pages alongside existing elements like descriptions and screenshots. The summaries will be dynamically updated as new reviews are posted to ensure feedback remains current, similar to the feature Amazon recently adopted to summarize reams of customer reviews on its product listings.

According to Apple, apps will need to reach a certain threshold of reviews before becoming eligible for the feature, which will initially launch in select regions. Meanwhile, in an effort to maintain accuracy, developers will have the ability to report summaries they believe misrepresent their apps.

The feature appears to be part of Apple's broader push into AI-powered features, following the recent introduction of text and notification summarization capabilities in iOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1. Apple hasn't announced when review summaries will go live, but their presence in the App Store API suggests a launch may be imminent.

Popular AI coding tool Copilot is now available for Xcode as part of a public preview, GitHub announced today. Apple developers can use Copilot for coding assistance directly in Xcode, which GitHub says will help developers boost productivity, speed up development, and enhance their overall coding experience.

GitHub Copilot for Xcode offers multiple useful features.

• Code completions with real-time code suggestions.
• Multi-language support, including Swift and Objective-C.
• Multiline suggestions for code.
• Content filtering to ensure all code recommendations adhere to professional standards.
• Option to block suggestions matching public code.

Xcode users who have a Copilot license can use Copilot for Xcode by installing the Copilot extension. As of right now, the feature is available in a preview capacity and GitHub is soliciting feedback from developers.

Copilot is priced starting at $10 per month or $100 per year.

The Memory Saver feature in the Chrome browser for desktop now features three different modes, including Standard, Balanced, and Advanced. Memory Saver is aimed at speeding up browser performance by limiting the memory that inactive tabs are using.

Standard mode deactivates tabs based on your computer's needs, while Balanced mode considers both browsing habits and the needs of the system. Advanced mode deactivates tabs more quickly after you stop using them. You can select a Memory Saver mode by going to the Settings menu in Chrome and choosing the Performance option.

Google has also added a Performance Detection tool to Chrome. The tool is able to identify potential performance issues that you might have, offering up solutions on how to fix the problem.

To speed up a tab you're using, for example, Google says Chrome will suggest deactivating tabs using extra resources. Chrome users will see a "Performance issue alert" notification, and clicking on the included "Fix now" option will improve browsing. Performance Detection can be disabled in Settings.

Chrome has additional performance controls that can be used to set websites that should always remain active, such as those that need to complete tasks in the background, plus there's an option to turn off visual indicators for inactive tabs.

In today's Mac mini announcement video, Apple showed off some new capabilities that are coming to the Final Cut Pro video editing software in the future.

Final Cut Pro will soon incorporate AI for generating captions for videos without having to use additional software. Current versions of Final Cut Pro allow you to import captions from another app, use a plug-in, or write them yourself, but soon the software will generate them natively.

The mention of the Final Cut Pro capability is at about 3:50 in the announcement video below.

Apple didn't highlight any other features coming to Final Cut Pro, but there was a short clip of the caption option that also suggests that a new "Magnetic Mask" function is coming, as well as a mention of AI effects.

The 2024 FCP Creative Summit is set to take place in November, and it's likely that we'll hear about new AI features coming to Final Cut Pro at the event.

Apple today released a new firmware update for all AirPods 4 models. The ‌AirPods 4‌ firmware has a build number of 7B19, up from the previous 7A304 firmware that came out in September.

There is no word yet on what's included in the new ‌AirPods 4‌ firmware, but it is available for both the standard ‌AirPods 4‌ and the ‌AirPods 4‌ with ANC. This is the second firmware update that the ‌AirPods 4‌ have received since they launched earlier this year.

Apple recently updated the AirPods Pro 2 to add Hearing Health capabilities like a hearing test, hearing protection, and hearing aid functionality. The ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 also run the 7B19 firmware, but hearing aid functionality will not be included in the ‌AirPods 4‌.

Apple doesn't have a way to manually upgrade AirPods software, but firmware is generally installed over-the-air when the AirPods are in a charging case and connected to an iOS device or Mac.

Apple today introduced a redesigned Mac mini with M4 and M4 Pro chip options, and the computer provides two clues about RAM amounts for the next 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, which are expected to be announced tomorrow.

First, just like the new iMac, the base-model Mac mini with the M4 chip starts with 16GB of RAM, which is double the 8GB of RAM included in the equivalent previous-generation model. As has already been rumored and leaked, it now looks almost certain that the next base-model 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip will start with 16GB of RAM too. Given that a vocal contingent of Mac fans have long criticized Apple for including only 8GB of RAM with some Macs, the increased 16GB minimum would be a long-awaited change.

Second, all higher-end Mac mini configurations with the M4 Pro chip start with 24GB of RAM, and this upgrade will likely extend to the incoming 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M4 Pro chip. The current MacBook Pro models with the M3 Pro chip start with 18GB of RAM, so this would amount to a 6GB increase for the new models. The increased unified memory can benefit multitasking and Apple Intelligence performance.

Apple has yet to announce the M4 Max, so it is unclear how much RAM that chip will support.

All of this information will likely be confirmed in less than 24 hours.