Apple MacBook Pro M4 Review: Apple’s Silicon King Hits a New High

2024-11-11 16:17

Specs: A Silicon Powerhouse

Let’s start with the raw numbers. Here’s what Apple is packing under the hood:

Apple’s latest MacBook Pro lineup, unveiled in October 2024, introduces the M4 family of chips—M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max—delivering significant performance enhancements and features.

Design and Display

The MacBook Pro is available in 14-inch and 16-inch models, now offered in Space Black and Silver finishes. Both models feature a Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion technology, supporting adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz. The display achieves up to 1,000 nits of sustained full-screen brightness and 1,600 nits of peak brightness for HDR content. An optional nano-texture glass is available to reduce screen glare.

Performance and Chips

The M4 chip lineup offers increasingly higher levels of performance:

M4 Chip: 10-core CPU (4 performance cores, 6 efficiency cores) and 10-core GPU, supporting up to 32GB of unified memory with 120GB/s memory bandwidth.
M4 Pro Chip: Up to 14-core CPU (10 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores) and 20-core GPU, supporting up to 64GB of unified memory with 273GB/s memory bandwidth.
M4 Max Chip: Up to 16-core CPU (12 performance cores, 4 efficiency cores) and 40-core GPU, supporting up to 128GB of unified memory with 546GB/s memory bandwidth.

These configurations cater to a range of professional workflows, from content creation to data analysis.

Connectivity and Ports

The M4 MacBook Pro models include:

Three Thunderbolt ports (Thunderbolt 4 on M4; Thunderbolt 5 on M4 Pro and M4 Max models) HDMI port SDXC card slot 3.5 mm headphone jack MagSafe 3 charging port

Thunderbolt 5 offers data transfer speeds up to 120Gb/s, enhancing connectivity for high-performance peripherals.

Camera and Audio

The MacBook Pro features a 12MP Center Stage camera, ensuring users remain centered during video calls. The audio system includes a six-speaker setup with force-cancelling woofers, delivering wide stereo sound and support for Spatial Audio when playing music or video with Dolby Atmos.

Battery Life

Apple claims up to 24 hours of battery life for video playback on the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro, with the 16-inch models offering similar longevity, depending on the configuration.

Pricing and Availability

The 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,599 for the M4 model, with higher configurations available at increased prices. The 16-inch models start at $2,499. Pre-orders began on October 30, 2024, with availability starting November 8, 2024.

These updates position the MacBook Pro as a robust tool for professionals seeking high performance and advanced features in a portable form factor.

Performance: Blazing Fast but Overkill?

The M4 chip is a monster. In real-world tests, it’s 20% faster than the M3 Pro in CPU tasks and boasts a 30% GPU performance boost. For professionals juggling 8K video editing, complex 3D modeling, or running machine learning algorithms, this laptop laughs in the face of workloads that would cripple lesser machines.

But here’s the kicker—if you’re not a creative pro or power user, the M4’s firepower is massive overkill. For your average user, it’s like buying a Ferrari to drive down the street for groceries.

Pros Performance Supremacy
The M4 obliterates everything in its path. Multitasking is seamless, and high-intensity workloads feel like a breeze. Battery Life for Days
Apple somehow squeezed more juice out of this beast. You could fly from New York to Tokyo and still have battery left for a Netflix binge. Display Excellence
The Liquid Retina XDR display continues to be a stunner, with deep blacks, vibrant colors, and buttery-smooth ProMotion for creatives and gamers alike. Build Quality & Design
Sleek, minimalist, and robust. The aluminum unibody is premium as always, and the return of MagSafe? Chef’s kiss. Silent Killer
Thanks to the efficiency of the M4 chip, this laptop stays cool and whisper-quiet, even under heavy loads. Cons Price Tag
Apple’s premium pricing strikes again. Starting at over two grand, this isn’t a laptop for the faint of wallet. Max out the specs, and you’re flirting with $6,000 territory. Weight
The 16-inch model is hefty. While it’s not a dealbreaker, you’ll feel it in your backpack on long commutes. Software Ecosystem Quirks
macOS still isn’t fully optimized for gaming, even with the M4’s graphical prowess. Developers are slowly warming to Apple Silicon, but the gaming library remains lackluster compared to Windows. Repairability
Apple keeps doubling down on its right-to-repair resistance. Good luck swapping out that SSD or upgrading RAM—oh wait, you can’t. Incremental Design Updates
The M4 may be a powerhouse, but it’s wrapped in the same design we’ve seen for the past few iterations. Familiarity is nice, but some might call it stale. Verdict: A New Benchmark, but for Who?

The MacBook Pro M4 is undeniably the most powerful laptop Apple has ever made, setting new standards in performance, battery life, and display quality. But do its pricing and excess power make it a niche product?

If you’re a creative pro, software developer, or someone whose work involves heavy-duty tasks, the M4 is a no-brainer. For everyone else? Stick with the M3 or even the MacBook Air M2—it’s more than enough for daily tasks without the hit to your bank account.

Rating: 4.5/5

Apple knows its audience, and with the M4, it’s catering to the high-performance crowd. Just don’t mistake it for a casual laptop. This thing is fast in its base model. Get the Pro or the Max and you’ll feel like you’re capable of time travel.

Neon lights fade as the MacBook Pro M4 powers through another endless 8K render. Troy Miller, out.

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