Apple does not want to miss the AI train and is preparing M4 processors boosted with artificial intelligence for its next devices.
Apple is reportedly preparing to renew its entire Mac range this year. According to information from Bloomberg, all new machines will be equipped with a new generation chip, from the M4 family. Four different versions of the chip are reportedly in development, with significant AI improvements over the M3 chips.
Four different M4 chips
The base Apple M4, codenamed Donan, will be the entry-level proposition. It will be found in the least powerful Mac mini, the MacBook Air, as well as in the least muscular configuration of the 14-inch MacBook Pro.
The M4 Pro, called Brava internally, will be included in more efficient versions of the Mac mini and MacBook Pro. A variant of Brava, probably marketed under the name M4 Max, should power the Mac Studio.
Finally, an even more powerful processor, codenamed Hidra and which could be the M4 Ultra, is planned for the Mac Pro. The technical specifications and AI capabilities of the M4 are not detailed in the report. Bloombergbut we could find out more soon during WWDC24, which begins on June 10.
Availability between late 2024 and early 2025, depending on models
According to media sources, the entry into production of the first M4 chips should not take long. We can expect the release of new MacBook Pro, Mac mini and iMac in the fall of 2024. The renewal of the MacBook Air, Mac Studio and Mac Pro would wait until next year, in 2025, but the schedule ‘Apple is not set in stone.
We also learn that Apple’s higher-end computers will be able to have a greater amount of maximum RAM. Currently, the limit is set at 192 GB for Mac Studio and Mac Pro under Apple M2 Ultra, this could be increased to 512 GB with the M4 Ultra. Machine learning and training AI models require enormous memory resources.
Source : Bloomberg
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