For what appears to be the first time in ages, Apple is set to refresh its entire Mac lineup with the anticipated M4 chip, assuming the rumors are accurate. There have been several instances where this seemed imminent, but it hasn’t occurred in the last ten years.
Last week, Apple unveiled its initial M4-equipped Macs: the MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini. These models feature significant enhancements, such as additional and quicker Thunderbolt ports, options for nano-texture displays, and improvements to the Center Stage camera.
The recent updates encompassed most of the Mac range, with the exceptions being the MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro. As reported by Mark Gurman from Bloomberg.
The MacBook Air is expected to get an M4 chip in the spring, while both the Mac Studio and Mac Pro are slated for upgrades by mid-2025. If these timelines remain accurate, all models in the lineup will be current.
Updates to Mac models throughout history
It’s rare for every Mac model to be updated simultaneously. The M1 launch came close, with nearly all Macs being upgraded within about 18 months, except for the Mac Pro. Since the Mac Pro is updated so infrequently, it serves as our primary reference point.
The last update for the Mac Pro occurred in 2023 when it was equipped with the M2 Ultra chip. Most other Macs transitioned to the M2 series of processors, starting with the MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro at WWDC22, followed by updates to the Mac mini and another MacBook Pro in January 2023, and concluding with updates for the Mac Studio and Mac Pro at WWDC23.
Notably absent from this cycle was an iMac refresh featuring M2 chips, which disrupted a seamless update pattern. Looking back even further to 2019, we first saw the current design of the Mac Pro that year as well; it was a time when Apple refreshed many Macs too—starting with both sizes of iMac early in that year, followed by mid-year updates for the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, culminating in new releases for the 16-inch MacBook Pro and later on for the refreshed Mac Pro towards year-end.
Nonetheless, the absence of a refresh for both the iMac Pro and Mac mini once again rendered 2019 an incomplete cycle. Even if one were to include the Mac mini from that year, which was released late in 2018, the missing update for the iMac Pro would still undermine that consideration.
I could delve deeper into this topic, but I’ll keep it concise. The last instance when every Mac received an update within a rolling 12-month timeframe was in 2013, when Apple launched the trashcan Mac Pro and simultaneously refreshed the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini within that year.
Conclude
If the rumors turn out to be accurate, the M4 will mark the first occasion in more than ten years that Apple updates its entire Mac range. It looks like the MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro are all but confirmed for this refresh. Fingers crossed that Apple sticks to its schedule, and everything should go smoothly.