Apple’s M4 Family Of Chipsets To Bring On-Device AI Capabilities To MacBooks Later This Year: Report

Apple is gearing up to reveal M4-powered MacBook models later this year. Given the poor sales of the M3 MacBook lineup, the company is betting on M4’s on-device AI processing capabilities to make the lineup successful. Like every time, we could see different M4 models powering an array of high-performance and lightweight notebooks with excellent battery life, great performance, and gorgeous screens.

Apple’s M4 Chips Codenames

The latest report by Bloombger’s Mark Gurman reveals some crucial details about the M4 series. For instance, the family of chipsets will contain three models. The entry-level M4 chips codenamed “Donan.” On the other hand, the mid-tier M4 chip carries the codename “Brava.” The top-tier M4 chip is “Hidra.” There seems to be no correlation between the codenames.

However, to speculate on the chips’ real names, they could be the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Ultra. Since the company will pivot its focus toward on-device AI processing, there’s a good chance it could follow a different nomenclature.

Apple’s M4 MacBook Lineup Explained

The regular M4 chip, or Donan, could power the entry-level MacBook Pro models, along with the MacBook Air variants and the Mac Mini. The mid-tier Brava chipset could power the better MacBook Pro models with a cooling fan. It could feature more processing and graphics core to provide better performance.

Further, Brava’s Neural Engine could also feature more cores than Donan’s, giving it an edge over the lower-specced MacBook Pro lineup. The higher trims of Mac Minis and Mac Studio could also feature the Brava chip. Last but not least, the Hidra chip could power the Mac Pro.

The Bloomberg report mentions that “The Mac Pro remains the lower-selling model in the company’s computer lineup, but it has a vocal fan base. After some customers complained about the specifications of Apple’s in-house chips, the company is looking to beef up that machine next year.”

Apple M4 MacBook Release Schedule

The report mentions that Apple wants to release the updated computers, which will be “beginning late this year and extending into early next year.”

First, we could see a new 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 (or Donan) chip. The higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models could also get an update with the M4 Pro or the Brava chip. In addition, Apple could also refresh the Mac Mini along with the other products.

Next year, the company will release new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M4 or Donan chip. While that should happen by Spring 2025, the Cupertino-based tech giant could unveil a new Mac Studio based on Donan.

Finally, we could see the Mac Pro with an M4 Ultra or Hidra chip by late next year, making it the most powerful machine powered by the new processor lineup. This particular machine could also feature up to 512GB of Unified Memory, the highest on a Mac Pro to date.

M4 Chips To Feature On-Device AI Capabilities

Apple’s biggest bet with the M4-powered MacBooks remains on on-device AI processing. Although the use cases or applications of the AI-based features are unknown at the moment, Apple could give us a peak at those during the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), where the company is also expected to reveal the AI magic in iOS 18.

For those catching up, Apple’s WWDC 2024 will take place from June 10 to 14, 2024. The conference will kick off with a special in-person event at Apple Park on June 10, 2024.

“Free for all developers, WWDC24 will spotlight the latest iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS advancements,” the company mentions in its official blog post. Notice how the statement contains macOS, implying that we could see the new AI-based features in action at the event.

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