Apple’s Mac announcement week began on October 28 and all the revelations are now official.
The lineup includes a refreshed iMac with the new M4 chip and updated color options, as well as redesigned accessories (keyboard, mouse, and trackpad) that now feature USB-C ports.
Apple also announced the deployment of Apple Intelligence, its latest powered by artificial intelligence suite of features for iPhone, iPad and Mac. At the same time, Apple revealed a redesigned Mac Mini and the M4 Pro chip.
Everything about the new iMac
The new iMacannounced on October 28, comes with the M4 chip, featuring an 8-core CPU and up to 10-core GPU. If you remember Apple’s iPad announcement earlier this yearThe M4 chip debuted with the iPad Pro (7th generation).
The new iMac now comes with accessories that use USB-C charging ports instead of Lightning. All USB-C ports also support the fastest Thunderbolt 4 standard, which means you can transfer large videos and other files faster. The screen is still a 24-inch panel with 4.5K resolution, but Apple now offers a “nano-textured glass” option for $200 more, designed to reduce reflections and glare.
There are a few other updates as well. Base RAM has doubled to 16GB from the previous model, with the option to go up to 32GB on the top-end version. The new iMac also includes a 12MP webcam and introduces Apple Intelligence features, which are finally rolling out. These include AI-powered writing and editing tools and a redesigned Siri, now powered by ChatGPT.
THE iMac M4 is now available in new colors including green, yellow, orange, pink and purple. Money also remains an option. It’s available for pre-order now, with shipping starting November 8. The entry-level model costs $1,299 and comes with two USB-C ports, while higher-end models start at $1,499 and include four ports.
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Mac Mini also gets an upgrade
As its name suggests, the Mac-Mini is a compact computer capable of handling large workloads. First announced in 2005, it kept the same design until 2010, but Apple finally changed it with the latest model. They shrunk the case, cutting the computer’s volume in half. The new Mini is now a five-inch by five-inch box that measures just two inches tall, while the old model measures 7.75 inches by 7.75 inches and 1.41 inches thick.
The new computer’s main upgrade is the inclusion of Apple’s latest chips, either the M4 or a more powerful version called the M4 Pro. THE M4Mini is equipped with two USB-C ports and a headphone jack on the front. These front USB-C ports support USB 3, with speeds up to 10Gbps.
On the back, you’ll find three USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports (up to 40Gbps), as well as Ethernet and HDMI connections. The top-of-the-line M4 Pro model also features Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, which offers transfer speeds of up to 120Gbps and the ability to connect up to three displays.
The starting price of Mac-Mini remains the same at $599. This base model comes with the M4 chip including 10 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores, along with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. For $799, you can double the SSD to 512GB, while the $999 model bumps the RAM up to 24GB. These are solid prices, something I don’t often say about Apple products.
There’s also a $1,399 Mac Mini model with the new M4 Pro processor, which has a 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU. It also supports up to 64GB of RAM and up to an 8TB SSD.
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The M4 MacBook Pros are here too
Apple also released major updates to the MacBook Pro line, bringing more powerful chips and new features. Announced on October 30, the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros are now powered by Apple’s new M4 series processors – the M4 Pro and the even more premium M4 Max. The base 14-inch model now has an additional USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 port on the right side, as well as a new Space Black color option.
The 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro and M4 Max are the first Mac laptops with Thunderbolt 5 ports, providing faster data transfer and connectivity. They also feature a new 12-megapixel webcam that includes a desktop viewing mode for a wider angle, as well as an optional nano-texture display that can achieve up to 1,000 nits in SDR and 1,600 nits in HDR.
The M4 ProLoaded MacBook Pros start at $1,999 for the 14-inch and $2,499 for the 16-inch, both now upgraded from 18GB of base RAM to 24GB, meaning you get more memory at same price. The entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 still starts at $1,599, but Apple has increased the starting RAM to 16GB (a welcome increase from the previous 8GB). These new MacBook Pros was released in stores on November 8 and pre-orders are already open.
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Kurt’s key point
Apple’s updates to the Mac lineup bring some impressive changes, especially for power users. The new iMacnow powered by the M4 chip, offer serious performance improvements. But if you only use an iMac for general tasks like browsing or light work, you might be better off opting for an older model to save money. The M4 Mac Mini, however, is a great value option with a competitive price and an additional $100 education discount. For those who need even more power, the new M4 MacBook Pros feature M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, with base RAM now starting at 24GB on the Pro models and 16GB on the Apple version. 14-inch entry-level.
Also worth mentioning is Apple Intelligence, which Apple announced last May but is only now rolling out. I’ve tried some of these features, and while I found them useful, they’re not exactly revolutionary.
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