Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reports that Apple, in an effort to boost low computer sales, is preparing to update its entire line of Mac computers and laptops with a new generation of its own processors designed with an emphasis on artificial intelligence.
The company released Macs with M3 chips only five months ago, but is already approaching the next generation, the M4 processors. The new chip will have at least three modifications.
Apple plans to release the updated computers at the end of this year and continue early next year. New iMacs, an inexpensive 14″ MacBook Pro, high-end 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro, and Mac mini — all with M4 chips, but plans are still subject to change. Apple plans to continue producing Macs on M4 through 2025. This includes updates for the 13″ and 15″ MacBook Air by spring, Mac Studio around mid-year, and Mac Pro later in 2025.
The M4 chip lineup includes an entry-level version called Donan, more powerful models called Brava, and a top-of-the-line processor codenamed Hidra. The company plans to highlight the components’ AI processing capabilities and how they will integrate with the next version of macOS in June at the annual Apple developers’ conference.
The Donan chip will be available for the entry-level MacBook Pro, the new MacBook Air, and the low-cost Mac mini, while the Brava chips will work with the high-end MacBook Pro and the more expensive Mac mini. For Mac Studio, Apple is testing versions with both the yet-to-be-released M3 generation processor and a variation of the M4 Brava processor. Apple’s most expensive desktop computer, the Mac Pro, will receive a new Hidra chip.
Apple is considering allowing its top-end Mac desktops to support up to half a terabyte of memory. The current Mac Studio and Mac Pro have up to 192 gigabytes, which is less than the previous Mac Pro from Apple, which used an Intel processor and processed up to 1.5 TB. In Apple’s own processors, memory is integrated into the chip itself, making it difficult to add more memory.
This year, Apple is focusing on new artificial intelligence features. The company plans to present a number of new features at the June conference. Most of these features are designed to run on the devices themselves, not on remote servers, and faster chips will help implement these improvements. Apple also plans to update the iPhone processor this year, with a focus on AI.
New Mac computers are being developed after Mac sales fell by 27% in the last fiscal year, which ended in September. During the holiday period, the company’s revenue from the computer line remained unchanged. In October last year, Apple tried to breathe new life into the Mac business with M3 processorsbut these processors did not bring significant performance improvements over the M2. Apple is also trying to catch up with competitors in the field of artificial intelligence.