Apple plans to overhaul its entire Mac lineup with AI-focused M4 chips

Apple Inc., aiming to boost sluggish computer sales, is preparing to overhaul its entire Mac lineup with a series of new in-house processors designed to highlight artificial intelligence.

According to people familiar with the matter, the company released the first batch of Macs equipped with M3 chips five months ago and is now close to producing the next-generation M4 processor. The new chip will come in at least three major versions, and Apple hopes to use it to update every Mac model, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans have not yet been announced.

The new Mac launches at a crucial time. After peaking in 2022, Mac sales fell 27% in the last fiscal year that ended in September. Revenue in the computer product line was flat during the holidays. Apple tried to breathe new life into the Mac business last October with an M3-focused launch event, but the chips didn’t deliver significant performance improvements over last year’s M2.

Apple is also playing catch-up in the field of artificial intelligence, where it is considered to be lagging behind Microsoft, Alphabet’s Google and other technology peers. The new chips are part of a broader effort to incorporate artificial intelligence capabilities into all of its products.

Apple plans to release updated computers starting late this year and going into early next year. There will be new iMacs, low-end 14-inch MacBook Pros, high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, and Mac minis—all powered by M4 chips. But the company’s plans may change. An Apple spokesman declined to comment.

Apple shares rose 4.3% to $175.04 in New York on Thursday, the largest one-day rise in 11 months. As of Wednesday’s close, the stock had fallen 13% this year.

The move marks a rapid refresh schedule for the iMac and MacBook Pro, as both product lines were just refreshed in October. Mac mini was last upgraded in January 2023.

Apple then plans to launch more M4 Macs in 2025. These include a spring update for the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air, a mid-year update for the Mac Studio, and a later 2025 update for the Mac Pro. The MacBook Air was equipped with an M3 chip last month, while the Mac Studio and Mac Pro were updated with M2 processors last year.

The M4 chip family includes an entry-level version called Donan, a more powerful model called Brava, and a high-end processor codenamed Hidra. The company plans to highlight the AI processing capabilities of these components and how they will be integrated with the next version of macOS, which will be announced in June at Apple’s annual developer conference.

Donan chips will be used in entry-level MacBook Pros, the new MacBook Air, and low-end Mac minis, while Brava chips will run high-end MacBook Pros and higher-priced Mac minis. For Mac Studio, Apple is testing versions using as-yet-unreleased M3 era chips and M4 Brava processor variants.

The Mac Pro, Apple’s highest-end desktop computer, will be equipped with the new Hidra chip. The Mac Pro remains the lower-selling model in the company’s computer line, but it has a loyal following. After some customers complained about the specs of Apple’s internal chips, the company plans to beef up the machine’s performance next year.

As part of the upgrade, Apple is considering allowing its highest-end Mac desktops to support up to 0.5 TB of memory. The current Mac Studio and Mac Pro have capacities of up to 192 GB, which is far less than Apple’s previous Mac Pro, which used Intel processors. Early machines used off-the-shelf memory, and could later add and handle up to 1.5 TB of memory. With Apple’s in-house chips, memory is more deeply integrated into the main processor, making it harder to add more memory.

Apple’s focus this year is on adding new artificial intelligence features to its products. The company plans to preview a slew of new features at its developer conference in June. Most of these features are designed to run on the device itself, rather than on a remote server, and faster chips will help drive these enhancements. Apple also plans to upgrade this year’s iPhone processors with a focus on artificial intelligence.

The company’s move to using in-house chips is part of a long-term plan called Apple Silicon. The tech giant started using its own semiconductors in the original iPad and iPhone 4 in 2010 before bringing the technology to Macs in 2020. The goal is to better unify its hardware and software with underlying components and move away from Intel-made processors.

So far, the effort has been successful, helping to improve performance and simplify the redesign of devices like the latest MacBook Air, iMac, and MacBook Pro. Apple’s Mac chips are based on the same Arm Holdings Plc infrastructure as the processors in iPhones and iPads, allowing for thinner products, longer battery life and less need for cooling fans.