We’re now almost exactly halfway through 2024 – and rather than look back at the charred remains of our new year’s resolutions, we’d prefer to review what’s happened in the world of Apple‘s MacBooks. And also what’s potentially coming in the next six months.
If you’re in the market for a new laptop, you may be wondering whether it’s a good time to buy a new MacBook Air, or if you’re better off waiting for a potential M4 refresh. Well, we’ve put together this guide to help you answer these questions and decide which is the best MacBook for you.
Read to find out what Apple’s already launched in 2024 and what the rumor mill is predicting we could see before the year is out – for Mac fans, it sounds like there’s plenty to look forward to…
MacBooks in 2024: what’s launched so far this year?
This year has been fairly quiet (so far) when it comes to MacBook launches. We’ve only seen two new models hit the main stage: the 13-inch MacBook Air and its 15-inch sibling.
Both of these were released at the same time in March and came with Apple’s latest M3 chip inside. These were very minor updates, with the new chip being pretty much the only change of note.
Still, that doesn’t mean that neither of these laptops are worth your time – quite the opposite, in fact. Our Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) review stated in no uncertain terms that “the best laptop in the world just got better”. Our Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M3) review similarly gave that model a five-star billing and praised its superb performance, solid design and long-lasting battery life.
If you’ve been waiting to see a brand-new MacBook Pro this year, though, you’ve been out of luck. Apple hasn’t launched any pro-level laptops in 2024 – although as we’ll see shortly, that is expected to change in the next few months.
MacBooks in 2024: what launches are we expecting during the rest of the year?
While Apple sometimes launches new MacBook Air models early in the year (as it did in 2024), the same is not usually true for the MacBook Pro. Instead, Apple tends to release new MacBook Pro models at the tail end of the year, often in the fall.
There’s a good chance that pattern could repeat itself in 2024. According to Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple plans to launch new MacBook Pro models “between the end of 2024 and early 2025.” While we don’t know for sure whether they’ll be squeezed in before the end of December, Apple has a habit of updating the MacBook Pro late in the year, so we think there’s a good chance it will come to pass.
What can we expect from these new MacBook Pros? The main point of note will be the inclusion of the new M4 chip, which has already landed in the iPad Pro. We also think there might be some slight adjustments to the connectivity options, perhaps with faster speeds offered or more Thunderbolt ports on show. Beyond that, though, we don’t expect to see much else, with almost all of the attention focused on the M4 chip.
Last year, Apple launched every mainstream variant of the M3 chip (that is, the M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max) at the same time, and it’s possible that the same thing could happen again in 2024. That said, don’t be surprised if we only see entry-level M4 MacBook Pro models launch this year and have to wait until 2025 for the M4 Pro and M4 Max editions, returning to the staggered plan we’ve seen in the past.
Either way, it’s a fast turnaround for a device that was only upgraded in 2023, but it makes sense. Apple’s upcoming macOS Sequoia operating system is going heavy on artificial intelligence (AI) features, and it’s thought that the new M4 chip will help power these new tools when it comes to the MacBook Pro. That could be a key selling point and something the M3 versions wouldn’t be as adept at in comparison.
MacBooks in 2024: what won’t launch this year?
Looking beyond 2024, there are a few more MacBooks on the horizon. Primarily, we expect updates to both sizes of the MacBook Air, most likely in early-to-mid 2025.
That’s because certain leakers and analysts – such as Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman – have asserted that Apple plans to get its entire Mac range on the M4 chip. Gurman also claims the company is mulling annual upgrades for its Macs. With those two pieces of information in hand, it suggests that the MacBook Air could get the M4 chip sooner rather than later.
Beyond that, a MacBook Pro refresh later in 2025 is possible, but we can’t say whether it’s likely yet. While we can understand the MacBook Air getting a swift upgrade, that move would be to get it in line with other MacBooks that had previously been moved on to the M4. In the case of the MacBook Pro, it would be incorporating a new chip – the M5 – rather than playing catch up. That means there’s a degree of uncertainty over whether the MacBook Pro will get a 2025 revamp.
Then again, if Apple presses ahead with this apparent plan to upgrade its Macs every year, a new MacBook Pro in 2025 is a distinct possibility. Only time will tell.
MacBooks in 2024: what are Apple’s other Mac plans?
MacBooks are not the only computers Apple plans to update this year. According to Mark Gurman, the company wants its entire Mac line to be on the M4 chip, including the iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro, representing the first time a new chip will come to every Mac that Apple makes. Previously, products like the iMac and Mac Pro have occasionally missed out.
Looking further ahead, there are allegedly plans for an OLED MacBook Pro, and Apple also wants to make its MacBook Pros even thinner (following on from the iPad Pro’s example). We shouldn’t expect the former until 2025 at the very earliest, though, while the thinner MacBook Pro is unlikely to land before 2026.
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alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake)
