Apple's supply chain is beginning mass production of next-generation 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips in August, according to Taiwanese industry publication DigiTimes. With only a few days remaining in the month, that means that assembly of the laptops has more likely than not already begun.
This information aligns with display industry analyst Ross Young claiming that display shipments for the next 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are underway.
In a May edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said "you should expect M4 Pro and M4 Max chips later this year as part of the high-end MacBook Pro." He also expects Apple to release three new Macs with the standard M4 chip later this year, including a lower-end 14-inch MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini.
October is a common month for Apple to announce new Macs, including the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M3, M3 Pro, and M3 Max chips last October. If that pattern repeats itself, the next 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips are likely around two months away from launching.
The standard M4 chip already debuted in the iPad Pro earlier this year, and Geekbench results showed it provided up to 25% faster multi-core CPU performance compared to the M3 chip. Likewise, moderate year-over-year performance and power efficiency improvements can be expected from the M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.
No major design changes are expected for the next MacBook Pro models, with an OLED display in particular likely still a few years away for the laptops. Gurman said Apple is also planning to make the MacBook Pro thinner at some point "over the next couple of years."
Apple's last Mac-focused event was held on October 30, 2023, and there is certainly potential for another October event this year.
