Ben Harnwell 
In the week of announcements here are the ones most people have been waiting for. Read our take on the 2024 iMac here.
We got a new Mac Mini (emphasis on the mini this time) and it’s got some awesome improvements. We also get our first look at the new M4 Pro chip, which again has jumped forward from the previous generation.
We also get to see the updated MacBook Pro, again with both the M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips.
Mac Mini
Starting with the biggest (smallest) part of this announcement is the size. Apple has shrunk their smallest computer into a tiny 5 by 5 inches. That is literally an insanely small form factor. Especially when you can cram a M4 Pro chip into the tiny box…
The other changes are the port locations, and improved cooling. So let’s dive in.
Form Factor
The Mac Mini has kept its basic form for many years, with some minor changes here and there it has been a staple look and feel for some time. For Apple to make changes it had to be different and daring. Which, I guess they have.
Reducing this already tiny computer to 5 by 5 inches is simply amazing. They managed to cram in not only the logic board (basically the computer) but the power supply as well. The two layer profile (logic board on the bottom and power supply at the top) makes the new Mac Mini taller but its footprint now rivals the Apple TV.
The technology in cooling is amazing, with airflow coming in and out of the base. The new thermal architecture pulls cool air from the front and directs it over the key components before expelling the hot air out the back of the device.
Ports and Connections
Although smaller, Apple has maintained the connections for the Mac Mini. With the addition of 2 front Thunderbolt USB-C and headphone jack improves the usability of this device. The rear has plenty of use as well with 3 Thunderbolt USB-C, HDMI, Gigabit ethernet (available up to 10 Gigabit) and power cord.
The M4 Pro device upgrades to Thunderbolt 5, offering a staggering 120Gb/s transfer speed… that is a whole other level of ability to use and transfer data externally.
You will certainly not want for connections, with bluetooth 5.3 and WiFi 6E available you have all the bases covered.
M4 or M4 Pro
This was our first look at the M4 Pro chip. The Mac Mini starts with the M4 – which is the same found in the iMac, see the earlier review, nothing new for that but good to see the Memory starting at 16 GB at base carried forward.
It’s with the M4 Pro and we start to see the full potential of these new chips.
The M4 Pro has increased the core across both CPU and GPU, when compared to the M3 Pro. Starting with 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU, upgradeable to 14-core CPU and 20-core GPU, it’s clear these chips are no slouches.
The base Memory has also increased to 24 GB, upgradeable to a whopping 64 GB. I don’t see a case for most users to go beyond 24 GB but it is there if you need it (and you’ll know if you do).
Storage
This is again where Apple is behind the times. While it is pleasing again to see an increase in Memory the base M4 comes with 256 GB and the M4 Pro starts with 512 Gb. You can get up to 2 TB for the base M4 or 8 TB for the M4 Pro.
Although the 5 Thunderbolt USB-C ports do allow for more options to connect external drives, and they will have high speed access, it is a concern for future proofing, and many will need to spend more to increase the internal storage.
MacBook Pro
With the new MacBook Pro we see the addition of the M4 Max chip. The Max is available as a 14-core CPU and 32-core GPU up to a massive 16-core CPU and 40-core GPU. This continues to be the powerhouse of the Mac line up with many benchmarks seemingly beating the Mac Studio desktop.
Form Factor
The big change here is to the base M4 line-up of MacBook Pros. The colours are matched with Silver and Space Black being offered, and the missing USB-C is added making the difference visually between the M4 and M4 Pro MacBook Pro identical.
However, like the Mac Mini the M4 version has Thunderbolt 4 ports whereas the higher spec Pro and Max get Thunderbolt 5.
Ports and Connections
As mentioned above the 3 Thunderbolt 4/5 USB-C ports are joined with Magsafe charger, SDXC card reader, headphone jack and HDMI. With Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3, the MacBook Pro is well served with connections and connect-ability.
You can drive up to two high-definition displays with up to four on the Max chip along with the internal display, there is enough real estate to get any tasks done.
Display
We retain the 1600 nit peak brightness for HDR content and gain SDR to 1000 nits in bright light. Making the screen more usable in high light environments like outdoors. With low light dimming to 1 nit this screen will be useful in a dark room without blowing your eyes out.
There is little else to say for the screens in Apple laptops, and the Pros are always the best of the best. Like the iMac you can add a Nano-texture display to reduce glare.
Mic, Camera and Speakers
While the dynamic island is here to stay the camera has been updated to a 12 Megapixel with Centre Stage and Desk View, again similar to the iMac.
The mic is similar to previous generations and the 6-speaker sounds system is unchanged, but still the benchmark to compare other laptops.
Battery
Apple quotes 24-hour battery life and once again the same performance on or off power. A workday of use is increased to several days on one charge (obviously depending on the use!).
MacBook Air
Although no update to the CPU, the complete lineup of MacBook Airs will start with 16 GB of memory. An obvious indication that the new Apple Intelligence will need the memory to work best.
Conclusion
Apple spread these announcements out over 3 days with highly produced and very engaging videos. The line up has something for everyone, from desktop, to on the go and power-hungry advance users the new line-up is very tempting indeed.
Which version of Mac is the one you want to buy?
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