The M4 Pro and M4 Max deliver exceptional performance and potential to the new MacBook Pro laptops. Then there's the M4

Apple wrapped up its 2024 October announcements with its MacBook Pro lineup for the year, including the debut of the M4 Max chip. MacBook Airs are getting more memory, but no M4.

Apple's latest MacBook Pro sports more ports and RAM for the same starting price. While the base model is short on RAM and ports, Apple's M3 MacBook is still a portable powerhouse.

As for the M4 Pro, apple states that it is “up to 3x faster than models with M1 Pro, speeding up workflows like geo-mapping, structural engineering, and data modeling.” The M4 Max offers “3.5x the performance of M1 Max, ripping through heavy creative workloads like visual effects, 3D animation, and film scoring.”

The new MacBook Pro models can have the M4, M4 Pro or M4 Max, and there's a small (optional) upgrade for the display - and a claimed 24-hour battery life.

The port selection on the MacBook Pro M4 is a little bit better than the M3. The base model now has three Thunderbolt 4 ports (compared to two last time), and you still get an SD Card slot, HDMI port and headphone jack. If you want more bandwidth with Thunderbolt 5, you’ll need to step up to a M4 Pro model, though.

The MacBook Pro 16-inch (M4 Pro, 2024) occupies the middle spot between the 14-inch M4 and 16-inch M4 Max models. Though pricey, it's more affordable than the latter while being more powerful and energy efficient than the former.

On Monday, Bloomberg reported on Apple’s plans to fully overhaul its laptop line. That’s exactly the kind of rumor you don’t want to drop in the week

The 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro has officially entered the chat — and it’s here to remind Windows who's boss. For those who haven't been closely following the PCs vs. MacBooks battle in recent months, Windows laptops began to gain the upper hand with the introduction of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite processor.

No laptop is so perfect that it can't be improved, but the 14-inch MacBook Pro M4 comes as close as any I've ever reviewed.

Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros ・Excellent performance ・Thunderbolt 5 is a boon for professionals ・12MP CenterStage FaceTime camera ・Nano-texture glass display option Cons ・Wi-Fi 7 would’ve been nice to future-proof it a little Our Verdict The M4 Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro is a powerful workstation and Apple makes the package even better