MOBILE

For the first time in a long time: all Macs will soon have a SoC version

12/11/2024

Next year, all of Apple’s Macs will be at the same performance level for the first time in more than a decade. In 2013, Apple last updated all series (with then-current Intel chips) within twelve months – i.e. MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac Mini and Mac Pro. According to the well-informed rumor chef, this can now also be achieved with the M4 by mid-2025.

Three done, three more to come

Apple has already updated the Mac mini, MacBook Pro and iMac – with either the M4 (iMac, Mac mini, MacBook Pro), M4 Pro (MacBook Pro, Mac mini) or M4 Max (MacBook Pro). Three series are now missing: the Mac Studio, Mac Pro and MacBook Air, Apple’s new entry-level notebook with the M4 SoC expected to arrive in spring 2025. The Mac Studio M4 Max and M4 Ultra as well as the Mac Pro M4 are generally expected to arrive by summer – the Mac Studio possibly in May, the Mac Pro at WWDC 2025 in June. This would mean that Apple would have easily adhered to the 12-month period for updating all machines.

Recently, Apple achieved an almost identical dual “hat trick” with the M1. At that time, almost all Macs, except the Mac Pro, which remained Intel-based for a (very) long time, were updated within a year and a half. Apple is currently two generations behind the Mac Studio and Mac Pro – both computers still run on the M2, which first hit the market in 2022. Since these machines always require a special chip from the Ultra series that combines two “normal” SoCs, chip development always takes a little longer. Nevertheless, the Mac Studio had both M1 and M2 models (along with Max and Ultra).

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M5 is already in the starting blocks

However, the devices are unlikely to remain in M4 status for long. Apple is expected to release new M5 Macs in the autumn – starting with the MacBook Pro. It’s unclear whether the M5 will be accompanied by a new Mac Mini and iMac M5. Apple abandoned the M2 generation for the iMac and did not release the M3 for the Mac mini.

No real strategy can really be seen behind this release system, as all SoCs actually fit all machines. But some iPhones are clearly more important to the company.

(B.Sc.)