Apple gave its MacBook Pro lineup an M4-focused refresh last week. From the outside, the new laptops might look the same as their M3 predecessors, but that’s not the case.
Look closely, and you’ll notice the M4 MacBook Pros come with subtle yet important upgrades. Read below to learn everything that’s changed between the M4 and M3 MacBook Pro family.
M4 vs. M3 MacBook Pro comparison
Apple’s MacBook Pro lineup sets the benchmark for other laptops to follow. And this is why every refresh is closely scrutinized for what it brings to the table. While the M4 MacBook Pro family packs no design differences, it benefits from several underlying changes. The machines are not only faster, they also can last longer. Plus, they now offer more value for money — something you don’t usually associate with Apple products.
Go through our comparison of the M4 versus M3 MacBook Pro lineups to know everything that’s different and upgraded.
Table of contents: M4 vs. M3 MacBook Pro comparison
Design and display: M4 MacBook Pro’s screen is brighter
Photo: Apple
- M3/Pro MacBook Pro: 0.61 inches x 12.31 inches x 8.71 inches, 1.55 kg (M3) or 1.61 kg (M3 Pro); 14.2-inch (or 16.2-inch) Liquid Retina XDR display; space black and silver finishes
- M4/Pro MacBook Pro: 0.61 inches x 12.31 inches x 8.71 inches, 1.55 kg (M4) or 1.61 kg (M4 Pro); 14.2-inch (or 16.2-inch) Liquid Retina XDR display; space black and silver finishes
There are no design and dimension differences between the M3 and M4 MacBook Pros. The newer models follow the same design as the one that debuted in 2021. But there’s one improvement: You can now get the base M4 MacBook Pro in the space black finish. Previously, you could only get this finish on the M3 Pro/Max models.
The new M4/Pro MacBooks’ display size and technology remain identical to those of their predecessors. However, these ProMotion mini-LED panels can hit a peak SDR brightness of 1,000 nits — up from 600 nits on the M3 models. The HDR brightness remains unchanged at 1,600 nits.
Lastly, it is now possible to configure the MacBook Pro’s display with Apple’s nano-texture glass. This reduces glares and reflections, which can be handy if you use your MacBook Pro outdoors.
Chip: Faster and more efficient
Image: Apple
- M3/Pro MacBook Pro: M3 – 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 8GB unified memory, 512GB SSD; M3 Pro – Up to 12-core GPU, 18-core GPU, 18GB unified memory, 512GB SSD
- M4/Pro MacBook Pro: M4 – 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16GB unified memory, 512GB SSD; M4 Pro – Up to 14-core GPU, 20-core GPU, 24GB unified memory, 512GB SSD
Apple’s newest M4 chip is fabricated on TSMC’s latest 3nm node. This not only allows for higher clock speed but also helps with efficiency. But that’s not it. Other underlying architectural improvements deliver even greater performance. Apple proudly claims its M4 SoC houses “the world’s fastest CPU core.”
As if that’s not enough, the base M4 chip packs a 10-core CPU, two more than the M3. The new chip sports four performance cores and six efficiency cores, the latter being two more than the M3. While both SoCs pack a 10-core GPU, the one on the M4 is more powerful.
Lastly, the M4 chip ships with 16GB of (faster) unified memory and gets 120GB/s of bandwidth. These improvements make the M4 chip faster than the M3 in almost all tasks.
Other technical advances
The 16-core Neural Engine gets many underlying improvements. Apple claims a 3x performance boost over the M1 chip in AI workloads.
Thanks to the M4 chip’s enhancements, the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro can drive two external displays alongside its main display simultaneously. The M3 model can only drive two displays when the laptop’s display is not in use.
With the M4 Pro chip, the performance leap proves even bigger. It ships with up to a 14-core CPU, featuring four efficiency cores and 10 performance cores. This provides a significant boost in multitasking performance. Apple claims the 20-core GPU is “twice as powerful as M4.” Plus, the memory bandwidth is 75% higher, providing a massive performance boost.
All M4 Pro-equipped MacBook Pros ship with 24GB of memory as standard, up from 18GB on M3 Pro models. The additional memory will come in handy to run LLMs and should come in handy as Apple Intelligence gains new features. It is also possible to configure an M4 Pro MacBook Pro with up to 48GB memory versus the 36GB limitation on M3 Pro models.
Early benchmarks indicate the M4 Pro MacBook Pros are faster than M2 Max/Ultra-equipped Macs. This shows just how powerful Apple’s latest M4 MacBooks are.
Ports and connectivity: Thunderbolt 5 comes to MacBook Pro
Photo: Apple
- M3/Pro MacBook Pro: Two Thunderbolt 4 ports (three Thunderbolt 4 ports on M3 Pro), HDMI port, SDXC slot, headphone jack, MagSafe 3 port, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
- M4/Pro MacBook Pro: Three Thunderbolt 4 ports (Thunderbolt 5 on M4 Pro), HDMI port (with 8K output), SDXC slot, headphone jack, MagSafe 3 port, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
On the connectivity front, the M4 MacBook Pro ships with the same USB-C ports as its M3 predecessor. However, while the base M3 MacBook Pro ships with two USB-C ports, the M4 model features three of them. On the M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro variants, the USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 5, which offers double the bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4.
The upgraded HDMI port can now drive external monitors of up to 8K resolution.
Camera: A Center Stage upgrade
- M3/Pro MacBook Pro: 1080p FaceTime HD camera
- M4/Pro MacBook Pro: 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View support, 1080p HD video recording
Apple’s newest MacBook Pros still miss out on Face ID. However, the company upgraded the 1080p FaceTime camera to a new 12MP module in the M4 models. Besides the higher resolution, the webcam supports Center Stage, ensuring you always appear in the frame while on video calls. And with Desk View support, the video feed can show your desk, making it easier to hold online classes.
Battery life: Longer than ever
Photo: Apple
- M3 MacBook Pro: M3 – Up to 15 hours of wireless web browsing or 22 hours of Apple TV movie playback; M3 Pro – up to 12 hours of wireless web browsing or 18 hours of Apple TV movie playback
- M3 Pro MacBook Pro: M4 – Up to 16 hours of wireless web browsing or 24 hours of video streaming; M4 Pro – up to 14 hours of wireless web browsing or 22 hours of video streaming
With a faster chip and a brighter display, you’d expect the M4 MacBook Pros to deliver similar or slightly less battery life than their M3 predecessors. But that’s not the case. Thanks to the more efficient M4 chip, Apple says its newest MacBook Pros deliver the “longest ever” battery life in a Mac, with up to 24 hours of runtime.
Price: More value for money
- M3/Pro MacBook Pro: Started at $1,599 and $1,999
- M4/Pro MacBook Pro: Starts at $1,599 and $1,999
Despite all the underlying improvements and higher base unified memory, the M4/Pro MacBook Pro carries the same starting price as its M3 predecessors. These machines provide more value for money, as you get better performance and other upgrades for the same price. The upgrade to higher base memory alone used to cost an additional $200 on the M3 MacBook Pros.
Conclusion: A big leap
As evident from the comparison above, Apple’s M4 and M4 Pro MacBook Pros bring a major leap in performance and efficiency. The extra RAM and longer battery life are added bonuses. While the switch from M2 to M3 chips inside the MacBook Pro did not bring a major leap, that’s not the case with the M4 refresh. All the changes combine to deliver a better user experience.
Are you wondering if you should upgrade to the 2024 MacBook Pro with M4 chip? The answer to this is simple. If you own an Intel-powered MacBook, this upgrade is a no-brainer. But if you own an Apple silicon MacBook Pro, you might want to hold off another year before upgrading.
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