In October of last year, Apple unveiled the M4 MacBook Pro. While at first glance it appears to be just another incremental upgrade for the MacBook Pro, there are several notable features that make it a worthwhile investment, even for those with an older 14″ MacBook Pro.
Why Choose M4?
Recently, there has been a significant shift in MacBook Pro pricing that has occurred over the past year:
- Initially, Apple launched a new entry-level MacBook Pro priced at $1599 in 2023, featuring the baseline M3.
- Subsequently, it increased the base memory to 16GB and eliminated several major limitations with the M4.
In essence, these developments mean that you can now purchase a MacBook Pro with 512GB of storage and 16GB of memory for $1599 directly from Apple, a price that previously started at $1999.
While it’s true that this price point doesn’t get you a Pro chip, I believe the additional benefits more than compensate for this trade-off.
Significantly Improved Battery Life
Even without a Pro chip, you can achieve a remarkable enhancement in battery life. The baseline Apple Silicon exhibits much greater power efficiency.
According to Apple’s information, the M1 Pro 14″ MacBook Pro can provide up to 11 hours of web browsing on a single charge. In contrast, the M4 14″ MacBook Pro can last up to 16 hours. This is nearly a 50% improvement based solely on this metric.
Personally, I’ve experienced roughly double the battery life between the two models, largely because background app power consumption has significantly decreased. The M1 Pro features only two efficiency cores, while the M4 has six. Consequently, idle tasks consume less power with the M4.
It’s astonishing to see the considerable year-over-year progress in battery life. I seldom find myself needing to recharge my MacBook Pro in the middle of the day anymore.
Enhancements in Display
Although all 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro models feature miniLED displays, recent models have seen significant improvements in standard brightness.
With the M1 Pro and M2 Pro 14″ MacBook Pro, Apple provided a maximum brightness of 500 nits for standard non-HDR content. The M3 increased this to 600 nits.
Now, with the M4 MacBook Pro, you can experience up to 1000 nits of standard brightness, which is a substantial boon for visibility in outdoor environments.
Through the use of third-party applications like Vivid (a one-time purchase of $10), it was previously possible to unlock additional brightness on earlier 14″ or 16″ MacBook Pro models. All of them include mini-LED panels capable of reaching 1600 nits when displaying HDR content. These applications effectively allow users to tap into this HDR brightness even with standard content.
While third-party apps are valuable solutions, having high standard brightness natively available is immensely satisfying. It makes my M4 MacBook Pro feel much more akin to my M4 iPad Pro, which also boasts 1000 nits of standard brightness.
Upgraded Webcam
Apple introduced upgraded 1080p webcams with the 14″ and 16″ MacBook Pro in 2021. While this was a noticeable improvement over the previous 720p versions, they still left something to be desired.
With the M4 generation, Apple has incorporated the 12MP Center Stage camera into the MacBook Pro for the first time. This feature, which originally appeared on the iPad and was later added to the Studio Display, utilizes an ultra-wide camera.
This wider field of view allows for more to be captured in a single frame. Additionally, the face tracking feature keeps your perspective looking normal while following your movements within a room.
This is a fantastic enhancement, making MacBooks far more suitable for FaceTime, a medium I previously preferred to use exclusively on my iPad. You can also enable Desk View, which behaves exactly as its name suggests.
Moreover, these upgraded cameras deliver higher resolution as well.
Performance Upgrades
You might be concerned that transitioning from an M1 Pro chip to an M4 chip could lead to a downgrade in performance. If your work heavily depends on GPU power, this upgrade might not be ideal for you.
For everyone else, however, the jump from M1 Pro to M4 represents a net gain, thanks largely to three years of performance advancements that have significantly narrowed the gap between a Pro chip and a standard one.
In Geekbench 6, the M1 Pro achieves around 2386 in single-core performance and approximately 12344 in multi-core performance. The M4, on the other hand, boasts scores around 3750 for single-core and 14704 for multi-core.
This translates to a 57% increase in single-core and a 19% rise in multi-core performance, even though it’s considered a “lower-end” chip. The M4 not only boasts a 19% increase in multi-core performance, but it also signifies a considerable improvement in neural engine performance, all while drawing less power. Given Apple’s increasing investment in AI, opting for the newer chipset may have long-term benefits.
Anecdotally, I’ve found that the M4 runs the fans less frequently and remains cooler during use.
Conclusion
While upgrading between two models in the same generation may seem dull, the differences between these two MacBooks are remarkable despite their similar appearances.
With potential price hikes approaching and Apple likely to impose tariffs soon, delaying a decision on future MacBook purchases may not be wise. Current offers are excellent, and we might not encounter these prices again for an extended period.
Here are the best deals for the 14-inch MacBook Pro:
Here are the best deals for the 16-inch MacBook Pro:
Higher configuration models of Macs are more susceptible to upcoming price increases, as Apple maintains limited stock of these less popular items. If you anticipate needing a new Mac, the time to buy is likely now. Don’t forget to explore the best MacBook Air deals in our MacBook deals roundup before tariffs take effect.
Key countries in Apple’s supply chain, such as Vietnam and India, are negotiating tariffs with the Trump administration, while China has not joined this effort. Therefore, the Mac supply chain remains heavily reliant on China.
Check out my favorite Apple accessories available on Amazon:
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