For the first time in what feels like ages, Apple is set to update every Mac model with the M4 chip, assuming the rumors are accurate. This has come close before, but it hasn’t actually occurred in the last decade.
Recently, Apple unveiled its initial Macs featuring the M4 chip: the MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini. Among the notable enhancements are additional and faster Thunderbolt ports, options for a nano-texture display, and upgrades to the Center Stage camera.
This update has addressed a significant portion of the Mac lineup, leaving only the MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro outstanding. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the MacBook Air is expected to receive the M4 in the spring, while the Mac Studio and Mac Pro are set to follow by mid-2025. If all goes according to plan, every model in the lineup will be current.
Historical Mac Refreshes
Rarely have we seen every model in the Mac lineup refreshed simultaneously. The M1 came close, with nearly every Mac receiving it over approximately 18 months, apart from the Mac Pro. In fact, due to the infrequent refresh cycles of the Mac Pro, it serves as a critical reference point.
The last update for the Mac Pro took place in 2023, when it received the M2 Ultra chip. Most Macs underwent the M2 upgrade, with the MacBook Air and 13” MacBook Pro leading the way at WWDC22, followed by the Mac mini and MacBook Pro in January 2023, and concluding with the Mac Studio and Mac Pro at WWDC23. However, the iMac did not receive an M2 refresh, resulting in an incomplete cycle.
Looking back even further, in 2019 we first saw the design of the current Mac Pro. That year also featured widespread updates across most Mac models, with the iMac (in both sizes) leading the refresh early in the year, followed by the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro mid-year, and the entirely new 16” MacBook Pro along with the Mac Pro toward the end of the year.
However, the absence of an iMac Pro or Mac mini refresh means that 2019 was also an imperfect cycle. Even if we include the Mac mini, which was released late in 2018, the lack of an iMac Pro update invalidates that year as well.
While I could elaborate further, I’ll keep this concise. The last time every Mac was refreshed in a rolling 12-month period was 2013, when Apple introduced the trashcan Mac Pro alongside updates to the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini within that same year.
Conclusion
Thus, if the rumors hold true, the M4 will mark the first complete refresh of every Mac model in over a decade. The updates for the MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro seem likely. Let’s hope Apple stays on track so that we can celebrate this milestone.
