Jamie Spencer
Apple has been rolling out a range of new products this fall, from iPhones and iPads to Apple Watches and software updates. However, Mac hardware has been conspicuously absent from the lineup—until now. In an unusually direct teaser, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Greg Joswiak, announced that an “exciting week of announcements” is set to kick off on Monday morning, with a focus on the Mac.
Teasing New Mac Releases
In his post, Joswiak cleverly urged readers to “Mac [sic] their calendars,” accompanied by a winking neon Mac logo, leaving little doubt that new Macs will be the highlight. Although the teaser was short on specifics, months of reliable rumors provide a good indication of what to expect: refreshed MacBook Pros, 24-inch iMacs, and a new Mac mini—all likely powered by Apple’s new M4 chips.
What We Know About the New Macs
The upcoming MacBook Pros and iMacs are expected to retain their current external designs but will come with upgraded internals, specifically the M4-series chips. These new chips promise to deliver faster performance, particularly in CPU and GPU tasks, with around 20% faster CPU performance and 13% faster GPU performance compared to the M3, based on tests from the recently launched M4-powered iPad Pro. With active cooling systems in the MacBook Pro and Mac mini, performance could be further improved, especially for more intensive tasks.
The Mac mini is slated for the most noticeable changes. Rumored to undergo a significant design overhaul, the new Mac mini will reportedly be closer in size to an Apple TV and slightly taller than the current model, while featuring a smaller overall footprint. It will continue to feature a space-saving internal power supply and is expected to reduce its port selection to primarily USB-C and Thunderbolt. Some models may even include front-facing USB-C ports, a design borrowed from the Mac Studio.
The M4 Chip: More Power for Macs
The M4 chip has already debuted in the iPad Pro, but this marks the first time a new M-series chip has launched outside of a Mac device since Apple’s transition to Apple Silicon. While we have seen the M4’s capabilities in mobile form, the desktop versions in the new Macs are expected to push performance even further. With the introduction of M4 Pro, Max, and Ultra variants, users can anticipate even more CPU and GPU cores, boosting capabilities for demanding applications and creative workflows.
macOS Sequoia and Apple Intelligence Features
Alongside the new Macs, Apple is also expected to launch macOS Sequoia, introducing the first batch of Apple Intelligence features. The macOS update follows the recent release of iOS 18.1 and macOS 15.1 to developers, which introduced features like notification summaries and automated response tools. The subsequent iOS 18.2 and macOS 15.2 updates will bring even more enhancements, including image-generation tools powered by Apple Intelligence.
Although the new AI-driven features will only be available on the latest iPhone models—such as the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16, and iPhone 16 Pro—Apple has confirmed that they will also run on all Apple Silicon Macs dating back to the 2020 M1 MacBook Air and Mac mini.
What to Expect Next Week
All signs point to Apple unveiling a new generation of Macs powered by the M4 chip, further advancing the company’s transition to Apple Silicon. With performance boosts, design overhauls, and new software features arriving in macOS Sequoia, this launch could be a game-changer for Mac users, whether they’re professionals looking for more power or everyday users seeking a more streamlined experience.
