Apple has been pushing personal computing in many significant ways since the release of its M1 chip less than four years ago, and with the newest launch of the MacBook Pro M4, it is doing so once again. The new laptop offers substantial improvements that extend far beyond mere specification upgrades. The 2024 MacBook Pro M4, starting at $2,099, represents Apple’s most compelling professional laptop offering to date, combining enhanced performance, thoughtful feature additions, and surprisingly better value.
On the surface, the new MacBook Pro M4 feels very similar to past iterations, featuring the same robust aluminum chassis with new space black and silver finishes that give the laptop an ultra-premium feel. While the external design hasn’t changed from its predecessor, the MacBook Pro M4 still manages to be one of the best-looking laptops on the market. The familiar 14.2-inch form factor strikes an excellent balance between portability and usability and is incredibly robust while still offering portability that makes it easy to bring anywhere.
Part of what makes the MacBook Pro range so appealing is the display and overall usability of the laptop, and that has been maintained with this latest iteration. The mini-LED screen continues to set industry standards with its 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate and impressive brightness levels. A notable addition for 2024 is the optional nano-texture display, available for an additional $150. This anti-glare solution significantly reduces reflections, making it particularly valuable for professionals who work in varying lighting conditions or outdoors. Unfortunately, the review unit I looked at lacked this feature, much to my chagrin.
While many things have remained the same for this year’s iteration, Apple has pushed the latest advancements made with the M4 chip onto its MacBook range, bringing notable performance improvements across various tasks. The base model now features a 10-core version of the M4 chip, delivering up to 25 per cent faster performance compared to the M3, and up to 1.8 times the speed of the original M1 chip.
“While the external design hasn’t changed from its predecessor, the MacBook Pro M4 still manages to be one of the best-looking laptops on the market.”
In practical terms, this translates to noticeably faster app launches and improved data processing capabilities. This is the model I had the opportunity to review, and while it is not as fast as some of the other models in the line, I am amazed at how capable the laptop truly is—more on that in a bit.
Apple has once again offered a range of performance levels, all featuring the new M4 chips, with the M4 Pro and M4 Max offering significantly more power for those who need it. The M4 Pro, in particular, shows impressive gains, with multi-core performance increasing by 50 to 60 per cent in most tests. This puts it in the same performance territory as the 2022 M1 Max, marking a significant achievement for a mobile processor. However, that power comes at a cost, with the top-end M4 Max starting at well over $3,000 USD, positioning it at the high end of laptop purchases—intended more for the professional and prosumer market than the casual user.
That being said, while there are plenty of ways to push the specs in the MacBook Pro, Apple has also increased the performance and specs of the base-level units this time around, which now include 16 GB of RAM as standard—double that of previous models. This upgrade alone makes the entry-level model significantly more capable of handling professional workloads. The increased memory capacity addresses a long-standing criticism of Apple’s base model MacBooks and better positions the laptop for future software demands. While I personally prefer to see 32 GB in a laptop made for professionals, this spec bump is welcome and helps ensure all options available will deliver solid performance for a range of users.
“The MacBook Pro M4 is capable of delivering approximately 21 hours of light browsing and 18 hours of intensive work.”
Also this year, the base M4 model now includes three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an improvement over the previous generation’s two ports. This enhancement, combined with the ability to drive up to three displays simultaneously (two external plus the built-in screen), provides greater flexibility for professional workflows. The laptop retains its HDMI port, SD card slot, and MagSafe charging connection, offering a comprehensive selection of connectivity options—much more in line with competing laptops from a range of manufacturers.
The keyboard and trackpad have maintained the level of quality we have come to expect from Apple. The MacBook Pro M4 keeps the same style keyboard we saw in last year’s iteration, and it feels solid to type on. The keys provide enough travel to result in a satisfying click that is a joy to type on. While I have fallen in love with the ASUS Zenbook S14, the MacBook comes in a close second, and that remains consistent for this year’s offering.
The MacBook Pro M4 maintains the Force Touch trackpad Apple has included in all its recent MacBook Pro laptops, and it is still one of the best trackpads on the market. I know I am in the minority who enjoy the physical click found on older laptops, but that is out of habit. What Apple delivers with the MacBook Pro M4 is solid, offering a high level of precision for many types of tasks. Coming from a PC, it may take some time to get used to, but once you get the hang of it, it is a great way to interact with your work, whether it be writing or content creation.
“Games like Lies of P and Resident Evil 4 deliver a solid 50–60 fps at 1080p, providing a fantastic and fluid gaming experience, especially for a laptop as light and efficient as the MacBook Pro M4.”
While it may look similar on the surface, the performance of the M4 is why you would buy this iteration of the MacBook Pro compared to previous models, and our testing gives a good picture of how it delivers when it comes to gaming and content creation software. Starting with gaming, I was impressed with the overall results from our benchmarks, with a range of games delivering solid performance at 1080p, providing AAA experiences on the base model MacBook Pro M4.
Games like Lies of P and Resident Evil 4 deliver a solid 50–60 fps at 1080p, providing a fantastic and fluid gaming experience, especially for a laptop as light and efficient as the MacBook Pro M4. Death Stranding, which delivered a very playable experience on the M3 MacBook Pro, is noticeably more fluid on the M4, delivering 70 fps on average at 1440p, while offering a very high visual experience. Games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Stray also see noticeable improvements, with a 10–15 per cent increase in performance compared to last year’s MacBook, and even more compared to MacBooks with the M1 and M2 chips—not to mention older Intel MacBooks, which fall significantly short by today’s standards.
Content creation is still one of Apple’s aces in the hole, and that remains consistent with the MacBook Pro M4. Exporting video, working on different workloads, and even editing larger video projects all run incredibly smoothly on the laptop. While Final Cut Pro is a fantastic showcase of what is possible on the laptop, even apps like Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and CapCut all make use of the M4’s power to deliver incredibly fluid timeline work, with rendering and green screen effects working incredibly well. The built-in encoders on the M4 chip ensure the process is smooth, with the workflow on the MacBook being one of my favourites, even though I am more accustomed to a PC workflow.
Perhaps most impressive is how Apple managed to increase the overall capabilities of the M4 MacBook Pro compared to past iterations while still offering fantastic battery life. The MacBook Pro M4 is capable of delivering approximately 21 hours of light browsing and 18 hours of intensive work. This exceptional endurance is complemented by efficient standby performance, losing only about one per cent of battery charge overnight when closed. While Intel and AMD laptops are catching up, Apple still leads the pack.
“Content creation is still one of Apple’s aces in the hole, and that remains consistent with the MacBook Pro M4.”
The MacBook Pro M4 ships with macOS Sequoia 15.1, introducing several new features, including Apple Intelligence capabilities. The operating system now includes AI-powered writing tools for proofing, rewriting, and summarizing text, along with improved photo editing capabilities and smart replies in communication apps. While these features may not be revolutionary, they integrate seamlessly into the workflow and provide useful functionality when needed. I am still skeptical of how much AI helps the average person using a laptop, but it is good to see Apple trying to keep up with the curve, with Apple Intelligence delivering a solid offering for those who need it.
The upgraded 12-megapixel Stage Centre camera represents a significant improvement in video conferencing capabilities. The camera’s ability to automatically pan and scan to keep users in frame is particularly useful for professionals who regularly participate in video calls. The new “Desk View” feature, which uses the ultrawide-angle lens to show the space directly in front of the laptop, adds versatility for remote demonstrations and presentations.
Despite its premium positioning, the 2024 MacBook Pro M4 represents better value than its predecessor. The starting price of $2,099 is slightly lower than last year’s model while offering more standard features and better performance. The inclusion of 16 GB of RAM as standard and the additional Thunderbolt port makes the base model a more compelling proposition for professionals, making the MacBook Pro more competitive compared to other laptops on the market. It is impressive to see how far Apple has come, especially in gaming, with the MacBook Pro now standing as one of the better portable options for AAA games, provided they are properly ported.
Apple keeps improving its laptop lineup, and as Apple Silicon matures, it shows what is possible when the OS and hardware are developed in tandem. For professionals considering an upgrade, particularly those using Intel-based MacBooks or early M1 systems, the M4 represents a significant leap forward in capability and value. While the improvements over the M3 model might not justify an immediate upgrade for recent MacBook Pro owners, the M4’s enhanced feature set and performance capabilities make it an excellent choice for those seeking a powerful, reliable, and future-proof professional laptop.
