The new MacBook Pro was expected to launch in October, and now reports say it could happen in the last week of the month, possibly on Halloween, with a retail release on November 1st.
According to reliable source Mark Gurman in the Power On newsletter, Apple will release three major MacBook Pro models, along with new versions of the Mac Mini and iPad Mini. The MacBook Pro lineup will include a 14-inch model with the entry-level M4 Apple Silicon chip, and both 14-inch and 16-inch models with the more powerful M4 Pro or M4 Max chips.
Notably, there is no mention of a new MacBook Air in this update. The M4 MacBook Pro will be the cheapest option in this release, offering a boost in performance compared to the MacBook Air by adding a fan to the same internal components. The next MacBook Air is expected to launch in early 2025, around the same time as the next iPhone SE.
The Apple Silicon M4 chip was first released in May 2024, making its debut not in a Mac but in the seventh generation of the iPad Pro. By the time the M4 MacBook arrives in November, Mac fans will have waited almost six months for it.
Apple is likely to emphasize generative AI features in the new MacBooks. At the iPhone 16 launch, Apple promoted “Apple Intelligence,” although the software hasn’t been released yet. With Microsoft focusing on generative AI in Windows 11, Apple needs to bring Apple Intelligence to macOS soon to stay competitive.
Two AI features being tested for macOS Sequoia, which is expected to launch with the new MacBooks, include Writing Tools to help with summarizing and rewriting text in certain apps, and improved Siri, allowing more natural language commands for the voice assistant.
Given the rapid rise of generative AI tools in the past year, these features seem more like a preview of what’s to come, rather than a game-changing move from Apple. With AI features delayed on the iPhone, the late arrival of AI on the MacBook seems to fit Apple’s usual approach.