Apple working on MacBook Pro upgrade with M4 chip for Oct release: Report

Apple is reportedly developing the M4 series on TSMC's 3nm process. The series is reported to feature an upgraded Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for on-device AI capabilities

Apple has started working on 2024 MacBook Pro models, which would reportedly be powered by the next generation of Apple silicon chips. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman the formal development process for the upcoming M4 chip-powered MacBook Pro models have already started.

Responding to a question by a user named “Nick Turner” about the Apple products that Gurman uses, he said that he is still using an M1 Max-powered MacBook Pro, but is willing to upgrade to an M4 MacBook Pro, which is currently under work.

Important to note, the Apple M4 chip series is speculated to be the next-generation Apple silicon chips. Apple has not officially confirmed the chip name or any of its details. The current generation MacBook Pro models are powered by Apple M3 series chips.

According to a report by MacRumors, Apple’s chip manufacturer, TSMC, is expected to start making 2nm architecture-based chips by the later half of 2025. This suggests that Apple’s M4 chip will likely retain the 3nm design from the current generation M3 series chipsets. However, it is expected that the M4 chip would be manufactured using an enhanced version of TSMC’s 3nm process, which would likely improve both performance and power efficiency.

Earlier, it was reported that upcoming Apple silicon would feature an upgraded Neural Engine with significantly more cores. An upgraded Neural Processing Unit would improve the processor's capability of running AI and other machine learning tasks on the device. This would likely aid the next generation of Apple operating system that has been reported to bring new generative AI features and tools.

The first M3 series chip powered MacBook Pro was launched in October last year. Likewise, the first MacBook Pro with an M4 chip is expected to be announced in late 2024.