Home Apple Macs with AI-focused M4 chips about to enter production

Apple Macs with AI-focused M4 chips about to enter production

tl;dr

  • Apple is nearing completion of AI-capable M4 chip production.
  • The initial lineup will include various Mac models with tiered chips.
  • Competitors are also investing in AI chips for the PC industry.

According to Bloomberg News, who purport to have spoken to Apple insiders, the company has nearly completed its production of M4 computer chips. These chips are set to have AI capabilities, with Apple reportedly planning to put them into every new Mac model.

The Bloomberg report also claims that the iMac, low-end 14-inch MacBook Pro, high-end 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac minis will be the first computers to come with the updated M4 chips. Then, Apple is reportedly set to roll out the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs in spring 2025, followed by the Mac Studio and the Mac Pro later on in the year.

The Mac M4 chips will come in three different tiers: Donan, Brava, and Hidra

Bloomberg reports that the M4 Mac chip will come in three different tiers, which are codenamed Donan, Brava, and Hidra. The Donan chip is an entry-level chip and will be added to entry-level machines like Macbook Airs, the Mac Minis, and the entry-level Macbook Pro.

The Brava chip is a step up from this and and will be reserved for higher spec machines such as the Mac Studio, MacBook Pros, and Mac Minis. The Hidra chip, meanwhile, will be the cream of the crop and remain reserved for the top-end Mac Pro.

According to MacRumours, desktop Mac computers with the M4 chip could support up to 512GB in Unified Memory. Comparatively, the current memory limit for desktop Macs are 192GB.

The AI revolution this past year has led to a lot of competitors, like Intel and Qualcomm, starting work on their own AI chips. Reuters previously reported how the PC industry is hoping to spark a computer renaissance by working on artificial intelligence chips which can perform tasks like summarising documents without having to send any additional data to the cloud.

Featured image generated by Ideogram

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Charlotte Colombo
Freelance Journalist

Charlotte Colombo is a freelance journalist with bylines in Metro.co.uk, Radio Times, The Independent, Daily Dot, Glamour, Stylist, and VICE among others. She most recently worked as a Staff Writer for entertainment outlet The Digital Fix for two years and, prior to that, worked with Business Insider and Dexerto on their digital culture desks. She’s also appeared on BBC Radio 5 and The Guardian podcast to share her expertise on technology, influencers, and niche internet subcultures. She holds an MA in Magazine Journalism from City, University of London and has been freelancing for three years. She has a wide range…

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