Catalyst for Apple's sharp rise: Understanding the M4 chip in one article, Apple opens the door to AI PCs
Apple's stock price soared by 4.3%, increasing its market value by $112 billion, driven by reports of the new generation chip M4. The M4 chip will focus on AI functionality, with the first batch of Mac computers equipped with M4 chips expected to debut by the end of 2024. In early 2025, more new products will be released, including the new generation Mac Studio and Mac Pro. The M4 processor will have at least three main models, and the first batch of M4 Mac computers is expected to be launched later this year
On Thursday, April 11th, Apple's stock price saw a rare surge, closing up significantly by 4.3%, with a market value increase of $112 billion in a single day.
The biggest catalyst for the sharp rise in Apple's stock price was a report about the new generation chip, M4.
Overnight, media reports cited sources saying that Apple is preparing for a major upgrade, with Mac computers set to be equipped with the new generation M4 chip, with AI functionality as a highlight of the M4.
The report stated that the M4 processor will have "at least three major models" and is currently "close to the production stage." It is expected that this new chip will emphasize AI functionality to address the competitive pressure brought by the continuous emergence of AIPC in the market.
When will the M4 be released? How will it be priced?
According to Apple's plan, the first batch of Mac computers equipped with the M4 chip are expected to debut by the end of 2024, with more new products to be released in early 2025. This includes brand new iMac, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and MacBook Air product lines, as well as the rumored new generation Mac Studio and Mac Pro.
Specifically:
The first batch of M4 Mac computers will debut later this year, probably around October to November, just like in previous years. This includes the new iMac, entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro, high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro, and the Mac mini with the M4 chip.
Next year, Apple will update the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air in the early spring, release a new generation Mac Studio in the middle of the year, and launch the Mac Pro in the second half of the year, all equipped with the M4 chip.
In terms of current prices, the entry-level M3 iMac in 2023 is priced at $1299, the 14-inch MacBook Pro at $1599. The M3 versions of the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air are priced at $1099 and $1299 respectively. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro starts at $1999, while the 16-inch version starts at $2499.
Although the report did not mention pricing, Apple may not significantly increase prices, or even not raise them at all. Of course, this is just speculation from the outside According to reports, the M4 chip series will mainly be divided into three tiers: entry-level Donan, higher-end Brava, and flagship chip Hidra. The news states that Apple plans to focus on promoting the new chips' AI computing capabilities and how they will integrate with the upcoming macOS new version.
Reports indicate that the entry-level MacBook Pro, the new MacBook Air, and the low-end Mac mini will use the Donan chip (which should be the entry-level M4). The Brava chip will be used for the high-end MacBook Pro and "more expensive" Mac mini models. And Apple's top-of-the-line desktop, the new Mac Pro, is expected to be equipped with the powerful Hidra chip.
In addition, Apple is also testing different configurations of the Mac Studio, one using the unreleased M3 chip (perhaps the rumored M3 Ultra?), and another using a variant of the M4 Brava processor.
As for the Mac Studio M4, Apple is considering supporting up to 512GB of memory. In comparison, the current Mac Studio and Mac Pro have a unified memory (RAM) limit of 192GB.
Since the first generation, Apple's M-series chips have been equipped with a dedicated neural network engine. Now, AI personal computers have become the new favorite in the industry, and Apple naturally hopes to take the opportunity to promote the AI capabilities of the M-series chips - just like what Apple fans saw when the M3 chip was released.
To this end, the report reveals that Apple "plans to introduce new AI features in all its products".
Stay tuned for "a series of new features"
Sources also told the media that Apple is preparing to showcase "a series of new features" at the 2024 WWDC conference, most of which are designed to run locally on terminal devices rather than rely on remote cloud servers.
If true, the M4 chip (which is speculated to be faster than the existing M3 chip) should be able to execute these tasks more efficiently.
Furthermore, Apple fans can expect to see the charm of the new version of macOS at the event and see how these new AI features will integrate with the operating system.
However, the Apple M4 chip is currently still in the rumor stage, so all the above information may need to be taken with a big question mark.
