The M4 MacBook Pro may be the entry-level laptop that gets everything right

Macworld

According to reports, Apple will release an update to the MacBook Pro in the next few weeks. That update was initially expected to be nothing more than a chip upgrade from the M3 to the M4. But if new reports hold up, there may be more to this update–specifically for the 14-inch base model that would make it a near-perfect laptop for the general consumer.

The first report was by leaker VNChocoTaco on X, who posted a photo they received of the box label for the new MacBook Pro revealing key specs. The second report is from Russian YouTuber Wylsacom, who apparently got their hands on the M4 MacBook Pro, laptop and all.

If the information in these two reports holds up, and it would be a very elaborate hoax if it doesn’t, we could be seeing some big changes in the base M4 MacBook Pro. Here’s what’s being reported and what it could mean.

Memory that serves us right

The current base M3 14-inch MacBook Pro has one glaring problem: It has only 8GB of unified memory. Apple will tell you that’s more than enough and 8GB is useable and for many buyers that’s probably true. But considering how much RAM higher-end software uses nowadays, 8GB in a “Pro” laptop is not enough. Still not convinced? How about this: The MacBook Air, Apple’s “consumer” laptop, the laptop for “everyone else,” also starts at 8GB of memory. The MacBook Pro is supposed to be the workstation laptop for, as the name says, the “Pro.” The other models all start at 18GB—does 8GB seem proper for a MacBook that costs $1,599?

Both reports by VNChocoTaco and Wylsacom show what appears to be a specifications label from the base M3 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro, that shows a laptop with 16GB of memory. Assuming the model isn’t a higher-end configuration, that would mean Apple is finally addressing the biggest flaw of the entry-level Pro. With 16GB of RAM, pro users will be able to run their apps and feel comfortable about the laptop’s performance–they may still need more and upgrade to 24GB or more, and even then, it won’t be as expensive as starting from a standard configuration is 8GB.

Bringing the Thunder(bolt)

VNChocoTaco’s photo is low resolution and much of the text is garbled, but it seems to show that the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro will have three Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports. Wylsacom’s label says the same and he shows off the laptop’s three ports in his video. This seems to indicate that Apple is adding one more Thunderbolt/USB 4 to the base M4 model. This would put the laptop in line with the higher-end MacBook Pro models with Pro and Max chips; it would no longer have the same two ports as the MacBook Air, another step toward making it an actual “Pro” laptop.

Space Black for the masses

When Apple introduced the M3 MacBook Pro, it revealed a new Space Black color option available only on the M3 Pro or M3 Max models. According to these reports, Apple is going to make Space Black an option on the base model, too.

I’m currently using a Space Black MacBook Pro, and my first impression of the color was that it was nice, but it should be darker. But after having used the laptop for nearly a year now, I love Space Black and it’s now my color of choice. If it’s coming to the M4 MacBook Pro, it’s going to be a popular choice—and put the entry level model on par with the others.

Finally, a true entry-level MacBook Pro

There are other specs revealed by these reports, such as the M4’s 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and the same starting 512GB SSD. But the three changes above are going to make the base M4 MacBook Pro a popular laptop–especially if Apple keeps the price at $1,599.

It would be the first time in a long time that buying the least-expensive MacBook Pro didn’t mean you had to make a significant compromise, such as the 8GB of RAM, fewer ports, hampered performance, or even an old design, as was the case when Apple kept the 13-inch MacBook Pro with the Touch Bar around after the Apple silicon redesign was announced..

If and then this MacBook Pro does ship, it will fit right in with the M4 Pro and M4 Max models in the lineup and give users a real choice, rather than force them to the upper models due to cut-rate specs. Apple will sell a lot of them.

Apple is expected to announce M4 MacBook Pro and other M4 Macs at an event later this month, with a rumored ship date of November 1. Learn more about the upcoming M4 MacBook Pro.