Apple’s Beloved Macs Will Get an Update with the New AI-Focused M4 Chips

Key Takeaways:

• Less than a year after launching the M3 chips, Apple has decided to step it up with the new AI-focused M4 chips
• These chips will power the new line of Macs that are expected to be released later this year and in early 2025
• More information and an official announcement can be expected at the annual Apple developer conference in June

Apple's beloved Macs will get an AI update with the new M4 chips. The news came on Thursday with information from inside sources acquainted with the project.

Although there's no official release date, we can expect the updated computers to hit the market sometime between later this year and early 2025.

The new product line will include new iMacs, high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, an affordable 14-inch MacBook Pro and Mac Minis.

The M4 chip series comes less than a year after the M3 chip series was released. Apple is yet to release its detailed specifications so we can't comment on how much better it is than those M3 chips.

Here's what we know about it so far:

• It will come out in three versions - Donan (entry-level), Brava (mid-level), and Hidra (top-tier).
• All three versions, including Donan, will have superior AI capabilities than M3 chips.
• All three versions will be specifically designed to integrate with the latest model of macOS that will be announced at the annual Apple developer conference in June.

Reason behind This New Initiative

During the pandemic, people were forced to work/study from home and they needed their own devices, leading to a huge sales boost all over the world. However, since then, global sales of PCs have gradually declined.

Apple reached peak sales in 2022 at $383.285 billion, after which there was a steady drop in demand. In the 2023 fiscal year, Mac sales clocked $29.357 billion - down 27% from 2022.

Naturally, this calls for a new initiative and a fresh range of products that will give users a reason to invest in a new PC. And in 2024, nothing new can be complete without a little touch of AI. Hence, the M4 chips.

Apple's Share Prices Get a Massive Boost

On Thursday, Apple's share increased by 4.3%, reaching a price of $175.04 - the highest single-day price gain since 30th November 2022, giving the company another reason to celebrate.

There might be multiple reasons behind it.

• For starters, it was a good day for all tech-related stocks, especially those involved with AI. The NASDAQ Composite rose by 1.77%.
• The market also seems to have factored in the news of the release of M4 chips.
• Interest from hedge fund investors has also had an effect. According to JPMorgan analyst Samik Chatterjee, Hedge fund investors are increasingly warming up to the opportunity of the AI upgrade cycle"

Now, whether this upgrade cycle starts with the iPhone 16 in September 2024 or the iPhone 17 in September 2025 remains a big question.

The last year was rough for Apple. The canceled EV cars project and low sales of iPhones in China severely hampered the faith of its investors, leading to an 11% dip in its stock value this year. But now, things are looking up again.

However, a lot remains unclear so we will probably have to wait until June for Apple to make an official announcement.

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