Apple plans Mac line overhaul with AI-focused chips

Apple is revamping its Mac computers with a new generation of chips called M4. 

In a bid to boost its computer sales, Apple is gearing up for a big makeover across its entire Mac range with a fresh batch of in-house processors designed with artificial intelligence (AI) in mind, according to Bloomberg.

The tech giant, Apple, is developing a new family of in-house processors, the M4, which will come in three main varieties. The company seeks to boost its computer sales with an updated Mac model with this new chip.

After a peak in 2022, Mac sales dropped by 27% in the last fiscal year. Despite launching the M3 chip last October, performance improvements over the previous M2 chip were not significant.

Now, whispers from insiders suggest that the company plans to start releasing the updated computers late this year and continue into early next year. The new line-up will include iMacs, MacBook Pros, and Mac minis, all equipped with M4 chips.

The company will roll out the revamped Macs late this year and into early next year, sporting the M4 magic. There will be new iMacs, a sleek 14-inch MacBook Pro, beefed-up 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, and even Mac minis - all powered by shiny new chips.

This news sent Apple shares on a 4.3 per cent joy ride in New York recently. It seems this isn't a one-time shake-up as they are eyeing more M4 Macs down the road, including sprucing up the MacBook Air and Mac Studio.

The M4 chip line includes an entry-level version called Donan, more powerful models named Brava, and a top-end processor codenamed Hidra. These chips will be used across the range of Mac models, with the highest-end Mac Pro set to get the new Hidra chip.

As part of the upgrades, Apple is considering allowing its high-end Mac desktops to support as much as a half-terabyte of memory, a significant increase from the current limit of 192 gigabytes.

For the Mac Pro fans, fear not; the Hidra's got your back. And Apple is even mulling over beefing up these powerhouses with up to half a terabyte of memory. But hey, let's not get ahead of ourselves; the focus this year is on sprinkling AI goodies across the board.

One thing to keep in mind is that these are just rumours for now, and Apple could change its plans. But if they stick to their current schedule, we could see a wave of new, supercharged Macs coming later this year.