The M4 chip update for the Mac was quite a shakeup. Apple simultaneously introduced the M4 Pro and M4 Max, while also bumping RAM across the starting configurations of the new Mac mini and MacBook Pro. All in all, these are great changes that have sweetened the deal on these new M4 products.
But all the changes in the lineup have left two Macs completely in the cold — and until they get updated, you shouldn’t buy them.
Mac Studio (M2 Ultra)
The performance of the M4 Pro Mac mini is kind of insane when you consider the size of this mini PC. All that performance feels extra impressive because the M3 generation was skipped for both the Mac mini and Mac Studio, making for quite a leap in performance with the latest Mac mini.
In fact, it’s so big a jump that it makes the current Mac Studio kind of a nonstarter. The M4 Pro Mac mini gets very close to outperforming the M2 Ultra Mac Studio in lots of benchmarks, despite having significantly less cores. The GPU performance is probably the most exciting bit, as the 20-core Mac mini actually beat the 40-core Mac Studio in the Cinebench R24 GPU test. That shows you just how far Apple’s graphics have come these past couple of years.
And while the $4,000 M2 Ultra Mac Studio might have a bit more thermal headroom and stronger sustained performance, it’s also twice the size and cost. Of course, you could opt for the starting $2,000 M2 Max configuration, but for the same money, you can get a configuration of the M4 Pro Mac mini with more memory. And remember, this thing is much smaller — and apparently even has storage that isn’t soldered down.
I’ve no doubt that the rumored M4 Ultra Mac Studio will be an absolute rock star, but you’re better off sticking with the Mac mini or waiting for that upgraded model right now.
MacBook Air 15-inch (M3)
The decision point between the 15-inch MacBook Air and 14-inch MacBook Pro has always been tough to decipher, but this recent update has tipped the scales toward the new M4 MacBook Pro. The 15-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,299 and comes with the M3, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. That upgrade from 8GB to 16GB is awesome, of course — don’t get me wrong. But the changes to the M4 14-inch MacBook pro make it overall a far more attractive offer.
And now, the 14-inch MacBook Pro also starts with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage for $1,599. When you match the configuration on the MacBook Air by adding more storage, that brings the total price to $1,499. So, it’s $100 for the upgrade from MacBook Air to MacBook Pro. $100 isn’t nothing, but what you get in return is worth far more.
The new MacBook Pro gets you superior performance, a far better display, more ports, and a big upgrade to the webcam.
There’s really only two reasons to buy the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air right now. First, the cheaper starting configuration of $1,299 remains attractive. Despite the fact that it’s not a better overall value, if you’re just looking for getting a more affordable Mac, the ability to start at 256GB of storage gives it an advantage.
Secondly, the 15-inch M3 MacBook Air is, admittedly, both lighter and thinner than the MacBook Pro. It’s only 0.43 inches thick and 3.3 pounds, compared to the 0.61-inch thickness of the MacBook Pro. The 0.3-pound weight difference probably isn’t overly noticeable, but there’s no question that the MacBook Air is more portable. But really, if you’re after a portable laptop, you’re better off going for the smaller 13-inch MacBook Air anyways, which is priced lower and much easier to travel with.
The other more obvious reason to not by the M3 MacBook Air right now, however, is that an M4 update is rumored to come soon. It may only be a couple of months before those laptops get upgraded to the M4, which could bring other improvements as well. So, for now, buy the M4 MacBook Pro or wait out the holiday season for the M4.
