New Macs in 2025 rumored to get at least one major design refresh

AppleInsider

The Mac update cycle for the rest of 2024 and into 2025 will include the expected M4 chip updates -- and at least one major product design refresh, according to a new rumor.

Apple's entire Mac lineup is likely to see M4-based refreshes, starting in late 2024.

So far, only one Apple device has gotten Apple's next-generation M4 chip, and that was the iPad Pro. As Apple brings its next-generation chip to its Mac lineup, the opportunity for hardware refreshes large and small will also be taken advantage of -- starting with the iMac, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini.

While it's expected that all three of the 2024 Mac updates will retain the same basic design, Apple's transition away from Lightning connectors should have an impact on the Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, or Magic Trackpad accessories included in the accessories for the iMac and available for other devices.

Currently, those accessories rely on included Lightning-to-USB-C cables for charging, but are likely to be updated to use USB-C connectors throughout. No other major design changes to the iMac, Mac mini, or MacBook Pro form factors are currently expected.

Redesigns likely coming in 2025

Users eager for M4-based updates to the Mac Pro, Mac Studio, and MacBook Air will have to wait until sometime in 2025, writes Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He hints that at least one forthcoming revision will mark a "dramatic change" from its present design.

If accurate, this is the first report that there may be a design change coming to a Mac sooner, rather than later.

The most likely candidate for a significant design rethink would be the Mac Mini, which has used essentially the same design since 2010, only changing ports and other connectors with general industry trends. Some Mac products never received the M3 chip at all, including the low-end MacBook Air, the Mac mini, and the Mac Studio.

The M4 chip family to be used in the upcoming updates is said to be significantly more powerful than the M3. In particular, graphics processing and the Neural Engine are said to gain serious upgrades compared to the M3 family of chips, based on early benchmarks.

Rumor Score: Possible

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CheeseFreeze

Please Apple, please, while you’re at it, redesign the god-awful Magic Mouse so that most of the users don’t have to throw it in the drawer at the day of purchase, replacing it with an actual usable mouse.

Fred257

I won’t update from my M1 air until they get rid of the notch on pro models.  I hate the notch..

Xed

Fred257 said:

I won’t update from my M1 air until they get rid of the notch on pro models.  I hate the notch..

I was also going to mention the notch. I don't hate the notch, but I hate that it's there for no purpose. If they want to shrink down FaceTime components into that thin lid then I'm all for them keeping the notch, but it's been years with no movement on that front. 

blastdoor

Seems like the Mac mini could be more mini. Maybe more like a small cube perhaps?

22july2013

I want Apple to make consistent designs and copy the "Action Button" hardware from the iPhone and Apple Watch to the iPad and all Macs.

doggone

Xed said:

Fred257 said:

I won’t update from my M1 air until they get rid of the notch on pro models.  I hate the notch..

I was also going to mention the notch. I don't hate the notch, but I hate that it's there for no purpose. If they want to shrink down FaceTime components into that thin lid then I'm all for them keeping the notch, but it's been years with no movement on that front. 

TBH I don't even notice it any more.  The notch is there to house the camera etc.  As it is in the menubar it doesn't interfere with anything for me and creates more useable vertical space.
My reason for not upgrading to the M4 is that the M1 is working perfectly well for my needs (now 3 years old). 

doggone

blastdoor said:

Seems like the Mac mini could be more mini. Maybe more like a small cube perhaps?

I like the idea of a small cube though that may not be practical.  My issue with the Mac mini is the cost vs. specs.  I feel that Apple need to be more aggressive on pricing to put a squeeze on the low end market.  I know it is not Apple's style but they did that successfully with the iPod range.  
The base price needs to be 499, not 599.  The base model doesn't have to have the latest M chip, using a M2 will be fine.  However 256GB SSD is too small and 16GB ram would be useful.
Apple does well on the mid to high end machines but they can increase their customer base with better priced entry level options.  This is not a race to the bottom but rather putting pressure on the competition. 

The iMac also needs a refresh.  The bezel needs to go.  Just have the front all screen with connectors at the back, bottom or sides.  

dutchlord

No need for redesign. Just release the M4 27 inch iMac and life is good.

nubus

Xed said:

I was also going to mention the notch. I don't hate the notch, but I hate that it's there for no purpose.

Dell XPS had the chin cam for years causing some disturbing images. The notch is IMO a smart way of getting more display space. I don't see it on iPhone or MBP.

1. Do we really need 4 desktop variants but only 2 laptops? Mini and Studio could become one. And do we need iMac? It sold well as G3 and it replaced a lot of Mac Pro computers when Apple hiked the price on Pro and stopped development. But today? Apple killed iPod. Surely iMac could go as well?

2. Mouse + Keyboard + AirPods Max... must happen now. All EU inventory incl. at resellers must be cleared this year. Impossible to sell a German or Swedish keyboard to other countries. With mouse + keyboard bundled then why not introduce iMac M4 or EOL it?

blastdoor

doggone said:

blastdoor said:

Seems like the Mac mini could be more mini. Maybe more like a small cube perhaps?

I like the idea of a small cube though that may not be practical.  My issue with the Mac mini is the cost vs. specs.  I feel that Apple need to be more aggressive on pricing to put a squeeze on the low end market.  I know it is not Apple's style but they did that successfully with the iPod range.  
The base price needs to be 499, not 599.  The base model doesn't have to have the latest M chip, using a M2 will be fine.  However 256GB SSD is too small and 16GB ram would be useful.
Apple does well on the mid to high end machines but they can increase their customer base with better priced entry level options.  This is not a race to the bottom but rather putting pressure on the competition. 

The iMac also needs a refresh.  The bezel needs to go.  Just have the front all screen with connectors at the back, bottom or sides.  

The Apple TV 4K is a lot smaller than the Mac mini and seems to be plenty feasible. So, I'm thinking -- start with that, make it taller and aluminum instead of plastic, and use the extra vertical space for a small heat sink + fan. 

discountopinion

Is it just me or does 2024 feel like one of the more exciting years for Apple Products in a long time? I am eagerly awaiting the launch of the M4 class MacBook Pros and Studios. Good time to trade in the old M1Max MacBook Pro!!

Afarstar

dutchlord said:

No need for redesign. Just release the M4 27 inch iMac and life is good.

Never going to happen. If there is a larger iMac it will be a much bigger screen than 27”. 

macxpress

My guess is the Mac Pro will get a massive redesign. It doesn't need to be that large as it doesn't need as much room for the power supply and cooling. The Mac mini might be neat to see a new design around the size of the AppleTV, almost the size of a Raspberry Pi. 

macxpress

Afarstar said:

dutchlord said:

No need for redesign. Just release the M4 27 inch iMac and life is good.

Never going to happen. If there is a larger iMac it will be a much bigger screen than 27”. 

I bet they do a 32" iMac 5K or 6K and throw the Pro moniker on it just because it has a larger screen. There will actually be nothing "Pro" about it, even if it as an M4 Pro SoC. They don't wanna cannibalize Mac Studio and Apple Studio Display sales. Perhaps they'll only make it in space black too in order to make it more "Pro" lol. Apple loves to throw the Pro name on shit that isn't actually Pro. They don't really need to make it an iMac Pro. It could simply just be a higher spec'd iMac like they used to have with the old 27" iMac with a Core i9 and better GPU. I've said it a million times and I'll say it again, there's no room for an iMac Pro in Apple's lineup and it doesn't make sense to reintroduce one now that Mac Studio exists and the Mac Studio is a far better value long term and will sustain faster speeds for longer periods of time. 

macxpress

blastdoor said:

doggone said:

blastdoor said:

Seems like the Mac mini could be more mini. Maybe more like a small cube perhaps?

I like the idea of a small cube though that may not be practical.  My issue with the Mac mini is the cost vs. specs.  I feel that Apple need to be more aggressive on pricing to put a squeeze on the low end market.  I know it is not Apple's style but they did that successfully with the iPod range.  
The base price needs to be 499, not 599.  The base model doesn't have to have the latest M chip, using a M2 will be fine.  However 256GB SSD is too small and 16GB ram would be useful.
Apple does well on the mid to high end machines but they can increase their customer base with better priced entry level options.  This is not a race to the bottom but rather putting pressure on the competition. 

The iMac also needs a refresh.  The bezel needs to go.  Just have the front all screen with connectors at the back, bottom or sides.  

The Apple TV 4K is a lot smaller than the Mac mini and seems to be plenty feasible. So, I'm thinking -- start with that, make it taller and aluminum instead of plastic, and use the extra vertical space for a small heat sink + fan. 

The next Mac mini will be fan less and only have the M4 in it. Basically it would be a MacBook Air in an AppleTV sized enclosure. 

chasm

CheeseFreeze said:

Please Apple, please, while you’re at it, redesign the god-awful Magic Mouse so that most of the users don’t have to throw it in the drawer at the day of purchase, replacing it with an actual usable mouse.

I've used one for years, not a problem. There's an Apple logo on the bottom so you are sure it is oriented properly, but after that the left and right buttons* work exactly as expected.

*assuming you have turned on the right-click option, which isn't on by default.

Possibly my hand positioning is a bit different than some; I use my right hand, and my index finger naturally rests where the left-click is, and my middle finger rests where the right-click would be. I use each finger for that purpose, and the two fingers at the same time for scrolling. It all seems to work fine for me.

If this doesn't sound wildly alien to you, have a look in the mouse settings for your Mac and possibly there's some options and adjustments there you may want to make to have it suit you better. I have turned off "swipe between pages" and "swipe between full-screen applications," personally, as I don't use them very much.

AniMill

CheeseFreeze said:

Please Apple, please, while you’re at it, redesign the god-awful Magic Mouse so that most of the users don’t have to throw it in the drawer at the day of purchase, replacing it with an actual usable mouse.

Never used any of mine. Drawer filler for sure.

AniMill

dutchlord said:

No need for redesign. Just release the M4 27 inch iMac and life is good.

I would seriously go back to this form-factor. I loved my iMac Pro. It was portable, compact, powerful and had a beautiful screen. Give me a 29” miniLED 5.5k screen with an M4 MAX or ULTRA and I’d be clam-happy. I’d sell off my Mac Studio M1 ULTRA, a perfectly good machine, to adopt a vastly faster GPU array for my C4D and Resolve work.

elijahg

I find it a bit weird that they're spacing out the Mx upgrades across the product range over such a long period.  Like why is the Mac Studio still on the M2 whilst the iPad has made it to the M4? The iMac was the first to get the M1, but last to lose it then jumped to M3. It doesn't make sense. I would say it might be because the Max/Ultra takes longer to refine, but then the iMac could have gone to the M2, but skipped it entirely.

paulmacintosh

Fred257 said:

I won’t update from my M1 air until they get rid of the notch on pro models.  I hate the notch..

I take your M1 Air and raise you a 2012 Intel Retina MBP. That notch is ugly af and useless.