Still clinging to the M3 MacBook Pro? These 5 M4 features are hard to ignore

With the inevitable M4 MacBook Air likely still several months away and the rumored redesign of the MacBook Pro probably not releasing until 2026, many people that have been waiting to buy a new “Pro” Apple laptop are likely thinking about finally pulling the trigger now that the M4 MacBook Pro line has dropped — or they’re considering buying last year’s M3 line at a hefty holiday discount. The M4 is actually seeing a Black Friday discount itself.

Though the jump from the M3 series to the M4, M4 Pro, or M4 Max is the more in-your-face 2024 upgrade, there’s a little more under the hood of the M4 series 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro than there might initially seem, including a surprisingly notable display upgrade, extra RAM without a price hike, an extra USB-C port, and more.

Overall, the M4 MacBook Pro offers a surprisingly more substantial upgrade than I expected. Let’s get into it.

MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4, 2024)

The 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro carries over the design of Apple’s 2021 MacBook Pro, with the option for a nano-texture display, and a new, even more AI-friendly M4, M4 Pro, or M4 Max chip.

1 Apple’s M4 chip offers reasonable gains over the M3 line

The writing is on the wall when it comes to benchmarks

The base-level M4 MacBook Pro I’ve been using features a 10-core CPU versus the M3’s 8-core CPU, while the GPU clocks in at 10-cores just like last year. This means you’re getting two additional CPU cores with the M4, allowing the second-generation 3-nanometer M4 to pack more of a power punch.

Regarding quick benchmarks, the 14-inch M4 hits for single-core 3,833 and 15,128 for multi-core with Geekbench 6, while online benchmarks indicate the base-level M3 marks 3,081 for single-core and 11,578 for multi-core. This is a significantly increased score and above what I expected, ensuring that M4 MacBook Pro you’ve invested thousands of dollars in remains capable and powerful for that much longer.

While I don’t have an M4 Pro or M4 Max MacBook Pro, the more expensive and powerful chips will likely offer slightly less power gains than Apple’s entry-level M4 chip if they follow the same path as the M3 line. That said, I didn’t test the MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro or M4 Max, so I don’t know for sure.

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2 A brighter display is rarely a bad thing

Going from 600 nits to 1,000 nits is more significant than it initially seems

Apple’s MacBook line features one of the best displays around thanks to its 3024 x 1964 pixel resolution, variable 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, and Wide Color (P3). Brightness clocks in at 1,000 nits sustained, 1,600 nits HDR, and new for the M4 MacBook Pro, 1,000 nits SDR vs last year’s 600 nits SDR. This means that the M4 MacBook Pro hits a notably higher brightness level. I didn’t think the change would be as substantial as it is given it’s only a 400 nits change, but the improvement is noticeable when I look at my M3 Mac and M4 MacBook Pro side-by-side, making it slightly easier to view under certain lighting conditions.

Another notable upgrade is the addition of a nano-texture display, which reduces glare and makes the M4 MacBook Pro’s display more pleasant to look at outside or inside under direct light. I was very against this screen tech initially, but my opinion has shifted since getting my hands on the M4 iPad Proand the Steam Deck OLED. It looks great inside and outside, while still offering deep blacks and vibrant colors (as a side note, it’s also way easier to snap photos of). I wish every device I owned featured nano-texture etching.

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That said, I question the etching’s durability, given how easily the regular MacBook Pro display can be scuffed when even a tiny amount of pressure is applied to the laptop while closed (like when it’s in a heavy backpack, for example). Adding the nano texture screen to the new MacBook Pro costs an extra $150.

3 16GB vs 8GB of RAM

The “Apple’s devices need more RAM” crowd finally reigns victorious

Look, I know — I was in that camp. I’ve often told people, “Yes, Apple probably should be offering 16GB of RAM to start, but macOS is so efficient, it really doesn’t need to.” Every year, that argument is a little more challenging to make, particularly with the pricey MacBook Pro line, and Apple finally seems aware of that. With its entire M4 lineup — including the new Mac mini and iMac — the tech giant has upped the starting RAM amount to 16GB from 8GB at no additional cost, a very uncharacteristic move for Apple.

But what does this mean? Multitasking is more fluid, and the M4 MacBook Pro runs smoother overall compared to the M3 MacBook Pro. Over the last few days with the M4 MacBook Pro, I haven’t run into a single instance of slowdown or lag while using it as my main computer for work, though, to be fair, that’s been my experience with nearly every M series MacBook Pro Apple has released. Of course, it all depends on what you plan to do with the laptop. My typical tasks include a lot of writing, Photoshop/Lightroom CC, and being connected to an LG 4K 120Hz monitor.

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4 The 12-megapixel Center Stage camera makes meetings a breeze

Front and center — always

I’ve used an external DSLR as my go-to webcam for years, but I’ve often considered making the jump back to my MacBook Pro’s built-in camera because, in some situations, it looks nearly as good and, under the proper lighting, it can actually offer better quality. Now that the M4 MacBook Pro’s camera’s sensor has been increased to 12-megapixels, and it supports Center Stage, I might need to finally make that move (Center Stage first launched on the 5th generation iPad Pro models a few years ago).

As someone who tends to move around a bit when they’re on camera, Center Stage is very useful — it always keeps me in the center of the frame. Over the last week with the M4 MacBook Pro, I’ve also enjoyed using my iPhone with Desk View to show off specific features related to Apple’s M4 lineup on a recent call. I don’t expect to use Desk View often, but it’s great the M4 MacBook Pro supports it.

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Unlike the M3 MacBook Pro, the M4 refresh features a third USB-C port

One of my main issues with the base-level M3 MacBook Pro is that it only featured two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports. For a laptop this expensive, that port selection felt very underwhelming. Thankfully, that’s no longer an issue with the M4 MacBook Pro. The refreshed base-level MacBook Pro features three USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports, adding an extra port beside the HDMI port on the right side, just like the laptop’s M4 Pro and M4 Max versions.

This makes charging and connecting an external display from either side of the laptop easier (last year, I was forced to rearrange my desk to plug the M3 MacBook Pro into an external monitor). It’s great to see Apple took at least some of the key criticism regarding the M3 MacBook Pro to heart.

Apple provided this device to Pocket-lint.

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