Apple MacBook Air and MacBook Pro M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max refreshes rumoured to launch with new AI features locked to monthly paid subscription but no design changes

For now, the only way to get your hands on an Apple M4 chipset is to purchase the company's latest iPad Pro, the entry point for which remains the iPad Pro 11 with 256 GB of storage and Wi-Fi-only connectivity (curr. $944 on Amazon). However, rumours have been circulating for a while that Apple is preparing to bring M4 chipsets to the MacBook Pro series with a view to releasing new 14-inch and 16-inch models either late this year or in early 2025.

Allegedly, both MacBook Air sizes are in line for an early 2025 refresh, too. Nonetheless, although Mark Gurman claims that both series will receive Apple M4 chipsets, neither are due to receive any design upgrades this time around. For context, Apple updated the MacBook Pro design in 2021 with the advent of its M1 silicon. Supposedly, 2026 will be the year when visually different MacBook Pro machines will arrive, which could coincide with when the series adopts tandem OLED panels found in Apple's latest 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablets.

According to the same analyst, a similar story will play out for the MacBook Air as well. Specifically, a design refresh is not slated to occur until 2027, a full five years after Apple moved away from its infamous wedge-shaped styling. Gurman adds that Apple is aware that a chipset upgrade will not be enough of an incentive for many existing Apple silicon-based MacBook Air or MacBook Pro machines to upgrade. Consequently, Apple is said to be considering offering a monthly subscription that will build on the free Apple Intelligence service, which is due to land this autumn. Moreover, Gurman asserts that Apple will market third-party AI services like ChatGPT too, for which it will receive a commission just like its current App Store model.