M4 MacBook Pro — A Meaningful Leap Forward for Power Users

Apple’s MacBook Pro lineup has gone through several upgrades since the jump from Intel to Apple Silicon, but for many users, those yearly changes were never compelling enough to replace their existing machines. The original M1 Max MacBook Pro, released in 2021, was powerful, cool-running, and efficient — the kind of laptop you could comfortably use for years without feeling outdated. For video editors, photographers, and developers, it became a stable long-term investment.

The new M4 generation finally shifts that narrative. For the first time since M1, Apple has introduced improvements that significantly impact real-world workloads, making the 2024 MacBook Pro a meaningful upgrade for anyone still using an M1 Max machine. With major boosts in CPU and GPU power, new display upgrades, Thunderbolt 5 support, and Apple’s new nano-texture screen option, this generation offers more than the usual incremental refresh.

This article breaks down what’s new, what matters, and whether upgrading from an M1-era MacBook Pro is worth it.

Performance Gains That Actually Matter
Apple Silicon’s biggest jump was from Intel to M1 — a massive shift in architecture, power efficiency, and performance. Since then, each generation (M2, M3) has been a step forward, but not a dramatic one. M4 is different. The combined improvements from three generations finally produce gains large enough to feel meaningful in daily use.

The M4 Max chip, built on a 3nm process, delivers up to 2.2x faster CPU performance and up to 1.9x faster GPU performance compared to the M1 Max. Synthetic benchmarks confirm this: over 4,000 in Geekbench’s single-core test — the highest ever seen on a Mac laptop — and multi-core scores that top every Apple laptop to date. GPU performance now approaches the M2 Ultra found in the latest Mac Studio and Mac Pro.

But the story becomes more interesting when you move from benchmarks to real-world workloads. Video editing in Final Cut Pro benefits significantly. A mixed 8K workflow that includes RED RAW footage, GoPro clips, and graphics exports nearly twice as fast on the M4 Max compared to the M1 Max. Timeline scrubbing, masking, color grading, and effect previews feel noticeably smoother.

Final Cut Pro 11 introduces Magnetic Mask — an AI-powered subject masking feature designed for Apple Silicon’s neural engine. On an M4 Max, it analyzes and tracks a 45-second clip in around two minutes and thirteen seconds. The same process takes nearly three minutes on M1 Max and six minutes on an Intel Mac Pro with dual GPUs. This is a clear example of how newer hardware unlocks entirely new workflows.

For photographers, Lightroom Classic and DaVinci Resolve see similar improvements, with M4 Max often matching or beating an M2 Ultra in certain processes. While the true potential will be realized when Apple releases M4 Ultra desktops, current gains already position this laptop as a significant upgrade for professionals.

Nano-Texture Display: A Practical Upgrade
The MacBook Pro has always had one of the best laptop screens on the market, but reflections in bright environments remained a challenge. The new nano-texture glass option solves that. Previously exclusive to premium external monitors, nano-texture diffuses harsh reflections without killing image sharpness.

It works exceptionally well on a laptop, especially for professionals who work in varying lighting conditions — studios, offices, coffee shops, and airplanes. The matte finish eliminates glare while keeping colors accurate and contrast balanced. At $100 more than the glossy option, it’s one of the most practical display upgrades Apple has ever offered.

The M4 MacBook Pro display also gets a jump in SDR brightness, now peaking at 1,000 nits, making everyday tasks clearer and more comfortable in bright environments. Apple also quietly introduced quantum-dot improvements this generation, enhancing color accuracy and responsiveness even further.

Thunderbolt 5 and Future-Proof Connectivity
Thunderbolt 5 arrives on the entire M4 MacBook Pro lineup, offering significantly higher bandwidth and new capabilities. Users can now connect up to three 6K displays directly, making it a strong workstation-class machine. Although Thunderbolt 5 accessories are limited and expensive at launch, this upgrade positions the MacBook Pro to fully utilize faster external storage, GPU enclosures (when supported), docking stations, and next-gen displays for years to come.

While this may not change much immediately, it ensures the laptop will stay modern longer — a valuable trait for long-term professional use.

Design, Battery, and Webcam Improvements
M4 MacBook Pros continue with the same design introduced with M3 — including the popular Space Black finish. Fingerprints and marks remain a reality, but protective skins and cases help keep it clean over time.

Battery life sees an improvement thanks to M4’s efficiency gains. Light workloads now run longer, making this machine even more reliable for long flights or full-day work sessions. The ultra-wide Center Stage webcam also makes video calls smoother and better framed, automatically tracking the user’s movement.

Apple now starts all M4 MacBook Pro configurations with a minimum of 16GB unified memory — a change driven by Apple Intelligence and modern app workloads. This improves base model value and ensures smoother multitasking for years.

Should You Upgrade?
For users coming from M2 or M3 machines, the jump to M4 is nice but not essential. But for anyone using an M1 Max or earlier — especially professionals — this is the strongest upgrade Apple has delivered since the first Apple Silicon MacBook Pro.

• Performance in video, photo, and 3D apps has nearly doubled
• Nano-texture display meaningfully improves usability
• Thunderbolt 5 opens new long-term potential
• Brighter screen, better battery life, and improved webcam add real quality-of-life benefits
• AI-powered workflows are noticeably faster and more capable

The M1 Max is still a capable machine, and many users can comfortably continue using it for another year. But if your workflow frequently pushes your laptop to its limits, or if modern AI and video tools are becoming part of your daily tasks, the M4 MacBook Pro offers one of the most well-rounded and future-proof upgrades Apple has released.