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The M4 MacBook Pro is Apple's best ever laptop. Even with the base-level M4 chip, the upgraded 16GB of memory means it offers enough power for most users.
The Good
- M4 chip is a beast
- Active cooling reduces throttling
- Base model enough for most people
- Value for money is off the charts
The Not So Good
- Space Black model smudges easily
Yes, I’m late, and no I don’t care. I’m basically the bloke who turned up to the party three months late with half a crate of beer and a big smile on his face. Slightly drunk, probably.
But here I am, and I’m typing this review on a MacBook Pro I’ve been desperate to get my hands on. It’s the base-model M4 MacBook Pro – the ‘cheapest’ one you can buy. And I can tell you without any concern about spoiling this entire review, that it’s the best MacBook Pro Apple has ever made.
You probably know this already, because there are plenty of reviews out there which say the same thing. But what you don’t know is whether or not I think I should have bought it over my super-expensive 14-inch M3 Max MacBook Pro which is currently sitting at home feeling rather sorry for itself.
Equally, you may be currently deliberating on a purchase yourself.
So, let’s dive in.
Read Our Ultimate Guide to The M4 MacBook Pro: Specifications and More!
Performance
We’ll start here because it’s the least interesting part of this review. In a very good way.
If you’re looking at the M4 MacBook Pro and wondering if it’ll deal with your workload, there are a few things to bear in mind, which I’ll cover later. However, if you’ve got a hunch that it’s going to be just fine, you’re right – although you’re probably still going to be surprised by what it can do.
I’ve not run any benchmarks on this laptop because I can’t be bothered, and the numbers are meaningless – but for comparisons, I’ll turn to The Verge, who have done the hard work for all of us. According to their tests, the base model M4 MacBook Pro can export a 4K video from Premiere Pro in three minutes and 14 seconds, which is 33 seconds quicker than the M3 version, and about two minutes slower than a decked-out 16-inch M4 Max MacBook Pro.
I was about to list some of the other numbers from The Verge’s Cinebench and Geekbench tests, but the long and short of it is that the M4 scores slightly better than the M3 and considerably lower than the M4 Pro and M4 Max.
Which is exactly what we should expect. We’re into pissing contest territory now, because all of these MacBook Pros are spectacularly powerful; it’s only once you reach the upper echelons of performance requirements that you’ll start to see the difference.
What would help would be some comparisons with the base model M4 MacBook Pro’s nearest competition, wouldn’t it? As it turns out, that’s far more interesting.
What it has over the M3 MacBook Air
If you’re looking at the base model M4 MacBook Pro, you’re almost certainly considering – or have considered – the MacBook Air. The latter is an incredible laptop – my favourite MacBook, if I were forced to choose, but there are some concessions you make when stepping down to the Air.
Firstly, there’s no M4 MacBook Air at the time of writing, so you’re getting the latest generation of Apple Silicon in the MacBook Pro. And more CPU cores (two, to be exact). The Pro also has higher unified memory options, more storage available (if you go beyond the base model), and six hours more quoted battery life.
But where the M4 MacBook Pro really sings louder than the MacBook Air is in the realm of I/O and display. Starting with the former, you get one additional Thunderbolt 4 port (taking it up to three in total), an HDMI port, and an SD card reader.
The display on the MacBook Pro is a huge upgrade over the MacBook Air. It features a 120Hz ProMotion dynamic refresh rate which means it’s smoother to operate, and, more noticeably, up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness over the 500 nits on the MacBook Air.
Lastly, one shouldn’t overlook the fact that the M4 MacBook Pro also has active cooling, which means it’s far less likely to turn down its performance under heavy load, compared to the MacBook Air.
P.S. Read our article on the M3 MacBook Pro vs M3 MacBook Air if you’re stuck between the two.
What it doesn’t have that the M4 Pro MacBook Pro has
So, what if you spend a bit extra and go for the M4 Pro MacBook Pro? Well, you’ll gain two more CPU cores and six more GPU cores. You’ll also have the option of going up to 48GB of unified memory and 4TB of storage if your wallet can handle it.
The M4 Pro version can also drive two external displays over the single display that the base model M4 MacBook Pro can drive.
That’s it. Everything else is the same.
No, really.
Full M4 Mac mini review
Design and display
MacBook Pro performance these days is a given and, as you probably noted earlier, a rather dull topic as far as I’m concerned, but the brilliance of this base model M4 MacBook Pro actually lies in that design and display.
For the first time ever, you don’t feel like you’re cheaping-out if you buy the base model. If anything, you’re just proving that you’re an incredibly smart consumer, because you’ve recognised that the cheapest one has everything the more expensive versions have – save for top-end graphics performance.
No ports are missing. The display isn’t hampered in some daft way. There’s no artificially degraded anything. It’s a bit like buying the entry-level version of a car and not staring at blank spaces where the cool buttons are on the more expensive models.
Even the colour options are the same. That’s right – you can now get the base model M4 MacBook Pro in Space Black. I wouldn’t, personally, because, in my experience, it wears badly and smudges more easily than the silver version (as you can see in my photos).
This is the least restrained entry-level MacBook Pro ever. Given Apple’s penchant for tempting people to upgrade from feature-deficient base model products, it’s almost a surprise this thing exists.
But I’m glad it does. Really glad.
Who should buy it?
If you don’t think you need the kind of power that comes from an actively cooled MacBook, and the lure of a brighter and smoother display isn’t enough to make you spend more – get the MacBook Air. You won’t be disappointed.
If you’re using your MacBook Pro for serious video editing (the kind where you’re pushing the boundaries with graphics, transitions, and multi-multi-multi-cam work), make the step up to the M4 Pro or M4 Max version.
If you’re analysing huge amounts of data or training AI models, get the M4 Max edition.
For everyone else, there’s the base model M4 MacBook Pro. And that’s a lot of people.
Read Our MacBook Pro Buying Guide
Answering your questions
I mentioned on social media that I’m reviewing the base model M4 MacBook Pro and asked for questions. Predictably, and, curiously, three months after its launch, they came flooding through.
Here are my responses to a selection of them.
Q: Is there a noticeable difference compared to the M2 predecessor?
A: Yes. Chip-wise, it’s probably negligible for most people, but the big difference is in the I/O and display – they’re significant upgrades over the base model M2 MacBook Pro.
Q: Worth an upgrade from the M1?
A: If your M1 MacBook Pro is still performing nicely, no. If you’re ready to upgrade for whatever reason – yes, big time.
Q: How’s the performance compared to the MacBook Air?
A: The fact the base model M4 MacBook Pro has active cooling means it’s far less likely to throttle its performance under heavy load. However, in everyday tasks, they’ll feel pretty much identical.
Q: Should I wish my M3 Max were a base M4?
A: Nope.
Q: How’s the keyboard, please?
A: Great – long gone are the days of the horrible butterfly keyboard. Although MacBook keyboards still age quickly, in my experience (it’s not long before that sheen sets in, regardless of how often you wash your hands and wipe the keyboard down).
Q: If one should get this or wait for the M4 15-inch MBA?
A: See the section above regarding the comparison with the MacBook Air. Oh, and I’d always advise against waiting on Apple for anything – none of us know what’s coming next, or when.
Q: Is the fan noise loud when editing 4K video or other tasks?
A: I’m yet to test intensive video editing, but will be doing it for the YouTube version of this review. However, tests elsewhere suggest it rarely spins up.
Q: Better than M1 Pro MacBook Pro?
A: On paper, yes. I haven’t got both side-by-side to test, I’m afraid.
Q: Is this MacBook no longer the middle child and actually viable?
A: It’s totally viable. This is now the child that every other sibling secretly envies.
Q: Is there a difference between 16 and 24 GB memory on the m4 chip?
A: The latter has more room for memory-intensive tasks 😉
Q: Photo Editing: compare with your previous M1 Max, please.
A: It’s been quite some time since I had my 16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro, but this one doesn’t feel any faster or slower in terms of photo editing. Which says everything you need to know about Apple silicon.
Q: I want a drop test
A: Nope.
Conclusion
The base model M4 MacBook Pro is the best MacBook Pro Apple has ever made because it brings so much power to so many people and it isn’t hampered in any way. To make matters even better, if you need more power, you generally know you need more power (or memory, or storage), and therefore the upgrade path is pretty straightforward.
However, I maintain that most MacBook Pro buyers who aren’t bending the space-time continuum can finally buy the entry-level one and not feel like they’re opting for second best. This is a superb laptop.
Should I have bought it instead of my super expensive M3 Max MacBook Pro? Well, in my defence, this base model M4 version didn’t exist back then, but if I were buying today, I’d absolutely opt for it over the Pro or Max versions.
2 Comments
Great review, thanks. Any experience with coding on the base MBP?
Great review, Mark. Both in written and video form! Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions too. Appreciate the attention you provide and will remain a long time subscriber!