Alleged photos and videos of an unannounced 14-inch MacBook pro with an M4 chip continue to surface on social media, in what could be the worst product leak for Apple since an employee accidentally left an iPhone 4 prototype at a bar in California in 2010.
The latest video of what could be a next-generation MacBook pro was shared on YouTube Shorts today by Russian channel Romancev768, just one day after another Russian channel shared a similar video. The clip shows a box for a 14-inch MacBook pro that is apparently configured with an M4 chip with a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a Space Black finish.
According to the "About This Mac" software menu shown in the video, the MacBook pro in the video is allegedly an unreleased November 2024 model.
Given this MacBook pro has the standard M4 chip, instead of a higher-end M4 pro or M4 Max chip, the leaked unit could be the next entry-level 14-inch MacBook pro. If so, that means the minimum amount of RAM for the MacBook pro lineup would be doubled from 8GB to 16GB, as previously rumored. A third Thunderbolt 4 port would also be an upgrade for the base model, as the current entry-level 14-inch MacBook pro is equipped with only two Thunderbolt 3 ports. Last, Space Black would be a new color option for the entry-level 14-inch MacBook pro, as the base model is currently only offered in Space Gray and Silver.
All other specifications listed on the box are familiar, including the display size and resolution, and other ports like MagSafe 3, HDMI, and an SD card slot. In addition, the 14-inch MacBook pro does not appear to have any noticeable design changes.
Alleged box for 14-inch MacBook pro with M4 chipPhotos of this alleged MacBook pro box were first shared by the leaker "ShrimpApplepro" on social media platform X last week. At the time, the authenticity of the photos was debated, particularly because the box reuses the same MacBook pro graphic that appears on the current-generation MacBook pro boxes. The two unboxing videos increase the likelihood of these leaks being legitimate, but there is no definitive proof.
The source of these leaks is unclear. Last week, "ShrimpApplepro" claimed that at least one of the unannounced 14-inch MacBook pro units was apparently being offered for sale in a private Facebook group. In a follow-up post on X on Sunday, the leaker claimed that he saw someone online who was apparently advertising 200 of the unannounced 14-inch MacBook pro units for sale, leading him to believe this leak originates from a warehouse. It is unclear if these details are accurate, but this whole situation is clearly very sketchy.
Even if these leaks are fake, some of the specifications shown are likely accurate regardless. For example, the M4 chip already debuted in the iPad pro earlier this year, and from that we know that the chip is indeed available with up to a 10-core CPU.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman on Sunday said that he expects Apple to announce the first Macs with the M4 series of chips around the end of October, including a 14-inch MacBook pro with the M4 chip, higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook pro models with M4 pro and M4 Max chips, a redesigned Mac mini with M4 and M4 pro chips, and an iMac with the M4 chip. He said Apple plans to release "at least some" of these Macs on Friday, November 1.
Gurman previously said that Apple would likely hold an October event this year to announce the new Macs, similar to how it introduced the current MacBook pro and iMac models with M3 chips during a virtual event on October 30 last year. Apple has yet to announce an October event this year, however, and press releases are always possible instead.
Apple is well known for having a culture of secrecy, so this magnitude of leak is rarely seen for its products. As previously mentioned, this could be the most significant leak for Apple since Gizmodo obtained and shared photos of an iPhone 4 prototype that a then-employee of the company accidentally left behind at a bar in California. In that case, Apple got law enforcement involved, but how it acts this time around remains to be seen.
