Images and videos of an unreleased 14-inch MacBook Pro featuring the M4 chip are being continuously posted on social media. This could be Apple’s biggest leak since 2010 when an employee accidentally left a prototype iPhone 4 in a California bar.
Today, the Russian channel Romancev768 shared the latest video of what might be the next-generation MacBook Pro on YouTube Shorts, just a day after another Russian channel posted a similar video. The video shows a box for a 14-inch MacBook Pro, which supposedly features an M4 chip with a 10-core CPU, a 10-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 512GB storage, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, and comes in a new Space Black color.
Since this MacBook Pro uses the standard M4 chip rather than the higher-tier M4 Pro or M4 Max, it’s speculated that the leaked device is the next base model of the 14-inch MacBook Pro. If true, the base model would see an increase in minimum RAM from 8GB to 16GB, as previously rumored. Additionally, the inclusion of a third Thunderbolt 4 port marks an upgrade since the current base 14-inch MacBook Pro only has two Thunderbolt 3 ports. The Space Black color would also be new for the base model, as it’s currently available only in Space Gray and Silver.
Other listed specs on the box, including the display size and resolution, and ports like MagSafe 3, HDMI, and SD card slot, remain familiar. It also seems that the 14-inch MacBook Pro’s design hasn’t undergone significant changes.
Photos of this MacBook Pro box were first shared last week on X by a leaker named “ShrimpApplePro.” At the time, the legitimacy of the images was questioned, partly because the box used the same graphic as the current generation MacBook Pro. However, the release of two unboxing videos has increased the likelihood that these leaks are real, though no conclusive proof has surfaced.
The source of these leaks remains unclear. Last week, ShrimpApplePro claimed that at least one of these unreleased 14-inch MacBook Pros was being sold in a private Facebook group. In another post on X this past Sunday, the leaker mentioned seeing someone online advertising 200 of these unreleased 14-inch MacBook Pros for sale, leading to speculation that the source of the leak could be a warehouse. While these details are not confirmed, the whole situation appears highly suspicious.
Even if these leaks are fake, some of the mentioned specs are likely accurate. For example, the M4 chip was introduced earlier this year in the iPad Pro, and we know that it comes with a 10-core CPU.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported on Sunday that Apple is expected to unveil its first Macs featuring the M4 chip series later this October. These products may include a 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 chip, higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, a redesigned Mac mini with M4 and M4 Pro chips, and an iMac with an M4 chip. He mentioned that Apple plans to release “at least some” of these Macs on Friday, November 1.
Gurman previously stated that Apple is likely to hold an event this October to introduce new Macs, similar to how it unveiled the current MacBook Pro and iMac models with M3 chips at a virtual event on October 30 last year. However, Apple has yet to announce an October event this year, and the company may opt to introduce its new products via press releases instead.
Apple is known for its culture of secrecy, so leaks of this magnitude rarely happen. As mentioned before, this could be Apple’s biggest information leak since Gizmodo obtained and published photos of an iPhone 4 prototype left by a former Apple employee at a bar in California. In that case, Apple sought legal assistance, but it remains unclear how the company will respond this time.
Source: MacRumors