I Got to Play With Apple’s New M4 Mac Mini, iMac and MacBook Pro

In a trendy corner of Los Angeles, I got to try the new Mac Mini, iMac and MacBook Pro machines Apple just announced, which are powered by the company’s new M4 chips with Apple Intelligence AI. 

These updated computers and laptops offer a range of improvements, some of which are minimal, like the MacBook Pro’s Thunderbolt 5 ports and the Mac Mini’s smaller size. But the the biggest advancement is the introduction of Apple-designed M4 chips in all models, which enable more AI features, capabilities and gaming performance. I saw some of these on display in Apple’s Los Angeles showcase, including demos with audio creation, video editing and gaming — and I came away impressed. 

A few caveats: I wasn’t able to run any sort of benchmarks or test anything beyond what was available as part of Apple’s demos. Please stay tuned for our full reviews coming soon, which will show exactly how Apple’s lineup of M4 Mac Mini, iMac and MacBook Pro models stack up to their predecessors, and the growing competition of Microsoft’s AI-powered Copilot Plus PCs. 

A row of colorful iMacs on display A row of colorful iMacs on display

Two small computers, the older Mac Mini on the left with a wider but shorter base and the smaller newer Mac Mini on the right with USB-C ports in front. Two small computers, the older Mac Mini on the left with a wider but shorter base and the smaller newer Mac Mini on the right with USB-C ports in front.

An older Mac Mini (left) compared to the new M4-powered Mac Mini (right).

David Lumb/CNET

The adorably small but powerful Mac Mini

I’m a huge fan of small gadgets, so I found the new Mac Mini is as visually delightful as it is powerful. Just like with clamshell foldable phones, additional thickness is a worthwhile tradeoff if it means reducing the device’s overall footprint. Apple helpfully placed an older Mac Mini alongside the new one, and while the former is still impressively sized, the new Mini can be palmed in one hand. This is an M4-powered computer you could throw in a purse.

The bottom of the new Mac Mini showing the power button on the back left bottom corner. The bottom of the new Mac Mini showing the power button on the back left bottom corner.

A bottom view of the new Mac Mini 2024, showing the power button’s placement. With the computer sitting on a desktop and the ports facing forward, the button is just under the left-rear corner.

David Lumb/CNET

One of the demos was run on a Mac Mini, showing how it can run Logic audio editing software, within which the AI Music Maker can add AI-created music tracks to videos. These can be constructed piecemeal, adding layer by layer of drums, bass, keyboards and other musical elements — each of which can be tweaked with broad controls, no music theory knowledge necessary. 

A MacBook Pro laptop playing a game (Control) with a PS5 DualSense controller. A MacBook Pro laptop playing a game (Control) with a PS5 DualSense controller.

The MacBook Pro 2024 with M4 Max chip and 128GB of RAM playing the 2019 Remedy Entertainment game Control.

David Lumb/CNET

MacBook Pro is a Siri, ChatGPT and gaming machine

The new MacBook Pro models didn’t add anything to the layout or design over last year’s M3 models, though the lower-end M4 14-inch MacBook Pro now comes with three USB-C ports instead of two. In fact, all of this year’s models feature three Thunderbolt 5 ports for up to 120 gigabytes per second of data bandwidth. 

On a maximum-specced MacBook Pro 16-inch model with an M4 Max chip and 128GB of RAM, I saw a demonstrator ask Siri AI to perform a few tasks, including offering advice on how to combine PDFs. Through Apple’s partnership with ChatGPT, I saw the AI chatbot answer a more complicated search query asking for things to do in Malibu. The system took a couple of seconds to respond on both occasions, which was about the same time it took the iMac a few tables away to perform the same task. The laptops could also turn photos into AI-generated cartoons, taking about the same elapsed time — somewhat similar to the image generator feature showcased on Microsoft Copilot Plus PCs released earlier this year.

The most impressive feat I saw the M4 chips perform was pushing pixels to play Remedy Entertainment’s 2019 game Control. Apple chose a section of the third-person shooter set in dark, murky caves lit with bright flashes to show off the M4’s ray tracing capabilities. As I stomped through puddles of water to shoot enemies, I was able to see accurate reflections of my surroundings. Granted, this was running on a fully specced MacBook Pro with M4 Max chip and 128GB of RAM, so I’m curious about how the more modest configurations handled such a graphical workload. 

Overall, the Los Angeles demo session was a brief and controlled, yet tantalizing peek at Apple’s new lineup of computers. Some will charm with their looks, others with their modest upgrades, but all promise the performance upgrades that enable AI capabilities. Though it’s worth noting that we won’t know how indispensable these tools will be until Apple Intelligence rolls out and software companies integrate the next-generation tech.