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MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4)
Get the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 if you've outgrown the Air: it adds fans, a 120Hz XDR screen, HDMI, an SD card slot and a third Thunderbolt port.
Product images
MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4), from its Amazon listing.
Credit: Amazon.com (Associates Program). Amazon listing
Product image from the Amazon listing.
In short
Get the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 if you've outgrown the Air: it adds fans, a 120Hz XDR screen, HDMI, an SD card slot and a third Thunderbolt port. Apple rates the 72.4Wh battery for up to 24 hours of video, and it weighs 1.55 kg. Its successor, the 14-inch M5, starts at $1,699 with 1TB and the same core counts, so buy the M4 only for less.
Who it is for
- Air owners who need sustained performance or more ports. You get fans, HDMI, an SDXC slot and a third Thunderbolt 4 port.
- Photo and video editors who want a brighter screen: 1,000 nits sustained, 1,600 nits peak for HDR and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, against 500 nits on the Air.
- Two-monitor setups. It drives two external displays, one of them over HDMI at up to 4K and 144Hz, and keeps its own screen on.
Who should skip it
- Anyone who needs Thunderbolt 5 or more cores. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro starts with a 12-core CPU, a 16-core GPU, 24GB and 512GB, at $1,999.
- Buyers paying close to new-model money. The 14-inch MacBook Pro (M5) has the same 10-core CPU and GPU and 72.4Wh battery class, and starts at $1,699 with 1TB.
- Anyone who wants a silent laptop. The fanless 13-inch Air (M4) has two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a 53.8Wh battery.
What sets it apart
- A 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion up to 120Hz: 3024 × 1964 at 254 ppi, 1,000 nits sustained and 1,600 peak in HDR, with an optional nano-texture finish.
- HDMI, an SDXC slot and three Thunderbolt 4 ports at up to 40Gb/s, plus MagSafe 3 and a headphone jack.
- Active cooling with fans, where the Air is fanless.
- Up to 24 hours of video streaming and 16 hours of web browsing from a 72.4Wh battery, Apple says.
- Six speakers with force-cancelling woofers, and a 12MP Center Stage camera.
Caveats
- Memory is soldered and tops out at 32GB, and storage stops at 2TB.
- Apple's battery ratings were measured on a 24GB, 1TB model, not the 16GB base configuration.
Key specs
In the same order on every laptop page, so you can compare models.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | M4: 10-core CPU (4 performance, 6 efficiency); 16-core Neural Engine; 120GB/s bandwidth | Apple tech specsThe base M4, not the M4 Pro or M4 Max; 120GB/s is the memory bandwidth. |
| Graphics | 10-core GPU; hardware ray tracing | Apple tech specs |
| Memory | 16GB or 24GB unified memory; 32GB optional (soldered) | Apple tech specs; Apple Newsroom, 30 October 2024Starts at 16GB, Apple says. |
| Storage | 512GB or 1TB SSD; 2TB optional; no 4TB option | Apple tech specs |
| Display size | 14.2 inches diagonal (viewable area slightly less, with rounded top corners) | Apple tech specs |
| Display type | Liquid Retina XDR, mini-LED class as Apple markets it; nano-texture optional | Apple tech specs |
| Display resolution | 3024 × 1964 at 254 ppi | Apple tech specs |
| Refresh rate | ProMotion, adaptive up to 120Hz; fixed 47.95, 48, 50, 59.94 or 60Hz | Apple tech specs |
| Peak brightness | XDR: 1,000 nits sustained full-screen, 1,600 nits peak (HDR, below 25°C); SDR: up to 1,000 nits outdoors | Apple tech specsApple's ratings. |
| Color and contrast | 1,000,000:1 contrast; 1 billion colors; P3 wide color; True Tone | Apple tech specs |
| Dimensions | 1.55 × 31.26 × 22.12 cm (0.61 × 12.31 × 8.71 in) | Apple tech specs |
| Weight | 1.55 kg (3.4 lb) | Apple tech specsVaries by configuration and manufacturing process. |
| Chassis material | Aluminum enclosure, made from 100% recycled aluminum | Apple tech specs |
| Finishes | Space Black, Silver | Apple tech specs |
| Battery capacity | 72.4-watt-hour lithium-polymer | Apple tech specs |
| Battery, wireless web | Up to 16 hours | Apple tech specsApple's August–October 2024 test on a preproduction M4 with 10-core CPU and GPU, 24GB and 1TB, across 25 websites at brightness 8 clicks from the bottom. |
| Battery, video streaming | Up to 24 hours | Apple tech specs |
| Charging | 70W USB-C Power Adapter in the box; USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable (2 m); fast charging with the 96W USB-C Power Adapter, a build-to-order option | Apple tech specs |
| Ports | MagSafe 3; SDXC; HDMI; 3.5 mm headphone jack; three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) for charging, DisplayPort and Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 up to 40Gb/s | Apple tech specs |
| Webcam | 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View; 1080p video | Apple tech specs |
| Speakers | Six speakers with force-cancelling woofers; Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos | Apple tech specs |
| Microphones | Three mics Apple calls studio-quality, with directional beamforming | Apple tech specs |
| Keyboard | Backlit Magic Keyboard with Touch ID; 78 keys (U.S.) or 79 (ISO); 12 full-height function keys | Apple tech specs |
| Trackpad | Force Touch trackpad | Apple tech specs |
| Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3 | Apple tech specsApple's N1 chip and Wi-Fi 7 came with the M5 Pro and M5 Max models in March 2026. |
| Operating system | macOS Sequoia at launch, with Apple Intelligence | Apple tech specs; Apple Newsroom, 30 October 2024 |
| External displays | Two at up to 6K at 60Hz over Thunderbolt, or one 6K over Thunderbolt plus one 4K at 144Hz over HDMI; or one at up to 8K at 60Hz or 4K at 240Hz over HDMI. The built-in display stays on | Apple tech specs |
| Security | Touch ID | Apple tech specs |
| Cooling | Fans (active cooling); Apple's idle and web-browsing noise levels were measured on a 10-core CPU and GPU model with 16GB and 1TB | Apple tech specs |
| US price | $1,599 at launch (30 Oct 2024); $1,499 education | Apple Newsroom, 30 October 2024 |
| Price band | Entry 14-inch Pro of the M4 generation ($1,500–$2,000 at US launch) | Based on Apple's $1,599 starting price |
| Announced | 30 October 2024, with the M4 Pro and M4 Max models; the 14-inch M5 followed on 15 October 2025 | Apple Newsroom |
| Availability | Pre-orders from 30 October 2024; in stores from Friday, 8 November 2024; now the previous model | Apple Newsroom, 30 October 2024 |
MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) extras
Specs only this model has.
| Spec | Value | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| 14-inch M5 model | MacBook Pro 14-inch (M5): same 10-core CPU and GPU, TB4 and 72.4Wh class; from March 2026, $1,699 with 1TB to start | Apple tech specs for the 14-inch M5 model; Apple Newsroom, March 2026 |
| 14-inch M3 model | MacBook Pro 14-inch (M3): two Thunderbolt and USB 4 ports instead of three TB4, 8GB to start, 22 hours of video and 15 of web, 70Wh battery, Space Gray, $1,599 | Apple tech specs for the 14-inch M3 model |
| 14-inch M4 Pro model | MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro): 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU to start, Thunderbolt 5, 24GB and 512GB, 22 hours of video and 14 of web, 3.5 lb, $1,999 | Apple tech specs for the 14-inch M4 Pro model |
| Nano-texture display | Optional; the polishing cloth comes only with nano-texture | Apple tech specs |
| In the box | 14-inch MacBook Pro; 70W USB-C Power Adapter; USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable (2 m); polishing cloth only with nano-texture | Apple tech specs |
| Recycled content | More than 35% recycled content, including 100% recycled aluminum in the enclosure, Apple says | Apple tech specs |
| ENERGY STAR | ENERGY STAR certified | Apple tech specs |
Apple announced this base model on 30 October 2024 alongside the M4 Pro and M4 Max versions, and it reached stores on 8 November 2024. At $1,599 it was the entry 14-inch Pro of that generation; the M4 Pro version started at $1,999.
What the Pro adds over the Air
| Spec | MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) | MacBook Air 13-inch (M4) |
|---|---|---|
| Cooling | Fans | Fanless |
| Screen | 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, ProMotion up to 120Hz | 13-inch IPS |
| Brightness | 1,000 nits SDR outdoors; 1,600 nits peak in HDR | 500 nits |
| Ports | Three Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3, headphone jack | Two Thunderbolt 4 |
| Battery | 72.4Wh | 53.8Wh |
If you edit photos or video, copy footage off SD cards, plug into a projector or run long exports, these are the differences you’ll feel. If you mostly write and browse, the Air does that without a fan. MacBook Air M3 vs MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) walks through the jump from an older Air.
Where it sits against the M5 and M4 Pro
Apple announced the 14-inch M5 on 15 October 2025. It has the same 10-core CPU and GPU, Thunderbolt 4 ports and 72.4Wh battery class as this M4, and since March 2026 it starts at $1,699 with 1TB. So an M4 is only a good buy below that price, and remember that its smallest SSD is 512GB. The M5 Pro and M5 Max models from March 2026 also move to Apple’s N1 chip with Wi-Fi 7; the M4 has Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 vs M5 has the side-by-side.
| Spec | 14-inch M3 | 14-inch M4 | 14-inch M4 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ports | Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 | Three Thunderbolt 4 | Thunderbolt 5 |
| Base memory | 8GB | 16GB | 24GB |
| Battery, video | 22 hours | 24 hours | 22 hours |
| Battery, web | 15 hours | 16 hours | 14 hours |
| Starting price | $1,599 | $1,599 | $1,999 |
The M4 Pro, with a 12-core CPU and 16-core GPU to start, is the one for Thunderbolt 5 and heavier work; see MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro). The M3 model before it cost the same $1,599, with two Thunderbolt ports and 8GB.
The XDR screen
The 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR panel, which Apple markets as mini-LED, runs 3024 × 1964 at 254 ppi. It holds 1,000 nits full-screen and peaks at 1,600 nits for HDR (Apple’s rating is for temperatures below 25°C), and SDR content can reach 1,000 nits outdoors. Contrast is 1,000,000:1, with P3 wide color, 1 billion colors and True Tone.
ProMotion adjusts the refresh rate up to 120Hz, and you can also fix it at 47.95, 48, 50, 59.94 or 60Hz. A nano-texture finish is optional, and only nano-texture models come with a polishing cloth.
Battery, charging and cooling
| Mode | 14-inch Pro (M4) |
|---|---|
| Video streaming | Up to 24 hours |
| Wireless web | Up to 16 hours |
| Battery | 72.4Wh |
Apple measured those in August to October 2024 on a preproduction model with the 10-core CPU and GPU, 24GB and 1TB, browsing 25 websites with brightness 8 clicks from the bottom.
The box has a 70W USB-C Power Adapter and a 2-meter USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable; fast charging needs the 96W adapter, which you can pick when ordering. Unlike the Air, it has fans, and Apple’s noise figures for idle and web browsing were measured on a 16GB, 1TB model.
Ports and displays
You get MagSafe 3, an SDXC card slot, HDMI, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports that handle charging, DisplayPort and Thunderbolt 4 or USB4 at up to 40Gb/s.
| Displays | Up to |
|---|---|
| Two over Thunderbolt | 6K at 60Hz each |
| One over Thunderbolt, one over HDMI | 6K at 60Hz plus 4K at 144Hz |
| One over HDMI | 8K at 60Hz, or 4K at 240Hz |
The built-in screen stays on in every setup.
Camera, sound and the rest
Up front is a 12MP Center Stage camera that records 1080p video. Six speakers with force-cancelling woofers handle Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, and the three-mic array, which Apple calls studio-quality, uses directional beamforming. The backlit Magic Keyboard has Touch ID and 12 full-height function keys, over a Force Touch trackpad. It launched with macOS Sequoia and Apple Intelligence.
It comes in Space Black or Silver. Apple says the enclosure is 100% recycled aluminum and the machine is more than 35% recycled content overall, and it’s ENERGY STAR certified.
Price
The 14-inch M4 started at $1,599 in the US, or $1,499 with education pricing. With the M5 now at $1,699 with 1TB, a refurbished or discounted M4 needs a clear saving to make sense. If you’re buying used, Apple’s “Identify your MacBook Pro model” guide helps confirm you’re getting the base M4 and not an M4 Pro. Check current prices before you buy.
Sources
- Amazon product listing — accessed 2026-09-20
- Apple Newsroom — MacBook Pro with the M4 family of chips — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Support — MacBook Pro (14-inch, M4, 2024) tech specs — accessed 2026-09-19
- Apple Support — Identify your MacBook Pro model — accessed 2026-09-19
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth it over a MacBook Air?
Only if you'll use what it adds: fans for long exports, a 14.2-inch XDR screen with ProMotion that reaches 1,000 nits sustained and 1,600 in HDR against the Air's 500-nit IPS panel, HDMI, an SDXC slot, a third Thunderbolt 4 port, six speakers, and a 72.4Wh battery against 53.8Wh in the 13-inch M4 Air.
Should I buy this or the 14-inch MacBook Pro (M5)?
The M5, unless the M4 is clearly cheaper. The M5 has the same 10-core CPU and GPU, Thunderbolt 4 and 72.4Wh battery class, and since March 2026 it starts at $1,699 with 1TB. The M4 launched at $1,599, with 512GB or 1TB listed.
Does the base M4 have Thunderbolt 5?
No. It has three Thunderbolt 4 ports at up to 40Gb/s. Apple's shared M4 family specs mention Thunderbolt 5 video output, but Thunderbolt 5 (TB5) belongs to the M4 Pro and M4 Max models.
Which charger does it need?
The 70W USB-C Power Adapter in the box, with a 2-meter USB-C to MagSafe 3 cable. Fast charging needs the 96W adapter, which you can choose when ordering. Apple doesn't list a minimum wattage, so there's no official word on whether a 60W charger will do.
Can it drive two external displays?
Yes. Two at up to 6K and 60Hz over Thunderbolt, or one 6K over Thunderbolt plus one 4K at 144Hz over HDMI, with the built-in screen still on. Over HDMI alone, one display can run at up to 8K and 60Hz or 4K and 240Hz.
Official product page: MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4). Tech specs: MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4) specs.