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Tag: USB4

  • Apple announces M4, M4 Max-based MacBook Pro models

    Apple announces M4, M4 Max-based MacBook Pro models

    Apple’s week of product announcements continued with the company announcing M4 and M4 Max-based versions of its 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro notebooks, alongside a new entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the M4 chip.

    As had been previously leaked, the M4 and M4 Max notebooks arrive with a minimum of 24GB of Unified Memory, up from 18GB of the M3 MacBook Pro models. The new computers feature three Thunderbolt 5 ports, the newest specification of Thunderbolt that offers speeds of up to 120 Gb/s with Bandwidth Boost, which is triple the maximum bandwidth of Thunderbolt 4. The updated Thunderbolt standard also offers native support for DisplayPort 2.1 output over USB-C. The Thunderbolt 5 standard is fully compatible with USB4 and also supports protocols such as PCIe 4.0, which offers faster data access speeds for external storage devices and peripherals.

    The M4 Pro chip offers a 14-core CPU with 10 performance cores as well as four efficiency cores and features up to a 20-core GPU that Apple claims is twice as powerful as the M4. The company has cited that the M4 Pro offers a 75 percent increase in memory bandwidth over the prior generation. The new MacBook Pro with M4 Pro is also up to 3x faster than models with M1 Pro, says Apple. The M4 Max model features up to a 16-core CPU, up to a 40-core GPU, over half a terabyte per second of unified memory bandwidth, and a Neural Engine that is over 3x faster than M1 Max. With M4 Max, the MacBook Pro delivers up to 3.5x the performance of M1 Max, according to Apple. The M4 Max also supports up to 128GB of unified memory.

    Each of the new MacBook Pro models includes an improved Liquid Retina XDR display with an updated nano-texture display option that offers up to 1000 nits of brightness for SDR content.

    Other new features include a 12MP Center Stage camera, which Apple states offers enhanced video quality in challenging lighting conditions. The update camera offers a Desk View option, which can show both your face and the desk immediately below. The 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro model is cited as offering 22 hours of battery life, while the M4 Max model offers up to 18 hours. For the 16-inch MacBook Pro, users opting for the M4 Pro can get up to 24 hours of battery life, while the M4 Max offers up to 21 hours.

    Each of the models features an HDMI port that supports up to 8K resolution, and the M4 Pro model is able to support up to three 6K displays at 60Hz over Thunderbolt or HDMI, an improvement over the previous M3 Pro model. The M4 Pro chip can alternatively support one display at 6K resolution over 60Hz and a second display at 8K resolution at 60Hz or 4K resolution at 240Hz. The M4 Max model can support up to three external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 4K resolution at 144Hz over HDMI, or up to two external displays with 6K resolution at 60Hz over Thunderbolt and one external display with up to 8K resolution at 60Hz or one external display with 4K resolution at 240Hz over HDMI.

    Finally, the new notebooks feature an SDXC card slot, a MagSafe 3 port for charging, and a headphone jack, along with support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. The units arrive in space black and silver color options, became available for pre-order yesterday, and will be available beginning Friday, November 8. In the US, pricing starts at $1,599 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro and $2,499 for the 16-inch MacBook Pro.

    Via MacRumors and Apple

  • Intel previews next-gen version of Thunderbolt, which could enable dual 8K external display support for Macs

    Intel previews next-gen version of Thunderbolt, which could enable dual 8K external display support for Macs

    Intel may not be making the majority of chips for Apple’s devices anymore, but they’ve still got their hands in some very cool stuff.

    On Wednesday, the company previewed the next generation of its Thunderbolt technology, which would allow for ultra-fast data transfer speeds as well as improved external display support on future Macs that use the standard when it debuts in 2023 or later.

    The next generation of Thunderbolt will deliver up to 80 Gbps of bandwidth in each direction, allowing for up to 2× faster data transfer speeds between future Macs and external storage drives that support the standard compared to current speeds. The next generation of Thunderbolt will also have a mode that allows for up to 120 Gbps bandwidth for external displays, which would allow a Mac to support up to dual 8K displays at 60Hz.

    As of now, the latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro notebook models are equipped with Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports with up to 40 Gbps of bandwidth in each direction. There are no current Macs that support 8K displays on a plug-and-play basis, although the current 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro notebooks support up to two or three external displays at up to 6K@60Hz depending on whether the laptop is configured with the M1 Pro or M1 Max chip.

    Intel touted the next generation of Thunderbolt as being based on the newly-released USB4 version 2.0 and DisplayPort 2.1 specifications. The standard is backwards compatible with previous versions of Thunderbolt, USB, and DisplayPort. Intel plans to share more details about the next generation of Thunderbolt’s official name, features, and capabilities in 2023.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Intel

  • Rumor: Apple to release updated, M1X-based Mac mini with additional ports over the next several months

    Rumor: Apple to release updated, M1X-based Mac mini with additional ports over the next several months

    Per the mighty Mark Gurman, Apple’s Mac mini is rumored to be receiving a significant redesign in the next few months.

    The desktop was among the first Apple products to receive the M1 processor in 2020, with no major changes being made to its overall design.

    According to Gurman, the forthcoming generation of the desktop is expected to receive an M1X processor, will have an updated design, and more ports than the current model.

    Per noted YouTuber Jon Prosser, the upcoming M1X-powered Mac mini will also introduce a new generation of industrial design for Apple’s standalone Mac. According to him, the 2021 Mac mini will feature a new external chassis with a “plexiglass-like” reflective surface on the top, in an otherwise aluminum enclosure.

    The M1X chip will enable Apple to offer a full lineup of ports once more, including four USB4 / Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB-A, Ethernet, and HDMI out.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac, Bloomberg, and Jon Prosser

  • USB4 specification released, focuses on transfer speeds up to 40Gbps

    The USB Implementers Forum released the USB4 specification on Tuesday, offering details as to what to expect from the next-generation USB architecture.

    USB4 is a major update that “complements and builds upon” the current USB 3.2 2×2 (USB-C) and USB 2.0 architectures. According to the USB-IF, the USB4 architecture is based on Thunderbolt, doubling the maximum bandwidth of USB and allowing for multiple simultaneous data and display protocols. 

    The specification offers the following bells and whistles:

    • Two-lane operation using existing USB Type-C cables and up to 40Gbps operation over 40Gbps certified cables
    • Multiple data and display protocols that efficiently share the maximum aggregate bandwidth
    • Backward compatibility with USB 3.2, USB 2.0 and Thunderbolt 3

    The USB4 specification will use the same USB-C connector design as USB 3, meaning USB4 devices will connectedly cleanly with USB-C ports.

    Apple’s newest Macs offer support for USB-C and Thunderbolt 3, which means most Mac users are already experiencing USB4 speeds when using Thunderbolt 3 cables and devices, but USB4 will make Thunderbolt-style speeds the new default and it will lower the cost of devices that use these faster transfer speeds. 

    The USB4 specification will also offer USB power Delivery, which should allow for higher-powered chargers with multiple USB4 ports.

    Although the USB4 specification is complete, it’ll take some time before these devices hit the market. It’s currently estimated that it will be late 2020 or beyond before the first USB4 devices hit the market.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and the USB Implementers Forum