Apple Updates Base 14-Inch MacBook Pro With M4 Chip, 16GB of RAM, Extra Thunderbolt Port, Space Black, and More

Alongside higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, Apple today announced a handful of upgrades for the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro, including the standard M4 chip, a minimum of 16GB of RAM instead of 8GB, an additional Thunderbolt port, a Space Black color option, and more.

m3 mbp space black
In the base 14-inch MacBook Pro, the M4 chip is available with a 10-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, and it has a 16-core Neural Engine for Apple Intelligence. For the 10-core CPU, there are four performance cores and six efficiency cores. Memory bandwidth has increased to 120 GB/s for this model, up from 100 GB/s previously.

Apple already introduced the M4 chip in the iPad Pro earlier this year, and in the new iMac and Mac mini models this week. Geekbench 6 benchmark results showed the M4 chip is up to 25% faster than the M3 chip in the iPad Pro, and performance improvements should be similar for Macs with the M4 chip compared to previous models with the M3 chip.

Just like the new iMac, the base model 14-inch MacBook Pro now comes with a minimum of 16GB of RAM, compared to 8GB for previous models. The base model is now available with up to 32GB of RAM, up from the previous 24GB limit.

Storage capacity options remain 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB.

The base-model 14-inch MacBook Pro is now equipped with three Thunderbolt 4 ports, whereas the previous model has two Thunderbolt 3 ports. The laptop now supports up to two external displays with up to 6K resolution, even when the lid is open.

Mac With Two Displays
The base-model 14-inch MacBook Pro can now be configured with a nano-texture display, which has a special coating that better scatters light to further minimize glare on the screen. And the base model's display brightness has also increased from 600 nits to 1,000 nits for standard non-HDR content in outdoor environments, according to Apple's tech specs.

The base model also gets an upgraded 12-megapixel camera with Center Stage support to keep you centered in the frame, and a Desk View feature can show others your face and an overhead view of your desk at the same time.

Apple says the MacBook Pro now offers up to 24 hours of battery life for "video streaming," the "longest ever in a Mac."


Apple has made the darker Space Black finish available for the entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro this year, alongside Silver. Space Black was previously exclusive to 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models configured with M3 Pro or M3 Max chips.

The base model 14-inch MacBook Pro has no major external design changes, and some specs are the same as the previous model, such as Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. In addition to three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI port and an SD card slot remain.

Apple says the new MacBook Pro models are available to pre-order starting today, and they will launch in many countries on Friday, November 8. In the U.S., the base 14-inch MacBook Pro continues to start at $1,599.

Related Roundup: MacBook Pro
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Pro (Neutral)
Related Forum: MacBook Pro

Popular Stories

apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro teal 1

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Coming to These 8 U.S. States, But Rollout Remains Slow

Wednesday March 19, 2025 6:55 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly. It has been three and a half years since Apple first announced the...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

iOS 19 to Have Some of the 'Biggest' Design Changes in iPhone's History

Sunday March 16, 2025 10:35 am PDT by
Apple is planning some of the "biggest iOS and macOS redesigns in its history," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman reiterated that iOS 19 will have a visionOS-like design with more transparent interfaces:The new interfaces will adopt the design principles introduced in visionOS, the software for Apple's Vision Pro headset. That includes greater...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro Already Rumored to Have Five New Features

Tuesday March 18, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around a year and a half away from launching, there are already some early rumors about the devices. Below, we recap some key iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. Under-Screen Face ID In April 2023, display industry analyst Ross Young shared a roadmap showing that iPhone 17 Pro models would feature under-display Face ID. In May 2024, however, Young said ...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Apple's First Foldable iPhone Estimated to Cost Nearly Twice as Much as iPhone 16 Pro Max

Monday March 17, 2025 6:42 am PDT by
In an investor research note today with British bank Barclays, analyst Tim Long said Apple's first foldable iPhone could have a starting price in the $2,300 range in the United States, which would make it by far the most expensive iPhone model ever. If the first foldable iPhone starts at $2,299, that means it would cost nearly twice as much as the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which starts at $1,199. ...
Bent iPhone Air Feature

Apple Canned Larger iPhone 17 Air Model Over Fears of Bendgate 2.0

Monday March 17, 2025 4:07 am PDT by
Apple prototyped a larger ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air with a 6.9-inch display, but ultimately decided not to go ahead with the device because of fears that it could be susceptible to bending, according to a new report. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, writing in his latest Power On newsletter: When it first started work on the phone, it prototyped a device with a 6.9-inch screen — matching...
iphone 16 pro models 1

All Four iPhone 17 Models Rumored to Feature Upgraded 24-Megapixel Front Camera and More

Monday March 17, 2025 7:50 pm PDT by
All four iPhone 17 models launching later this year will feature an upgraded 24-megapixel front-facing camera, according to analyst Jeff Pu. In a research note today with investment firm GF Securities, Pu shared a chart in which he reiterated that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with a 24-megapixel front camera. By comparison, all four ...
General iOS Mail Feature

iOS 18.3.2 Broke iCloud Mail Delivery

Monday March 17, 2025 3:31 pm PDT by
The iOS 18.3.2 update that Apple released last week appears to have broken iCloud Mail for some users. There are multiple complaints on Reddit and the MacRumors forums from users who say that iCloud Mail is not able to push new iCloud emails to their iPhones after the iOS 18.3.2 update. Affected users say that despite having the correct settings enabled, new iCloud emails are not showing up...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Max Rumors Allegedly Refer to 'iPhone 17 Ultra' Model

Friday March 14, 2025 7:56 am PDT by
If you've been following iPhone rumors over the last few years, you may remember reading reports that Apple flirted with the idea of introducing a super high-end "Ultra" model that would either replace its Pro Max device or sit above it in Apple's smartphone hirearchy. These reports appeared in the pre-launch iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 rumor cycles, but ultimately came to nothing. Now though, the...

Top Rated Comments

Adelphos33 Avatar
20 weeks ago
At $1,599 with 16 GB RAM, 512GB storage, support for multiple external monitors, and USB-C ports on both sides of the machine, along with the Liquid Retina display, this seems to be the obvious best value laptop out there. Difficult to recommend an M3 MacBook Air (at $1,299) over this...
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vertsix Avatar
20 weeks ago
Base RAM now at the 2013 standard.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bobjonesco Avatar
20 weeks ago
It’s over. Any bum off the street can now buy a cheap MBP in Space Black and pretend they bought a high end version ?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AAPLGeek Avatar
20 weeks ago

Still not updated on the store. They need to go back to a we'll be back screen if they can't do it ina timely matter following a press release
Give it a few seconds ffs
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LightProtector Avatar
20 weeks ago
I would say the base MacBook Pro is actually worth buying. I’m eyeing one now, especially since I don’t need a more powerful processor for what I do.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
deconstruct60 Avatar
20 weeks ago

At $1,599 with 16 GB RAM, 512GB storage, support for multiple external monitors, and USB-C ports on both sides of the machine, along with the Liquid Retina display, this seems to be the obvious best value laptop out there. Difficult to recommend an M3 MacBook Air (at $1,299) over this...
Except that Apple moved all of the MBA models up to 16gb RAM base capacity also. Even the M2 model ($999). The 16GB isn't a differentiator anymore if have a tight budget. But yes if pay more then you get more. Apple probably hopes some folks spend more, but the MBA will still likely dramatically outsell the MBP ( as relatively most people's budgets are lower).
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)