Apple’s M4 chip overhaul to revive Mac sales, AI push lifts stock 4.3%

“The new Macs are underway at a critical time. After peaking in 2022, Mac sales fell 27% in the last fiscal year, which ended in September. In the holiday period, revenue from the computer line was flat,” the report stated.

Apple shares increased 4.3 per cent to USD 175.04 on April 11 in New York, the biggest single-day gain in 11 months. They had been down 13 percent this year through Wednesday’s close.

According to people with knowledge of the matter, the company released its first Macs with M3 chips five months ago and is already nearing production of the next generation—the M4 processor. The new chip will come in at least three main varieties, and Apple is looking to update every Mac model with it, said people who asked not to be identified, as the plans haven’t been announced, as per the report.

The new Macs are underway at a critical time. After peaking in 2022, Mac sales fell 27% in the last fiscal year, which ended in September. Revenue from the computer line was flat during the holiday period. Apple attempted to breathe new life into the Mac business with an M3-focused launch event last October, but those chips didn’t bring major performance improvements over the M2 from the prior year, as per the report.

Apple is also playing catch-up in AI, where it’s seen as a laggard to Microsoft Corp, Alphabet Inc’s Google, and other tech peers. The new chips are part of a broader push to weave AI capabilities into all its products. 

Apple aims to release the updated computers beginning late this year and extending into early next year. There will be new iMacs, a low-end 14-inch MacBook Pro, high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, and Mac Minis — all with M4 chips. However, the company’s plans could change, as per the report.

Additionally, Apple is looking to bolster its presence in the artificial intelligence (AI), where it has been perceived as lagging behind competitors like Microsoft and Google. The report added that the new M4 chips are part of a broader push by the company to integrate AI capabilities across all its products.

Apple plans to release the updated Mac models in late 2024 and extend into early 2025. The company is also looking to follow up with more M4-powered Macs throughout 2025, including updates to the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air, the Mac Studio, and the high-end Mac Pro.

The M4 chip line will include an entry-level version called Donan, more powerful models named Brava, and a top-end processor codenamed Hidra. Apple is expected to highlight the AI processing capabilities of these new chips and how they will integrate with the upcoming version of macOS.

(With Inputs from Bloomberg)

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Published: 12 Apr 2024, 07:54 AM IST