MacBook Pro 14'' M4 Review: Apple at the Top of its Game

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Seduced by the latest Mac mini M4, we were eager to know if the MacBook Pro 14” could provoke the same emotions in our geek hearts. Because on paper, this new model does not seem to bring any great new features. And yet…

Apple fixes what was missing from the previous generation. The base configuration directly integrates 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage, a Thunderbolt port has been added and a new webcam promises to finally meet the requirements of professional users.
What is it like in concrete terms ? To find out, we used the MacBook Pro on a daily basis. Discover our full test.

The exemplary design and finishes

It's a MacBook Pro. That's how we could sum up the design of this 2024 version. Apart from the new space black color (very sensitive to fingerprints), the MBP doesn't change one iota. Its dimensions and weight don't change (31.36 x 22.12 x 1.55 cm for 1.55 kg), nor do its keyboard and trackpad, nor do its screen contours (alas).

The main new feature is in the integration of a third Thunderbolt 4 port on the right side, largely absent from the previous generation. It is located between the SD card port and the HDMI port. On the other side, the MagSafe port is accompanied by two other Thunderbolt 4 ports and the 3.5 mm jack. The M4 Pro and Max versions are entitled to Thunderbolt 5 ports, allowing for faster transfers.

This new MacBook Pro M4 can now simultaneously connect to two external displays with a 4K definition at 144 Hz in HDMI or an external 6K display at 60 Hz in Thunderbolt 4 (two 6K displays in Thunderbolt 5).

For the rest, it's the same, and we won't complain. The MacBook Pro 14” M4 remains a machine that is compact and light enough for mobile use without sacrificing performance and battery life. Classic but timeless.

The nano-textured mini-LED screen

Apple uses the same screen technology as the previous generation, namely a Liquid XDR Retina. Behind this marketing name is a 14.2″ IPS panel (definition of 2024 x 1964 pixels) with mini-LED backlighting. It is accompanied by ProMotion technology that allows the refresh rate to be varied from 24 to 120 Hz.

Since nothing has changed, the image quality remains comparable to that of the previous generation. In a nutshell, the MacBook Pro M4 screen is sublime. While it leans very slightly towards blue, its contrast is almost infinite (thanks to the mini-LED) and its colors bring it closer to an OLED screen.

So nothing changes, but we won't complain, the MacBook Pro screen has been the benchmark for several years now.

Apple is still offering a welcome new feature, available as an option for 170 euros. For the first time, the MacBook Pro screen can be covered with a nano-textured coating, the same as that of the latest iPad Pros.

This coating aims to reduce the amount of reflections on the screen. A big plus for users on the go. Our test version was equipped with it, so we pushed the envelope a little by using the MacBook Pro M4 in very bright environments. Next to it, an M3 model without coating allowed us to check whether this option was more of a gimmick than anything else.

Result: it's a real success. According to our colleagues at Numériques, the reflectance goes from 25% to 9%, something never seen before on a laptop.

Let image professionals rest assured, the coating does not affect the colorimetry. It is therefore entirely possible to work on your projects on the move with unrivaled comfort while respecting the requirements of color fidelity.

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Better late than never! The MacBook Pro finally has a decent webcam. Apple has chosen a 12-megapixel camera with Full HD definition. Not too soon! The quality image quality is clearly superior to what we knew until now. It took Apple a while to finally satisfy users who are multiplying videoconferences.

This new camera is accompanied by two software optimizations first introduced on iPad. Automatic framing keeps the user always in the center of the screen. If he moves, the camera follows him.

With Desk View, it is possible to present products or documents placed on the desk without distortion. The result is very convincing.

Top performance and autonomy

Apple continues its quest for power and endurance with the new M4 chips.Our test model has the same configuration as the Mac mini tested just after its release, i.e.:

an M4 chip (10 CPU cores, 10 GPU cores)
16 GB of RAM
512 GB of storage

In a few figures, the MacBook Pro M4 is 30% more powerful than the MacBook Air M3 15” that we use on a daily basis. Concretely, an export on Final Cut Pro and photo editing on Lightroom are respectively 40% and 30% faster. Even if it is not designed for gaming (the fault of a catalog still too thin), the improvements in game performance are of the order of 20%. All this, without making the slightest noise.

Indeed, the MacBook Pro M4 operates in cathedral silence. There are few uses for which the fans are audible. This only happened to us after a multi-hour gaming session with one of the few AAA games available on the Mac App Store (Resident Evil).

The M4 chip therefore destroys everything in its path. No laptop of the same range can compete. Machines with the latest competing chips are far from reaching the performance of the MacBook Pro M4. Only an Asus gaming laptop equipped with an AMD Ryzen AI 9 chip (sold for much more ) manages to compete.

Even more impressive: Apple manages to deliver this level of performance without sacrificing battery life, quite the contrary. With nearly 26 hours of battery life in general use (2 hours more than the 24 hours promised by Apple), the MacBook Pro 14” M4 breaks all records. You can therefore take it on a two-day trip without taking its charger. A comfort that no other laptop offers. The best competing model available peaks at 20 hours of battery life. Impressive!

The price of options

Apple continues with its bad pricing habits by offering options at a gold price. While the base version of the MacBook Pro M4 offers a very attractive price-performance ratio (1,899 euros), each additional option will cost you the sale of a vital organ.

M4 Pro or Max, RAM, storage, nano-textured screen… the slightest technical improvement will cost you a small fortune sweeping you away in a whirlwind of compulsive upscaling. Be careful: you probably don't need all of these options, the basic version being sufficiently equipped to meet the needs of 90% of users.

This vigilance is all the more necessary since adding options can quickly lead you to reconsider your choice. Indeed, optimization can quickly make you catch up with the price of a superior model, making the quality-price ratio more interesting. More than ever, the objective identification of your needs is therefore essential.

Already very attractive in its M3 version, the MacBook Pro 14” gains in power and autonomy in this new M4 generation. Behind its design which is considered a great classic, the standard model now integrates 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage as well as a third Thunderbolt port. So many small adjustments that delight us.

While it does not revolutionize the range, the MacBook Pro 14” M4 has reached a maturity which makes it a must-have on the market. Its new nano-textured screen brings additional comfort welcome. Frankly, apart from the options billed at a high price and the absence of Apple Intelligence until April 2025, we don't see what we could criticize about this MacBook Pro 14” M4. A masterclass.

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Teilor Stone

Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116