MacBook Pro, Mac mini and iMac models are disappearing off the shelves, another sign that Apple’s M4 Mac launch is imminent

2 weeks ago 6

(Image credit: Future)

Apple appears to be running down stock levels of MacBook Pro, Mac mini and iMac models ahead of the launch of new M4 refreshes of these devices.

Leaker Mark Gurman posted on X to let us know that “retail inventory for iMacs, MacBook Pros, Mac minis, iPad minis, iPad mini accessories continues to dwindle.”

Retail inventory for iMacs, MacBook Pros, Mac minis, iPad minis, iPad mini accessories continues to dwindle. Not seeing the same for entry iPad, for those wondering.October 14, 2024

So, this is a fairly hefty hint that we could soon be seeing a new MacBook Pro, Mac mini and iMac with the M4 chip, which is what’s been rumored for quite some time now.

It is, of course, common practice to slim down the stock levels of a current generation of hardware, before the next-gen arrives for obvious reasons.

As Gurman notes, the same is true for the iPad mini which is due an M4 refresh, and purportedly all this hardware is set to be launched by Apple later in October, ahead of an on-sale date of November 1.

MacBook Pro 14 M3 Max (2023) being held in a hand

Analysis: A much-needed boost for Apple’s Mac range

The rumors around the launch timeframe have been a little inconsistent of late, but the mentioned dates fall in line with Apple’s past history and what we’d expect, so all of this feels very believable. We only have a short while before we find out for sure, anyway, as if there is a late October reveal planned for all these M4 Macs (and iPad mini), invites for the press event should be imminent (maybe pitching up in the next couple of days, in fact).

Apple needs a new generation of Macs, it would seem, certainly if current sales figures are anything to go by. Recent figures from an analyst firm show that in Q3 of 2024, Mac shipments plunged by 17.5% year-on-year, which is a pretty worrying drop for Apple.

Tim Cook will certainly be hoping that a raft of new M4 computers can help to revive those numbers somewhat, and turn the tide in the other direction – the way in which the rest of the PC industry is flowing (where modest levels of growth have been observed earlier this year, or at least sales are staying flat).

Via Wccftech

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

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