With the recent unveiling of its upgraded MacBook Pro series—now featuring the unrivaled power of M4 silicon—Apple has once again redefined the landscape of artistic expression, pushing the boundaries of creative possibility further than ever before. But with new power comes new questions. Specifically, which configuration of MacBook Pro—of which, there are many—is right for you. If you're a photographer, the best option is likely going to be the 16" MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro chip. Lemme tell you why.
Level Up with M4 Pro
Coming out of the gate, I'll say that the 16" MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip is the ideal model for photographers due to the configuration of just the base model as it exceeds the recommended requirements of most photo editing software. Apple gave the base model so many great features and utilities that photographers won't need anything else unless they want to do a whole lot more.
Before we get into the specifics, the 16" MacBook Pro with M4 Pro gives you all the best features right out of the box. You don't need to fully consider other options for your photo proofing and editing needs. Thanks to the core design of the processor, you get three Thunderbolt 5 ports, an SDXC card slot, and HDMI output, 3.5mm headphone jack, and the MagSafe 3 charger, all of which is now standard across the M4 Pro models.
You don't need the most powerful chip on the market to run your photo editing programs, but you do want something that helps you speed up your productivity. This is where the M4 Pro comes in. This 14-core CPU with a 20-core GPU is perfect, handling your editing tasks with speed and finesse. Additionally, the M4 Pro gives you greater battery power with up to 24 hours of video streaming and 17 hours of wireless web usage.
Silky Smooth Display
For photo editing and viewing deep details, the bigger screen the better. The 16" MacBook Pro's Liquid Retina XDR display sports a higher 3456 x 2234 native resolution with 254 pixels per inch, giving you a clearer view of the finer details within every capture. Adding the nano-texture display feature to the MacBook Pro helps reduce screen glare, which is great for proofing your photos out in the world or in bright rooms. If the larger size is a bit too much, you'll be glad to hear that there is the 14" MacBook Pro model available as well.
Memory and Storage
When it comes to memory, Apple made it easy- this base model comes with 24GB of unified memory, which is shared throughout your entire system to handle a wide range of tasks. That gives you ample headroom to run multiple applications, maintain browser tabs, and render your finished photos. You could upgrade to 48GB of unified memory which would give you a greater uplift in performance across the board.
Storage can be scaled to your needs, but I suggest sticking with 1TB of storage space. Thanks to the three Thunderbolt 5 ports and the SDXC card reader, you can look at your shots without having to save the photos directly to the internal storage drive. Some applications might take up some room, so if you are running multiple programs for any reason, you could upgrade to 2TB, 4TB, and 8TB, but it comes at various price increases.
Additional Power
While the MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip will be able to handle your photo editing applications easily, if you are looking for additional power to run even greater workloads, the M4 Max is also available along with expanded memory and storage options. Designed for engineering, CAD, and other heavy applications that require enhanced graphic capabilities, which is where the M4 Max comes into play. But for your photo editing suite, the 16" MacBook Pro with M4 Pro is the system to get.
Have you been looking to upgrade your system after a few years? Maybe looking to experience the world of Apple silicon? Either way, let us know in the comments below if you're looking for an upgrade. If you have any questions, we'll do our best to answer them for you.
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