Apple may be facing the biggest leak since the iPhone 4

Apple is once again in the spotlight for a leak that could be the most significant since a company employee accidentally left an iPhone 4 prototype in a bar in California in 2010. This time, photos and videos have surfaced online purportedly showing a new 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M4 chip. These materials are actively spreading on social networks, causing a great excitement among users and experts.

So far, the company has not been able to find a new MacBook Pro with the M4 chip.

What is known about the leak?”

A recent video purportedly showing off the new MacBook Pro has been published on YouTube Shorts by Russian channel Romancev768. The video shows a box containing a 14-inch MacBook Pro, which lists the following specs: an M4 chip with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, three Thunderbolt 4 ports, and a Space Black color case. The «About This Mac» menu in the video indicates that the device refers to a November 2024 model that hasn’t yet been officially announced.

The video shows that the device is from a November 2024 model that hasn’t yet been officially announced.

This MacBook Pro may be a base version with an M4 chip, rather than the more powerful M4 Pro or M4 Max, according to the leak. This coincides with previous rumors that the minimum RAM for the MacBook Pro may be increased from 8GB to 16GB. Another improved feature is the availability of a third Thunderbolt 4 port, which will be a step up from the current base model that only has two Thunderbolt 3 ports. A new Space Black color will also be new for the entry-level model, which is now only available in Space Gray and Silver.

The new Space Black color will also be new for the entry-level model, which is now only available in Space Gray and Silver.

Authenticity of the leak: doubts and confirmations

Although photos and videos add fuel to the rumor fire, questions remain about the authenticity of the leak. The first photos of the box of this MacBook Pro were posted by insider «ShrimpApplePro» on social network X (formerly Twitter) last week. At the time, the authenticity of the shots was questionable, especially because the image on the box matches the graphics used for the current-generation MacBook Pro. Now, however, the videos that have emerged increase the likelihood that the leak is real, though there’s no definitive proof yet.

And now there’s no definitive proof.

The source of these leaks is still unclear. Last week «ShrimpApplePro» claimed that at least one of the unannounced MacBook Pro was being sold in a private Facebook group*. In a follow-up post, the insider claimed to have seen an ad for 200 unannounced MacBook Pro’s for sale, suggesting that the leak may have occurred in a warehouse. However, the accuracy of this data has yet to be confirmed, and the whole situation looks highly suspicious.

All of this is still unconfirmed.

Even if the leak turns out to be fake, some of the specs mentioned are probably true. For example, the M4 chip was already unveiled in the iPad Pro earlier this year, and it’s known to actually feature a 10-core CPU.

Some of the specs in the leak are fake.

Expectations about Apple’s announcements

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple plans to unveil the first computers with M4-series chips in late October, including a 14-inch MacBook Pro with M4, as well as more powerful MacBook Pro models with M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, an updated Mac mini with M4 and M4 Pro chips, and a new iMac with an M4 chip. Gurman said Apple plans to release «at least a few» of those models as early as Nov. 1.

Apple said Apple plans to release «at least a few» of those models as early as Nov. 1.

Gurman previously speculated that Apple might hold a special event in October to announce new Macs, as it did with the MacBook Pro and iMac models at a virtual event last Oct. 30. However, Apple has yet to announce an October event this year, and it’s possible that the new devices will be unveiled via press releases.

And it’s possible that the new devices will be unveiled via press releases.

Leak history and Apple’s response

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Apple is known for its strict culture of secrecy, and leaks of this magnitude are extremely rare for the company. Comparisons to a 2010 incident where an iPhone 4 prototype was forgotten in a bar seem apt. Back then, Apple brought in law enforcement to recover the device and punish the culprits. Exactly how the company will respond to the current leaks, however, remains to be seen.

And how the company will respond to the current leaks remains to be seen.

The situation with the MacBook Pro leak raises a lot of questions and has attracted the attention of users and experts alike. In the coming weeks, it will become clear just how true the rumors are and how they will affect Apple’s upcoming announcements.

And how they will affect Apple’s upcoming announcements remains to be seen.

* Owned by Meta, it is recognized as an extremist organization in Russia and its activities are banned.