MacBook Pro M4 box leak – fake, or not? If it’s real this is another hint that 16GB of RAM for entry-level laptop is happening

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This is a somewhat controversial leaked photo – but it could have huge implications for the imminent MacBook Pro M4.

Apple’s MacBook Pro with M4 chip is expected to be unveiled next month, if rumors are right, and a fresh leak backs up that the devices are imminent, coming in the form of a photo of a purported retail box for the next-gen laptop.

This was posted by a regular leaker on X, ShrimpApplePro (hat tip to Wccftech), although it comes laden with some weighty caveats.

As you can see in the post, this isn’t an image from the leaker directly, but one that was sent to them, so they can’t vouch for whether it’s genuine or not, and we need to take ShrimpApplePro’s advice of adding a pinch of salt.

Actually, we’d grab something more generous in the way of seasoning here, as there are certainly some points of contention about the leaked pic. Let’s dive in and discuss those next…

Analysis: The case of the MacBook Pro and the optical illusion

First up, we have to bear in mind that the leaker admits we must be cautious with this one, and also that these kinds of images can be faked and Photoshopped, without a doubt. It’s not especially helpful that the pic is blurred, plus the light glare and reflections compound the inability to read the small print blurb easily – that in itself might make you suspicious.

Given the pic quality, you may think – why didn’t the originator just take another shot, and make sure they had a decent photo of the purported MacBook Pro box? Well, it’s possible whoever took the photo didn’t have long to do so, or rather, wasn’t supposed to be doing so – and they grabbed a quick phone snap while no one was looking.

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The mentioned bones of contention are first, as raised in that X thread, the box blurb still mentions an ‘Apple ID’ rather than its new name, the ‘Apple Account’ – but as ShrimpApplePro points out, it’s actually the case that the iPhone 16 tech specs still talk about the Apple ID.

This box also has a QR code on it (iPhone-style), which isn’t on the current packaging for MacBook Pro laptops – this could be a fresh addition to the notebook range from Apple, of course.

There’s also a real oddity in the descriptive blurb whereby the box looks like it says “Includes 16-inch MacBook Pro” in some lights, though if you look a bit harder, and zoom in, you can see it possibly says 14-inch. We can kind of see both, actually, depending on which we’re looking for – a bit like one of those weird optical illusions. Still, it could state 16-inch, we’ve got to admit, which obviously would mark it as a fake (Apple wouldn’t have a mistake like that on a retail box).

Ultimately, the image looks somewhat convincing at first glance, but due to the points raised, and the glare and blurriness, there are definite doubts, and we have to remain pretty skeptical here – but still, we can be hopeful. Speaking of which, the spec on the box marks this as a MacBook Pro M4 with a 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, which aligns with the M4 chip in high-end iPad Pros currently, and rumors that this will be one of the CPUs used with the next-gen MacBook Pro.

More excitingly, this is a MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 shown with 16GB of RAM, and as also pointed out on X, custom configurations of MacBooks (where the RAM or storage has been upgraded) don’t show the memory loadout on the box. So, with 16GB printed on the box, this could be the base model, and represents another hint that maybe – just maybe – Apple is going to have the entry-level MacBook Pro 14-inch with M4 equipped with 16GB of Unified Memory.

Of all the rumors flying around about the MacBook Pro M4, this one makes the most sense to us – as it really is about time that a professional-targeted notebook was shipped with 16GB as an absolute minimum. Particularly with Apple putting a lot of eggs in the AI basket with Apple Intelligence going forward on Macs and iOS devices alike.

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