Apple is facing another security slip as its new M4 MacBook Pro has appeared in the hands of another Russian YouTuber. The yet-to-be-released model, expected to launch in about a month, has surfaced in a second unboxing video, raising concerns about how retail units are reaching public view this far ahead of the official release.
While leaks from Apple product lines aren’t unheard of, the situation involving full retail versions of the M4-powered MacBook Pro appearing online before launch is more unusual. Both videos suggest these aren’t just prototypes or mockups but actual final products. The unboxings have sparked discussions about potential gaps in Apple’s global supply chain security.
Second Video Confirms M4 MacBook Pro’s Specs
In the first leaked video that I reported on yesterday, viewers got a look at a device claimed to be an M4 MacBook Pro. However, the footage left room for skepticism, with limited views of important details like system information and packaging inconsistencies, such as the use of outdated wallpaper from previous models. The vague presentation raised questions about the legitimacy of the claims.
But in a second video posted just hours later, YouTuber romancev768 gave a more thorough breakdown. This time, the video clearly shows the “About This Mac” screen on a 14-inch MacBook Pro, confirming the presence of Apple’s new M4 chip and 16GB of RAM.
With these details visible, it’s hard to argue that this is anything other than an early retail unit. The video even shows the extra Thunderbolt port, a feature previously limited to M3 Pro and M3 Max configurations.
Retail Models Leak a Month Early
Seeing retail versions of unreleased Apple products before their official announcements is rare, but this instance is especially striking because it’s happened twice in such a short time. While the first unboxing might have been dismissed as a possible fluke, the appearance of a second retail unit so soon after has intensified the scrutiny on Apple’s internal security.
The videos raise questions about how these YouTubers obtained the devices. Typically, pre-release leaks come from factories or suppliers, but having two Russian content creators show off finished products suggests that the issue might lie further along the distribution chain. This kind of leak can complicate Apple’s marketing and product launch plans, as it throws the company’s tightly controlled release schedule into disarray.
Chip Performance Shows Expected Incremental Gains
Aside from the leak itself, attention has also shifted to the performance of Apple’s M4 chip. Early benchmarks, shared in the initial unboxing, reveal the kind of performance upgrade that has become expected from Apple’s chip development cycle. The M4 chip, which first debuted in the OLED iPad Pro earlier this year, follows the trend of offering incremental boosts in power and efficiency over previous models.
In the case of the leaked MacBook Pro, the Geekbench results suggest solid performance gains, though nothing radically different from what was seen in the M3 series. It appears that Apple is continuing to refine its silicon, aiming to improve processing power in a more gradual and steady manner.
Ongoing Supply Chain Issues for Apple?
The broader question remains: how are these devices making it into public hands this early? While there’s no clear answer yet, the situation highlights vulnerabilities in Apple’s global operations.
The fact that two separate YouTubers in the same region have managed to acquire unreleased retail units suggests that there may be a larger breach within the company’s supply or distribution networks. Apple has dealt with security lapses before, but seeing this happen so far in advance of an official product launch may prompt the company to revisit its internal processes.
Last Updated on November 7, 2024 2:38 pm CET