Apple's product leaks before launches are not new. Yet, seeing retail versions of the M4 MacBook Pro in the hands of two Russian YouTubers nearly a month ahead of schedule is quite shocking. If Apple has a leak issue, this isn't just a minor concern; it's a serious supply chain disaster waiting to happen.
Leaked Details
Earlier today, we reported on a YouTube video from a well-known Russian creator who unboxed what they claimed to be the M4 MacBook Pro and tested it using Geekbench. The performance numbers are impressive, but honestly, this isn’t surprising since the chip was showcased in the OLED iPad Pro about four months back.
Suspicious Circumstances
The unboxing video raised some eyebrows, though. For starters, the packaging featured the same old wallpaper from the M3 era, and the MacBook’s system details were cleverly obscured. There was also an additional Thunderbolt port, which was only available on the M3 Pro and M3 Max models. Just a few hours later, another YouTuber named romancev768 also displayed an 'M4 MacBook Pro' and made sure to reveal the ‘About the Mac’ screen on his 14-inch model, clearly showing the M4 SoC alongside 16 GB of memory.
The Big Question
This leads us to a puzzling question—how are retail versions of these yet-to-be-released MacBook Pro models finding their way to Russian YouTubers almost a month before the official release? The answer eludes me, and maybe it's better to leave it unanswered. Nevertheless, Apple appears to be facing a significant supply chain issue that could cause quite a stir among its executives. Is this reminiscent of the iPhone 4 situation? It's tough to determine.
Romancev768V via YouTube.
