Apple may release devices with the M2 processor next year, while the M1X chip may power the MacBook Pro in 2021.
You may have heard that Apple plans to deliver M2 processor products next year, while the M1X CPU will power the MacBook Pro in 2021. Let’s dig deeper into this topic and know more about the innovation on Apple M2.
It's been just over six months since we saw the Apple M1 chip, the company's first attempt at creating its own Mac chipset, and boy it was a great success! Every Apple product that the M1 chip is integrated into has seen significant power efficiency and performance gains, including the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air with M1, as well as the Mac mini and Mac mini with M1. The M1 chip can run iOS and iPadOS natively and ties Apple's Mac and mobile ecosystems more closely than ever before.
So, the M1 is the present processor for all present and upcoming Apple devices. However, over the past few months, we have heard enough about the M1X, a possible M1X follow-up. Now we believe Apple is developing two new SoCs. A beefier M1 chip with more cores and more RAM, which will be available in new MacBook Pros in 14-inch and 16-inch models later in the year. And a completely new M2 chip that will debut in new MacBook Airs in 2022 or 2023.
Apple M1X chip
It has been difficult to understand everything we hear about the future of Apple silicon. This is partly because Apple is always trying to innovate and overdo its current processors. A leak from Dylandkt, an iOS developer, earlier this year suggests that two chips are currently in development for the MacBook Pro 2021. This is in addition to the M1 successor, M2, and an improved M1X version.
According to sources, the M1X is an extended version of the M1. It will have more Thunderbolt channels and CPU cores. These M1X chips are expected to be available in new MacBook Pro models, 14-inch and 16, with a release date in late 2021. These devices will feature a 1080p webcam and an SD card reader. They also have three Thunderbolt USB C ports and an updated MagSafe port.
At the same time, Bloomberg reported that the next generation of Apple silicon will have up to ten CPU cores, a significant advance over the present M1 chip's octa-core CPUs. They also reported that the next-generation Apple silicon could have 64GB RAM and a GPU as big as 16-core and 32-core. This seems to be a significant improvement over the 8GB RAM and octa-core GPU of the current M1 chip.
Although it is hard to believe that an Apple M1X chip could have a 32-core GPU, 64GB RAM, and a 64GB storage capacity, it is possible. It is more likely that Apple will launch refreshed 14-inch MacBook Pros this coming year with M1X chips, or whatever Apple chooses to call them, an upgraded M1X chip.
If this is true, it will mean significant performance and battery life boost will be seen in devices that use the M1. In other advancements:
- MagSafe charging would return,
- An HDMI port will be housed in the new MacBooks, and
- All Apple devices will feature slimmer bezels.
Apple M2 chip
We've all heard about the M1X chip and its M1X successor, which we've already discussed. For example, Nikkei Asia claimed in April that a new chipset named the M2 had begun manufacturing, implying that those chips would be ready to ship in Apple devices by the end of the year if true.
The upgraded M1X processors are expected to be included in the long-rumored MacBook Pro upgrades. These will still be released in late 2021. The M2 chip may be constructed on a 4-nanometer fabrication process, instead of the 5nm used for the M1. This would mean that the M2 chip will perform better than the M1 because there are more transistors per nanometer.
Both Dylandkt and Bloomberg have reported that Apple will release a new MacBook Air with an M2 chip by early 2022. Dylandkt claims that the M2 chip may be a next-generation SoC (System on a Chip), built on the same foundation as the A15. This was reportedly before the rumored iPhone 13 debut later in the year.
While you would believe that an M2 chip is less powerful than an M1X, reports claim that the M2 is somewhat more powerful.
According to a recent report, Apple will release new MacBook Airs in a variety of different colors next year, each having an M2 processor with 9-10 GPU cores but only 8 CPU cores. These processors will be more efficient and quicker than the M1, although they will most likely be slower than the M1X chips that will power the new MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch models later this year.
Comparison of Apple M1X and M2 chip
The speculation and leaks over the last six months have created a hazy image of Apple's future hardware. Apple's manufacturing process has most certainly been thrown off by the current chip scarcity, making it even more difficult to anticipate when and what hardware the firm will ship next.
It's reasonable to expect a newer version of the M1 chipset to appear at some point in the future. According to recent rumors, the next MacBook Pros will have an M1X processor later this year. By 2022, the next MacBook Air will include an M2 chip.
Winding-up
With the Apple M’s Apple is trying to establish a new era of computing. Will they be tremendously successful? Well, the M1’s seem to have really taken off so, why not. Will they be pricey? Maybe a bit, but with Apple, you know you are paying for.
Hope you all enjoyed this article. Don’t forget to mention your take on the Apple M1 chipset and share the article with other tech enthusiasts. This is all for today. We will be back with more interesting news. Until then, stay tuned. Good Day!
