In 2020, Apple started using its own processors in some of its Macs thanks to the arrival of the M1 chip, which we first saw in the Mac mini, the MacBook Pro 13 “, the MacBook Air, then the iMac 24 “. Next are the Pro versions, the M1 Pro and the M1 Max, coinciding with the arrival of the 14 “MacBook Pro and 16” MacBook Pro in October 2021.
Now all eyes are on Apple’s second generation processor. We’ve gathered all the information and rumors on what to expect from Apple’s M2 system-on-a-chip.
When will Apple’s M2 chip arrive?
There is no official date for the M2 chip. From what we know, Apple is not a company that likes to wait, as we have seen in recent years with the iPhone, which arrives every year with a new version of the A-chips.
Most rumors suggest that the laptop that would debut with the M2 chip would be the new MacBook Air. The 2020 MacBook Air was one of the first to include an M chip, and Apple could repeat the strategy again with the 2022 MacBook Air.
The rumors come from Apple analysts like @Dylandkt, who assures us that the new Air could arrive in the first half of 2022, including the M2 chip.
I just wanted to share a few details on when to expect the next gen M2 (not the M1X which is only for Pro Mac devices). This processor is set for release in the first half of 2022 alongside the upcoming colorful Macbook (Air).
-Dylan (@dylandkt)
July 5, 2021
The truth is, however, figures as large as Ming Chi-Kuo do not seem to agree. The well-known analyst estimates that the new MacBook Air will not arrive until the third quarter of 2022 and that it will do so with colors and design similar to the iMac 24 ”.
In any case, it looks like the new MacBook Air (and therefore the M2 chip) will likely be presented between June and September 2022.
What features and specifications will Apple’s M2 chip have?
The processors (or systems-on-a-chip, to be more precise) M1 Pro and M1 Max have focused on improving performance. The M1 Pro, for example, is twice as fast as the M1 in terms of graphics, while the M1 Max manages to double it once again.
This is thanks to the additional cores that the new processors have, as well as more powerful GPUs. Apple has also managed to include twice as many transistors in the M1 Pro compared to the 16 billion transistors in the standard M1.
This is great if you work with video or are a graphic designer and need the highest performance on a Mac, but obviously such fast speed comes at a prohibitive price for most. Most also do not need a Equipment So powerful for browsing the web, watching Netflix movies, checking social media, or working from home.
Thus, it is believed that the M2 chip will have consumers rather than professionals in mind, thus focusing on energy efficiency and improving the overall performance of the M1, which it will replace.
M2 CPU
Some say Apple will keep the same 8-core processor as the M1, although it may add more cores to the GPU to create a more powerful M2. Mark Gurman, for example, wrote in Bloomberg that the M2 would have the same 8 cores as the M1 but it would be faster.
We think it’s enough to look at the M1 Pro and M1 Max, both with 10 cores, to know what the M2’s CPU will look like. The M2 has four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores, while the M1 Pro and M1 Max have twice the high-performance (eight) and lower-efficiency (two) cores.
The next generation could increase the number of high efficiency cores.
GPU M2
In the previously mentioned Gurman report, the author also assures us that the M2 will have more graphics cores: it will go from seven or eight to nine or ten.
RAM
There will be those who expect the M2 to be compatible with larger RAM than the M1 (the M1 supports a maximum of 16GB of RAM; the M1 Pro, with 32GB, and the M1 Max, with 64 GB). The M1 is unlikely to support 32GB of RAM, and certainly unnecessary.
Yes, we would like Apple to lower the price to have 16GB of RAM.
Battery life
Like any upgrade, we hope the M2 can offer improved battery life as well as better efficiency compared to the M1.
Which Macs will have Apple’s M2 chip?
Speaking of the M2 chip, Gurman says it will be designed for the upcoming MacBook Air and will also be used later for an upgrade to the MacBook Pro 13 ”.
After the arrival of the new MacBook Pros with the M1 Pro and M1 Max, we think it makes sense that the M2 is the processor used for mainstream Macs.
So, we expect updates to the 24 “MacBook Air, Mac mini, and iMac with the M2 chip in the next year or so. Now that the iPad Pro uses the M1, we also expect the iPad Pro to use the M1. iPad Pro 2022 is coming.with the M2 and not the M1 Pro or M1 Max, it will be interesting to see what Apple chooses.
Will there be an M2 Pro chip and an M2 Max chip?
There will be those who want to know what the Pro variants of the M2 will look like. The M1 Pro and M1 Max have already proven to be very successful, so there are high expectations for the next generation.
We may not have to wait long to get them here. One of the more interesting theories is that which guarantees that the model which replaces the iMac 27 “and the Mac mini with Intel would have even more CPU and GPU cores and more RAM than the M1 Pro and M1 Max.
Why not, we could see the arrival of the M1 Pro Duo or the M1 Max Duo for an iMac intended for professionals and for an updated Mac Pro.
What about the M3 chip?
The M2 promises a lot, but a year later something even more powerful could happen that represents a big performance improvement over the current generation.
According to Digital hours, TSMC claims to have tested processors with a 3nm process, which will surely be for the M3 and A17 chips. Previously, TSMC had postponed its plans to produce 3nm processors due to the complexity of the process.
Always according to Digital hours, the first products using a 3nm processor will arrive in the first quarter of 2023, with production starting at the end of 2022. Qualcomm, Samsung and Intel are expected to use this 3nm process.
The M3 chip is expected to bring a big performance improvement over the M2 chips, as these high-end chips would be integrated into two motherboards and offer CPUs up to 40 cores.
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