Apple M2: everything you need to know about the M2 Macs

In 2020, Apple began using its own desktop processors in its Mac lineup, beginning with the arrival of the M1 chip as seen in the 24-inch iMac, 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and MacBook Air. Since then, we’ve seen the debut of Pro-tier versions in the form of the M1 Max and M1 Pro, which arrived on the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that launched in October 2021, and the M1 Ultra. , which arrived with the new Mac Studio in March 2022. Read about the M1 series and what it offers.

Now rumors are beginning to flow about the second generation of Apple silicon. We’ve rounded up all the news and insights on what to expect in the Apple M2 system-on-chip and all of its variants.

Apple M2 release date

There is no set date or official confirmation from Apple about the M2 chip. But we know that Apple is not a company that rests on its laurels, as we have seen in the annual iteration of the A-series chips that have powered the iPhone for several years.

Most of the rumors about a possible release date for the M2 have been linked to the next version of the MacBook Air, although since early 2022 there has also been talk of an M2 MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air and Pro were among the first to move to the M-series in November 2020. Rumors suggest that the 2022 MacBook Ai and 2022 MacBook Pro could soon get Apple’s next-generation silicon.

We have seen rumors of people like @Dylandkt which stated that a new MacBook could make its debut in the first half of 2022, packed with the M2 chip.

Just wanted to share some details about when to expect the next generation M2 (not the M1X, which is reserved for Mac Pro devices). This processor is on track to launch in the first half of 2022 alongside the upcoming colorful Macbook (Air). — Dylan (@dylandkt)
July 5, 2021

That tweet dates back to July 2021, and since then the idea that the M2 could arrive so soon has started to look less likely for a number of reasons, including component shortages and factory closures in spring 2022 in China. due to the pandemic.

This is offset somewhat by industry heavyweight Ming Chi-Kuo, who believes new MacBooks won’t arrive until the third quarter of 2022. This prediction seems more likely.

Another reason not to expect to see the M2 before the fall is the fact that Apple is believed to be tightening up the manufacturing process. While the manufacturing process will remain at 5 nanometers, Apple is said to be using TSMC’s next-generation N4P process, which is an upgraded version of the 5-nanometer process. This new process is supposed to offer around 11 percentage points more performance and almost 22 percentage points more efficiency compared to the conventional 5 nanometer process (used for the production of A15 and M1, M1 Pro and Max).

TSMC indicates that the production of these processors will not start until the second half of 2022. Therefore, it is unlikely that the M2 Macs will launch before the fall of 2022.

Apple M2 Features and Specifications

The M1 Pro and M1 Max processors (or SoCs to be more precise) focused on performance improvements that made the M1 Pro about twice as fast as the M1 when it came to graphics tasks, while the M1 Max doubled it once more. Then the M1 Ultra, when it arrived in March 2022, offered double the capacity of the M1 Max.

These extra CPU cores and GPU cores are great if you’re working on video-based work or graphic design and need the faster performance of a Mac. But obviously, this kind of speed comes at a cost that’s prohibitive for most. of users, and they don’t really need that kind of hardware to browse the web, stream Netflix movies, keep up with friends on social media, or work from home on documents and spreadsheets.

So the current expectation is that when they launch, the M2 line of processors will be aimed at consumers rather than professionals and as such will focus more on power efficiency and general performance improvements over the M1 which it will replace.

Apple will then build on the M2 chip and introduce Pro, Max and Ultra variants.

CPU-M2

We’ve seen some reports that Apple will keep the same 8 CPU cores as the M1, but may add more GPU cores to beef up the M2’s capabilities. For example, in May 2021, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg suggested that the M2 (apparently codenamed Staten) will include the same eight cores as the ‌M1‌ chip, but will run faster.

The N4P process, mentioned above, should allow about six percent higher transistor density, which could allow Apple to pack 10 CPU cores into the M2 (two more than the M1). These individual cores could be synchronized a bit faster than in the M1.

Another possibility is that Apple could do with the M2 CPU something similar to what it has done with the M1 Pro and M1 Max, which have 10 cores. However, where the M1 has four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores, the M1 Pro and Max have twice as many high-performance cores (eight), but fewer efficiency cores (two). The next generation M2 could increase the number of high-efficiency cores.

GPU M2

Apple can also expand the performance of the graphics card to nine or ten graphics cores, two more than the current M1.

In the report mentioned above, Gurman suggested that the M2 will see an increase in the number of graphics cores from seven or eight to nine or ten.

RAM

There are probably people who expect the M2 to support more RAM than the M1 currently (the M1 maxes out at 16GB of RAM, while the M1 Pro can support 32GB, the M1 Max 64GB, and the M1 Ultra 128GB). ). The M2 is unlikely to support 32GB of RAM and probably isn’t necessary for such a Mac. However, we’d like to see the price of the 16GB RAM upgrade drop.

Battery duration

As with any iterative update, we expect the M2 to deliver better battery life and power efficiency compared to the M1.

Which Macs will get the M2 processor?

Discussing the M2 chip, Gurman claimed that it would be intended for the next MacBook Air and would also be used for an update to the lower-end 13-inch MacBook Pro.

After the new MacBook Pros get the supercharged M1 Pro and M1 Max, we think it makes sense for the M2 to be the processor featured in consumer-grade Macs.

So we’re expecting M2 updates for the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 24-inch Mac to arrive over the next year or so. Also, since the iPad Pro currently has the M1 chip, it could be that the anticipated iPad Pro (2022) will go the M2 route instead of the M1 Pro or M1 Max. That will be interesting to see and hopefully it won’t be long until we can test the new silicon and find out exactly what improvements Apple has made.

That doesn’t mean you should wait until the latter part of 2022, though, as you’ll see in why the upcoming M2 chip shouldn’t stop you from buying a Mac now.

What about the M2 Pro, M2 Max and M2 Ultra?

There will be readers who want to know what awaits the Pro, Max and Ultra variants on the M2. The M1 Pro and M1 Max have already proven to be very capable, and there are huge expectations for the M1 Ultra, so future developments in Apple’s strategy here look very exciting.

And the M3…

The M2 will be great, we have no doubts about that, but just a year later we could see something even better that will bring an even more massive jump in performance compared to the current generation.

TSMC is said to be testing processors made using the 3nm process, which should allow for even higher transistor density, and these are likely destined for the M3 and A17 chips, according to Digitimes. TSMC had previously had to postpone its 3nm plans due to the complexities of the process.

According to Digitimes, the first products using the 3nm processor will be released in the first quarter of 2023, with production starting in late 2022.

Qualcomm, Samsung and Intel are ready to use the 3nm process.

The M3 chip is likely to provide a significant performance boost over the M1 chips, as the higher-end chips are built with two boards and offer up to 40 CPU cores.

The Information reported that Apple’s M3 chips are codenamed Ibiza, Lobos, and Palma.