Apple Testing at Least Nine New Macs With Four Different M2 Chip Variants

[MacRumors]

Apple is internally testing several variants of the next-generation M2 chip and the updated Macs that will be equipped with them, reports Bloomberg, citing developer logs. There are "at least" nine new Macs in development that use four different M2 chips that are successors to the current M1 chips.

Apple is working on devices with standard M2 chips, the M2 Pro, the M2 Max, and a successor to the M1 Ultra, with the following machines in the works:

• A MacBook Air with an M2 chip that features an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU.
• A Mac mini with the M2 chip and a variant with the M2 Pro chip.
• An entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip.
• A 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. The M2 Max chip features a 12-core CPU and 38-core GPU, along with 64GB Memory.
• A Mac Pro that will include a successor to the M1 Ultra used in the Mac Studio.

Apple has also tested an M1 Max version of the Mac mini, but the release of the Mac Studio may make such a machine redundant, so Apple could stick with M2 and M2 Pro chips when the Mac mini eventually sees a refresh.

According to Bloomberg, the internal testing is a "key step" in the development process, and it suggests that the machines could be released in the coming months. We have heard multiple rumors about a new MacBook Air, an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro, a Mac Pro, and a new Mac mini, but this is the first we are hearing of a possible 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro refresh this year.

Prior rumors have suggested that we can expect to see the MacBook Air, low-end MacBook Pro, and Mac mini come out in 2022, and Bloomberg has previously said that at least two Macs will launch mid-year, perhaps at WWDC.

Article Link: Apple Testing at Least Nine New Macs With Four Different M2 Chip Variants

 

[bsbeamer]

Call it M1 Extreme?

 

[mnsportsgeek]

So will this finally kill the ridiculous M1 MBA refresh rumors?

 

[XNorth]

Would be ridiculous to see new 14" and 16" M2 MacBook Pros this year. I just got the 16" M1 Max.

 

[Kylo83]

I got the m1 max 16” I hope the m2 max doesn’t come anytime soon

 

[CARIB_APPLE]

2024.

 

[Sharky II]

People can't even get ahold of their M1 based Studios for 2 months...

 

[now i see it]

This is where the Marketing Executives earn their keep: $ vs performance & features

 

[FrozenDarkness]

Unless M2 is architecturally different, I highly doubt Apple will just put in a M2 chip into a mac pro because none of the m1 chips are actually user upgradable. Can't update ram, can't update storage, not even sure you can have swappable PCI-E slots.

Although it's totally possible apple sticks it to the "Pro" community and just make a bigger mac studio.

 

[Nermal]

So will this finally kill the ridiculous M1 MBA refresh rumors?

Of course not. Don't be silly.

Would be ridiculous to see new 14" and 16" M2 MacBook Pros this year. I just got the 16" M1 Max.

It's not unheard of. Back in the PowerPC days Apple was releasing new models months, not years, apart. With Arm, and not being at the mercy of Intel, we may begin to see more frequent updates again.

 

[killawat]

Would be ridiculous to see new 14" and 16" M2 MacBook Pros this year. I just got the 16" M1 Max.

Apple is completely in the driver seat. No longer waiting around on Intel for gains. Who knows how fast they could move if COVID weren't ruining everything.

 

[tubular]

If we see three of these this year I'll be amazed.

[Edit:] Never mind, it's Gurman.

 

[fbr$]

• A 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. The M2 Max chip features a 12-core GPU and 38-core GPU, along with 64GB Memory.

Isn't 12-core CPU instead of 12-core GPU?

 

[maxsquared]

Apple is internally testing several variants of the next-generation M2 chip and the updated Macs that will be equipped with them, reports Bloomberg, citing developer logs. There are "at least" nine new Macs in development that use four different M2 chips that are successors to the current M1 chips.

Apple is working on devices with standard M2 chips, the M2 Pro, the M2 Max, and a successor to the M1 Ultra, with the following machines in the works:

• A MacBook Air with an M2 chip that features an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU.
  
• A Mac mini with the M2 chip and a variant with the M2 Pro chip.
  
• An entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro with M2 chip.
  
• A 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. The M2 Max chip features a 12-core GPU and 38-core GPU, along with 64GB Memory.
  
• A Mac Pro that will include a successor to the M1 Ultra used in the Mac Studio.

Apple has also tested an M1 Max version of the Mac mini, but the release of the Mac Studio may make such a machine redundant, so Apple could stick with M2 and M2 Pro chips when the Mac mini eventually sees a refresh.

According to Bloomberg, the internal testing is a "key step" in the development process, and it suggests that the machines could be released in the coming months. We have heard multiple rumors about a new MacBook Air, an updated 13-inch MacBook Pro, a Mac Pro, and a new Mac mini, but this is the first we are hearing of a possible 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro refresh this year.

Prior rumors have suggested that we can expect to see the MacBook Air, low-end MacBook Pro, and Mac mini come out in 2022, and Bloomberg has previously said that at least two Macs will launch mid-year, perhaps at WWDC.

Article Link: Apple Testing at Least Nine New Macs With Four Different M2 Chip Variants

You mean 12-core CPU right?

 

[Realityck]

The minute I see M2 mentioned without any other Mac products using M1 Pro besides the MBP I am skeptical.

 

[CWallace]

We do have one more Mac desktop and one more Mac laptop expected in the near term based on the filings with the Eurasian Economic Commission.

The most logical desktop to me would be an M2 Mac mini. The most logical laptop to me would be an M2 MacBook Air or M2 MacBook Pro 13.3". Both could launch at WWDC or soon after.

I do expect Apple to announce the Apple Silicon Mac Pro at WWDC, but not give a release date because I could see it slip into 2023.

I do not believe we will see an M1 Pro Mac mini configuration. I'm not sure we'll see an M2 Pro Mac mini configuration, but if we do, my thinking is 2023. Same with an M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pro. And the M2 iMac 24" (with possibly an M2 Pro configuration if Apple does not release an Apple Silicon version of the iMac 5K 27").

 

[StupidOpinion]

people in this thread hoping that they don't update the macbook pro 14/16 because they just bought the m1 pro/max smh. this world doesn't revolve around you, pal.

 

[collin_]

I wonder if they'll be based on A16 architecture and lithography instead of A15. ?

 

[falkon-engine]

• A 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and “M2 Max” chips, codenamed J414. The M2 Max chip has 12 CPU cores and 38 graphics cores, up from 10 CPU cores and 32 graphics cores in the current model, according to the logs. It will also have 64 gigabytes of memory.

Yes please. Would love a Mac mini or Mac studio with one of these as well.

 

[Captain_Mac]

Waiting for a 14 inch Pro with M2 Pro here!

 

[CWallace]

As for the various M2 models (and their codenames), current reporting/speculation seems to be around:

• M2 (Staten): 8 CPU cores and 9/10 graphics cores
• M2 Pro (Rhodes Chop): 10/12 CPU cores
• M2 Max (Rhodes 1C): 12 CPU cores
• M2 Ultra (Rhodes 2C): 24 CPU cores
• M2 Extreme (Rhodes 4C): 48 CPU cores

GPU cores are harder to know. Mark Gurman originally believed the M2 Pro and Max would have the same 16/32/64 GPU cores as the M1 Pro/Max/Ultra, but this new report says they will likely be divisible by 9 or 10 to reflect what the base M2 is believed to offer in terms of CPU.

 

[Macaholic868]

I bought an Intel MacBook Air when the new M1 equipped models were announced because there is one app in particular that’s Windows only that I need to do my job so having Boot Camp / Parallels for Windows was essential but it sure looks like Microsoft is heading in the direction of releasing Windows 11 on ARM x64 for licensing on any ARM processor now that their exclusive deal with Qualcomm has expired if Microsoft can make it work.

I finally heard from the devs that they’ve got a Mac version of that app coming in the next month or two and when that happens I’ll snap up a new Mac with an M2 chip.

I really like my MacBook Air and am thinking that my 27” Intel iMac from 2017 can be replaced by a Mac Mini. The 27” iMac is a great device but I need multiple monitors and don’t need them to be 27”. A couple of cheap 19” to 21” monitors would be fine for what I need on a desktop.

Is it possible to get a MacBook Air with a 512 GB SSD? My current system only has a 256 GB SSD and if I’ve got to go to a MacBook Pro for a 512 GB SSD that’s what I’ll do. 13” is fine for me on a laptop in terms of screen size. My wife’s a Covid-19 nurse. We don’t travel often these days. Outside of the SSD capacity the MacBook Air has been fantastic but I really look forward to the kind of extended battery life you can get with Apple’s SoC than you can get out of the remaining Intel. Charging the system every 3 - 5 hours feels like ancient technology when I think of my iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. I was nervous I’d have to go back to a Windows laptop. I work in IT and do some programming and it’s all Windows based. I don’t want to deal with that crap when I’m home. I want something that just works. I don’t want to deal with bad Windows Updates breaking things and zero day exploit solutions like “turn off the print spooler service”. Get real Microsoft and bring your QA team back. Apple isn’t perfect these days either but I’d take them over Microsoft every day that ends with a “y”.

 

[matthew12]

Would be ridiculous to see new 14" and 16" M2 MacBook Pros this year. I just got the 16" M1 Max.

Apple updates their iOS devices every year. They obviously are going to update their Mac hardware every year as well now that they're on their own chips.

 

[SirKeldon]

If the Macbook Pro 14/16 rumour turns to be true, I'm just feeling sad for all the people that had to buy their new MBPs via reseller and are still waiting, not to mention the current lockdowns are pushing the production/shipping dates longer than months ago, even if you purchase directly from Apple, and they're never been short to be precise.

 

[Captain_Mac]

I bought an Intel MacBook Air when the new M1 equipped models were announced because there is one app in particular that’s Windows only that I need to do my job so having Boot Camp / Parallels for Windows was essential but it sure looks like Microsoft is heading in the direction of releasing Windows 11 on ARM x64 for licensing on any ARM processor now that their exclusive deal with Qualcomm has expired if Microsoft can make it work.

I finally heard from the devs that they’ve got a Mac version of that app coming in the next month or two and when that happens I’ll snap up a new Mac with an M2 chip.

I really like my MacBook Air and am thinking that my 27” Intel iMac from 2017 can be replaced by a Mac Mini. The 27” iMac is a great device but I need multiple monitors and don’t need them to be 27”. A couple of cheap 19” to 21” monitors would be fine for what I need on a desktop.

Is it possible to get a MacBook Air with a 512 GB SSD? My current system only has a 256 GB SSD and if I’ve got to go to a MacBook Pro for a 512 GB SSD that’s what I’ll do. 13” is fine for me on a laptop in terms of screen size. My wife’s a Covid-19 nurse. We don’t travel often these days. Outside of the SSD capacity the MacBook Air has been fantastic but I really look forward to the kind of extended battery life you can get with Apple’s SoC than you can get out of the remaining Intel. Charging the system every 3 - 5 hours feels like ancient technology when I think of my iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. I was nervous I’d have to go back to a Windows laptop. I work in IT and do some programming and it’s all Windows based. I don’t want to deal with that crap when I’m home. I want something that just works. I don’t want to deal with bad Windows Updates breaking things and zero day exploit solutions like “turn off the print spooler service”. Get real Microsoft and bring your QA team back. Apple isn’t perfect these days either but I’d take them over Microsoft every day that ends with a “y”.

You can configure an Air with up to 2TB SSD ?