Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

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

I prefer Apple to provide a model that is for developers to use. That is, there are enough cpu cores, and then the gpu cores don't need to be that many, or even usable. Then the multimedia chip can also be removed from the SoC, or just keep a very basic number on the line. The rest of the cost can be moved to more memory.
Because the current models, the higher end ones have more GPUs and better multimedia chips, but in fact for developers, they don't really need that much.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jeven Stobs
I can't be against progress and newer faster hardware, but as a consumer that just ordered and payed for a current gen Studio M1 Max near launch and is still waiting for it, with this kind of progress, by the time I receive my Studio it will be previous gen hardware. That feels sour in some way.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Substance90
NuKeM said:
I can't be against progress and newer faster hardware, but as a consumer that just ordered and payed for a current gen Studio M1 Max near launch and is still waiting for it, with this kind of progress, by the time I receive my Studio it will be previous gen hardware. That feels sour in some way.
Click to expand...
It's okay, by the time people have their M2, M3 products will get introduced.
 
ddhhddhh2 said:
I prefer Apple to provide a model that is for developers to use. That is, there are enough cpu cores, and then the gpu cores don't need to be that many, or even usable. Then the multimedia chip can also be removed from the SoC, or just keep a very basic number on the line. The rest of the cost can be moved to more memory.
Because the current models, the higher end ones have more GPUs and better multimedia chips, but in fact for developers, they don't really need that much.
Click to expand...

So save 1$ in die space and loose 100$ in economics of scale?

Mkay....
Ignoring the fact that many developers might actually target the GPU or multimedia decoders.

Or just accept that M1 and M1Pro are as good as it gets for such a use case.


On topic:

All it really says:
- MacPro to be announced soon, not based on Mxxxx SoC and on sale later
- M2 Mini and M2 MacBook(Air, notPro, whatever) in fall
- everything M1___ will get replaced within 12-24 months
 
So basically everything stays exactly the same.

I don’t think Apple will adopt a yearly cadence, there barely is enough time for demand to settle in that timeframe. Seems more likely they will go with every 2 years.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cocoua
Two year cadence...?

Mn SoCsMn Pro SoCsMn Max SoCsMn Ultra SoCsMn Extreme SoCs
First Half
Year One		11" iPad Pro
12.9" iPad Pro
13" MacBook
15" MacBook
Mac mini
24" iMac
Second Half
Year One		14" MacBook Pro
16" MacBook Pro
Mac mini		14" MacBook Pro
16" MacBook Pro
First Half
Year Two		Mac StudioMac Studio
Second Half
Year Two		Mac ProMac Pro

Rinse & repeat...!
 
Hope next mac pro skips M1 and comes in M2 Ultra flavor.
Releasing a Mac Pro at the end of the year with a M1 would be weird.
 
Boil said:
Two year cadence...?

Mn SoCsMn Pro SoCsMn Max SoCsMn Ultra SoCsMn Extreme SoCs
First Half
Year One		11" iPad Pro
12.9" iPad Pro
13" MacBook
15" MacBook
Mac mini
24" iMac
Second Half
Year One		14" MacBook Pro
16" MacBook Pro
Mac mini		14" MacBook Pro
16" MacBook Pro
First Half
Year Two		Mac StudioMac Studio
Second Half
Year Two		Mac ProMac Pro

Rinse & repeat...!
Click to expand...
Hope they wont repeat this again.
This cycle is weird, it has sense as first start, as M1 needed to be tested step by step and software wasnt available, but hope releases go more followed in time, having a 1700 score single core Mx in low end machines and 2 years after release a 1700 score MxUltra is quite weird.

Also competition will come eventually, and Apple will be pushed again

But they keep out Prosumer users from the lower end with the “one external screen” only option…
 
I would suggest following update schedule:
1. WWDC announcement of m2 chip is inevitable (to make sure developers are able to utilize its power). After all, it is a main place to make preparations for incoming architecture on software side. These are newer A chip and newer M chips.
2. Apple already announced that it is completely moving to ARM within 2 years, which leaves us with MacPro to be announced. Notice that Apple started M1 transition from the slowest (in multicore benchmark) devices- Mac Mini and etc and only at later stages announcing more powerful chips. The importance of this sequencing is very high.

3. If Apple announces it with M1 variant in fall, it will take another two years to move to m2, which unfeasible in current competitive market and Intel and AMD both adopting more aggressive strategies (and don't forget Nvidia), meaning that Apple will be behind Intel, which already introduced 12 gen chips. By time Apple makes M2 computer, Intel will be already on 13th or 14th gen, potentially leaving Apple in dust (in single core benchmarks). Which Apple can't allow to happen because it just left Intel.

Therefore,
on WWDC Apple has to announce M2.
M2 is an ultimate Apple's answer to Intel and AMD.
Its single core results may probably exceed Alder Lake.
So this is will be fast and powerful M2.
Developers are suggested to tweak their software for the new architecture.

Since in terms of devices Mac Pro is not yet announced, it leaves with only one possibility:
Mac Pro will be announced with M2 chip in June 2022.

In fall 2022, Mac mini, MBA and other entry devices are announced, probably using some sort of rebranded and slightly overclocked and tweaked M1 (if it is possible), actually sort of M1x, but that doesn't matter. This doesn't involve mainboard remake, which lowers costs.

Remaning Pro machines are to be announced with M2 chip in first half of 2023. This line descends from Mac Pro with M2 chip and include Studio and two Macbook Pros, while continuing to offer M1 based Studio and pro notebooks.


This will create a triple offerings

1. M1 will continue to be made
2. M1X devices will apear.
3. M2 Mac pro, probably using 2019 case, is announced in June 2022.

In analogy with iPhones, by 2022 September
we will have
Original m1 devices (think iPhone Pro Max 12)
m2 devices (Mac Pro)
M1x devices (Studio and pro notebook)
 
  • Disagree
Reactions: Boil and Da_Hood
now i see it said:
This is where the Marketing Executives earn their keep: $ vs performance & features
Click to expand...
The real genius was in giving away the operating system for free.

With control over the chip architecture, Apple can obsolete the hell out of your new equipment When they feel like it. Your M1 Ultra is a ticking time bomb.

I imagine a world where, if you actually handed over money for your OS updates, Apple wouldn’t be so keen to see your perfectly good equipment in landfill.
 
StoneJack said:
Mac Pro will be announced with M2 chip in June 2022.

In fall 2022, Mac mini, MBA and other entry devices are announced, probably using some sort of rebranded and slightly overclocked and tweaked M1 (if it is possible), actually sort of M1x,
Click to expand...

So much text and doesn't get even the most basic things right....

While Apple might do a full 180° on branding what is referred to as "M2" is everything M1 just based on either 2021 (A15) or 2022 (A16) cores.

So no the MacPro won't get an "M2" that will go into everything that now has a M1.
Further M2Pro/Max/Ultra/whatever SoCs will follow packing more of those same core.

As soon as Apple touches/tweaks any M1 based SoC it will be updated to those newer core making it a M2 variant.
 
TheOldChevy said:
I can imagine that the new technology will make chips smaller.
Click to expand...

For N4 not that much and that seems to get used for 2 more GPU core per cluster and more cache.

So expect the number of dies per wafer to stay about the same and cost seeing a small bump up (for using the newer node).
 
Will these new chips support HDMI 2.1? I’m so tired of Apple using slow old ports. If the can do HDMI 2.1 on an Apple TV, it’s so **** up about these new chips can’t do it. 🤬
 
  • Like
Reactions: TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️
People are sleeping on the M2. The A15 got a huge efficiency boost from the A14. The M2 MacBook Air will have such a massive battery life.. it's going to be great.
 
NuKeM said:
I can't be against progress and newer faster hardware, but as a consumer that just ordered and payed for a current gen Studio M1 Max near launch and is still waiting for it, with this kind of progress, by the time I receive my Studio it will be previous gen hardware. That feels sour in some way.
Click to expand...
Nobody said all of these chips will be released this year. In October/November we will most likely get M2, and only next year they will introduce the Max/Pro variants, and the Ultra.

I thought it was obvious to people that Apple is not rushing their chips, the end of the year will mark 2 years since M1. So no. Your Mac Studio won't be obsolete anytime soon.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tagbert
Retskrad said:
People are sleeping on the M2. The A15 got a huge efficiency boost from the A14. The M2 MacBook Air will have such a massive battery life.. it's going to be great.
Click to expand...
Huh, the batteries in the 13 series are much larger, just a new power-efficient chip isn't enough to boos the battery as much as the larger capacity did.
 
I expect we will see M2 Macs this year. No one believed it when they said the M1 chip would be in the iPad Pro, far fewer even believed it would go into the iPad Air. And no one believed Apple would be introducing an entirely new class of computer and then the Studio was launched. And that should teach you nothing is off the table with this new Apple silicon era.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Billrey and Substance90
How many model variants does Apple usually test like this?

"At least nine..." sounds significant, but we (well, I) have nothing to compare for scale.
 
Bummed that my M1 Max will be dethroned shortly, but also excited to see what the future brings. Apple is really doing a great job with their laptops now
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back