Evidence of M2 Apple Silicon Chip Spotted Ahead of Apple Event on Tuesday

[Realityck]

I don't see how launching an M2 chip in the 13" MBP makes any sense. Months after launching new flagship 14 and 16" machines? Why wouldn't they put it in those?

I just wonder if this isn't prototype A16 SoCs that are meant for future iPhone and iPad Pro usage? Remember they were discussing future IPad Pros returning to A SoC?

A15 has two high-performance cores and four energy-efficient cores, along with GPU is five core. Wouldn't be a stretch to add 2 cores to the CPU and double the GPU cores to be utilized.

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

I’m still confused by the idea that apple will release the M2 or even talk about it before the high end desktops are released. if they do, pro customers and the media will lament that these new desktops have the older processors And not Apple’s best of the best, people will wait since the new M2 Max will be around the corner. Etc.

either the rumor mill is dead wrong or I really don’t get this strategy.

I had similar feelings about this for a time.
But I think if you’re in the market for an M1 Pro/Max then I’d argue you probably understand that the standard M2 would not be more powerful. Plus, the price should give it away, anyway.

Potentially releasing an M2 before all high end machines with M1 Pro/Max are released does seem somewhat strange, though.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I don't see how launching an M2 chip in the 13" MBP makes any sense. Months after launching new flagship 14 and 16" machines? Why wouldn't they put it in those?

Because M1 PRO & MAX are (likely) FASTER and MORE POWERFUL than M2, and probably M3, and maybe even M4. Speculation says the regular chips (not PRO/MAX/EXTREME/DUO/QUAD) are focused on power sipping... perhaps maximizing the "PER WATT" thing we seem to be slinging around more and more. Add suffixes to that chip though and you get the more powerful variations.

It's just a number on a chip that no one can see. For all we know, the next chip could be marked M2000 or N1 or "I AM THE WALRUS." If it goes as assumed, it will fill in at the cheap (price) end of the offerings. For average Joe, there is generally an assumption that the low price is the weaker one(s) and the high price is the stronger one(s). Average Joe generally doesn't know what number is printed on a chip, nor knowledgable about making much sense of what is in there. He/she may know something about more RAM is better and more STORAGE. But whether it has a 2 or 1, whether it has a T or M, whether it has alder lake or cannon lake or crystal lake or veronica lake in there doesn't tend to resonate with many... nor make them obviously aware that this one is better than that one.

My guess is that if it does go in the older design MBpro 13, instead of it selling well because of a number on a chip, it will sell well because it is the lowest price "pro" laptop and/or maybe the anti-notch crowd or pro-touchbar crowd will be attracted for those reasons too.

And- IMO- as soon as M2 or Walrus or whatever is ready, Apple should roll it out. Advance, advance, advance. Any concept of holding a finished "brain" back until all computers adopt some variant of version 1 seems like shooting themselves in the foot. If some of us care about what is painted on chips we will probably never see in our own technology, sell your 1 ASAP and buy your 2 or N1 or Walrus or whatever Apple actually chooses to call the next one. If you go from M1 PRO or MAX to M2 or even M3, you may be buying a less powerful Mac... but you'll have the one with the biggest number painted on the chip.

 

[CWallace]

I’m still confused by the idea that apple will release the M2 or even talk about it before the high end desktops are released. if they do, pro customers and the media will lament that these new desktops have the older processors And not Apple’s best of the best, people will wait since the new M2 Max will be around the corner. Etc.

either the rumor mill is dead wrong or I really don’t get this strategy.

With a rumored 16/32 high-performance CPU cores and 64/128 GPU cores, these "old" M1 Max Duo / Quadro SoCs will annihilate an M2 with 4 high-performance CPU cores and 10 GPU cores.

 

[CWallace]

I don't see how launching an M2 chip in the 13" MBP makes any sense. Months after launching new flagship 14 and 16" machines? Why wouldn't they put it in those?

Because M1 Pro and M1 Max have many more high-performance and GPU cores than M2 so even with each M2 core having more performance than an M1 core, it can't keep up on CPU and (especially) GPU. M1 P/M also have significantly higher memory bandwidth than M2 - up to four times as much, in the case of Max.

So overall, an M1 Pro and (especially) M1 Max will handily out-class an M2.

 

[CWallace]

I just wonder if this isn't prototype A16 SoCs that are meant for future iPhone and iPad Pro usage? Remember they were discussing future IPad Pros returning to A SoC?

I believe we will not see A16-class cores in an M-series SoC until M3.

And I have to believe the iPad Pro will stay on M-series SoCs because it better aligns with Apple's current view of the iPad Pro's markets and those markets benefit from the extra cores, the higher memory bandwidth and better connectivity offered by Thunderbolt.

 

[darwiniandude]

If M2 has a 15% faster CPU core for example, it will stop me buying the M1 Pro or M1 Max desktop I’ve been waiting for, as with M2 Pro or Max every performance core will be 15% quicker.

 

[CWallace]

If M2 has a 15% faster CPU core for example, it will stop me buying the M1 Pro or M1 Max desktop I’ve been waiting for, as with M2 Pro or Max every performance core will be 15% quicker.

True, but I expect that those desktops will not go to M2 Pro / M2 Max until late 2023 or early 2024, so if you can wait another 12-18 months...

 

[cmaier]

If M2 has a 15% faster CPU core for example, it will stop me buying the M1 Pro or M1 Max desktop I’ve been waiting for, as with M2 Pro or Max every performance core will be 15% quicker.

M2 will be about 15% faster per core. Of course, it will have fewer cores and less memory bandwidth than M1 Pro or Max. So whether an M2 can actually get your work done more snappily than M1 Max/Pro will depend on what your work is.

 

[garylapointe]

I don't see how launching an M2 chip in the 13" MBP makes any sense. Months after launching new flagship 14 and 16" machines? Why wouldn't they put it in those?

Well... The 13" MBP didn't get the Pro/Max chips yet for one thing.
Also, an M1 Pro/Max may very well outperform the base M2. That doesn't mean we shouldn't get one though.

That said, if it's cheaper, an M2 might be all I need in my 14" or 16" MBP, I still didn't bite on the first generation 14"/16".

 

[femike]

I think people are getting there hopes up thinking Apple will a half a dozen new products.
I predict only iPhone SE, a headless mac and maybe one more thing.

 

[the8thark]

He is just guessing and hoping what he says is correct. After this event there is a good chance his status amongst the Apple rumour mongers will decrease.

 

[LeadingHeat]

Apple Glasses are not coming for the next 2-3 years at least.

It's either going to be the VR headset (unlikely) or upcoming new external displays (Gurman said that today)

This was before Gurman said the displays. It will likely be that. But yes I was referring to the VR headset, I just didn’t want to type out

AR/VR Headset… AR/VR Headset… AR/VR Headset…

 

[LonestarOne]

I don't see how launching an M2 chip in the 13" MBP makes any sense. Months after launching new flagship 14 and 16" machines? Why wouldn't they put it in those?

Multicore performance.

 

[Realityck]

If M2 has a 15% faster CPU core for example, it will stop me buying the M1 Pro or M1 Max desktop I’ve been waiting for, as with M2 Pro or Max every performance core will be 15% quicker.

Who says its 15% faster? Geekbench showed 3.5 Ghz clock versus 3.2 Ghz clock. (9.3%)

 

[CWallace]

Who says its 15% faster? Geekbench showed 3.5 Ghz clock versus 3.2 Ghz clock. (9.3%)

I presume this is based on the A15's improvements over the A14 and the M2 is believed to be using the same CPU and GPU cores as the A15.

 

[staypuftforums]

So it's looking like no M2 Mac Mini and no 24" monitor.

The two things I most wanted

 

[chucker23n1]

I presume this is based on the A15's improvements over the A14 and the M2 is believed to be using the same CPU and GPU cores as the A15.

Yes, but clock-for-clock, the A15 is less than 1% faster than the A14. (Efficiency cores, GPU, etc. are another matter.)

 

[staypuftforums]

If M2 has a 15% faster CPU core for example, it will stop me buying the M1 Pro or M1 Max desktop I’ve been waiting for, as with M2 Pro or Max every performance core will be 15% quicker.

But why would you buy a M2 Pro or Max when the M3 will likely have a 15% faster CPU core compared to the M2?

 

[chucker23n1]

But why would you buy a M2 Pro or Max when the M3 will likely have a 15% faster CPU core compared to the M2?

Because the Pro and Max offer many more cores, much higher memory bandwidth, many more GPU cores, …

The consumer chip will be faster in single-threaded applications, but slower in Pro workflows.

 

[ZZ9pluralZalpha]

The M2 will debut at WWDC in a redesigned chassis and the M2-in-13” MBP report was someone getting confused by a testing mule (although no good theory why they’d use that particular chassis). There, a fresh-out-the-rear rumor that’s as accurate as Digitimes!

 

[staypuftforums]

Because the Pro and Max offer many more cores, much higher memory bandwidth, many more GPU cores, …

But he said he won't be purchasing a M1 Pro or Max because the M2 has faster cores.

So why wouldn't that same concern exist for the M3, M4, M5, and M6? They will always be faster than their predecessors.

 

[chucker23n1]

But he said he won't be purchasing a M1 Pro or Max because the M2 has faster cores.

So why wouldn't that same concern exist for the M3, M4, M5, and M6? They will always be faster than their predecessors.

Agreed.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

I’m still confused by the idea that apple will release the M2 or even talk about it before the high end desktops are released. if they do, pro customers and the media will lament that these new desktops have the older processors And not Apple’s best of the best, people will wait since the new M2 Max will be around the corner. Etc.

either the rumor mill is dead wrong or I really don’t get this strategy.

Just look at the 2020 iPad lineup.
The iPad Air got the A14, but the iPad Pro was still with the A12Z.
However, the iPad Pro still had overall better performance.
I think it’s very clear that Apple‘s family of Mac processors are all on different schedules, and that’s perfectly OK. That’s usually how it goes with any CPU manufacturer, it’s a lot easier to produce new consumer end CPUs than it is professional end CPUs.
So we might see a new M chip every year or so, but not see a new pro or max chip.
That’s fine, no matter what the top of the line M1pro/max chip is overall going to be faster than the M2, and maybe the M3, and even quite possibly the M4 as well like someone said earlier.
The Extreme top of the line processors that are gonna be used in the Mac Pro will probably get updated even less frequently than the pro/max chips.
That’s just how it goes.
Between 2018 and 2021 the iPad Pro stuck with a processor based off of the A12, even though Apple had introduced an A13 and an A14.

 

[staypuftforums]

Just look at the 2020 iPad lineup.
The iPad Air got the A14, but the iPad Pro was still with the A12Z.
However, the iPad Pro still had overall better performance.
I think it’s very clear that Apple‘s family of Mac processors are all on different schedules, and that’s perfectly OK. That’s usually how it goes with any CPU manufacturer, it’s a lot easier to produce new consumer end CPUs than it is professional end CPUs.
So we might see a new M chip every year or so, but not see a new pro or max chip.
That’s fine, no matter what the top of the line M1pro/max chip is overall going to be faster than the M2, and maybe the M3, and even quite possibly the M4 as well like someone said earlier.
The Extreme top of the line processors that are gonna be used in the Mac Pro will probably get updated even less frequently than the pro/max chips.
That’s just how it goes.
Between 2018 and 2021 the iPad Pro stuck with a processor based off of the A12, even though Apple had introduced an A13 and an A14.

I do get the concern from a marketing perspective.

It might not be possible, but the ideal release schedule would look something like (using random months): M1 released January 2020, M1 Pro/Max released June 2020, M2 released January 2021, M2 Pro/Max released June 2021, etc.

I think that would eliminate any confusion.

New gen CPU -> 6 months later CPU maximized -> 6 months later new gen CPU, and on and on.