Apple says its recently announced iPad Pro tablet and iMac all-in-one desktop computer will both be available in stores on Friday May 21, the same day that customers who pre-ordered the devices should begin receiving their purchases.
Both products are powered by Apple’s M1 processors, the same Apple Silicon chips used in the MacBook Air, 13 inch MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini that launched last year.
But according to a report from Bloomberg, we could see new computers sporting next-gen Apple Silicon processors as soon as this summer.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that Apple is working on a new 14 inch and 16 inch MacBook Pro laptops featuring next-gen Apple Silicon.
Apple’s current-gen M1 processor is an 8-core chip featuring 4 high performance CPU cores, 4 energy-efficient cores, 7 or 8 graphics processing cores (depending on the device), and support for up to 16GB of RAM.
According to Gurman, Apple’s next-gen chips are code-named “Jade C-Chop” and “Jade C-Die,” and they’ll both be 10-cores processors with 8 performance cores and 2 efficiency cores. The key difference is that one of the new chips will have 16 GPU cores, while the other has 32.
Both are expected to support up to 64GB of RAM and have an improved Neural Engine for better AI performance.
Given that current-gen Macs with M1 chips and 16GB of memory or less are already outperforming computers with Intel or AMD chips and more RAM in many tasks, it should be interesting to see what Apple’s upcoming chips are capable of.
Apple is also said to be working on a new, more powerful Mac Mini that will feature the same processors options as the new MacBook Pro laptops, as well as a larger iMac, although it’s unclear when those will be available.
A next-gen Mac Pro desktop is said to be coming in 2022, and it sounds like a beast, with support for “Jade 2C-Die” or “Jade 4C-Die” processors with 20 to 40 CPU cores (16 x performance + 4 efficiency or 32 x performance + 8 efficiency) and 64 or 128-core graphics.
One possible down side to some of these next-gen computers? It seems like at least some of Apple’s desktops are getting just as tough to upgrade as the company’s laptops. In a review of the Apple iMac 24″ desktop that hits the streets this Friday, The Verge notes that the all-in-one offers strong performance, a surprisingly good webcam, and a sleek design. But you literally cannot upgrade anything after purchasing the laptop (unless you count external hardware connected via a Thunderbolt port to be an upgrade).
I really like the idea of the Apple ARM processors, and I’m really impressed with the immediate progress they’ve made in the transition.
However, I think the iMac was a major disappointment. If you compare the base model iMac to the base model M1-powered Mac Mini, it makes FAR more sense to buy the Mac Mini.
The Mac Mini has the better 8-core GPU, as opposed to the 7-core version in the base iMac. Plus, you have a far better selection of IO ports on the Mac Mini. And best of all, you’re not locked into 1 specific display panel (more flexibility, and increases the lifespan). You can buy a 4K or 5K panel of your choosing. Or you can buy whatever monitor suits you. Get a 32″ 1440p monitor and save a pile of money.
I could buy the Mac Mini, and a 27″ 4K panel with very good colour accuracy, and still have $100 left over compared to the price of the iMac.
To be perfectly honest, the new iMac seems like it was meant to be a “receptionist’s computer”, based on the fact that it’s appearance seems more important to Apple than functionality. It doesn’t look like it was designed with professional use in mind, aside from the presumably decent monitor panel, which was probably only added to make pricing comparisons difficult. Apple fanboys are going to say “you can’t compare a 4k to a 4.5k, because that specific resolution has value for XYZ reason”.
My largest complaint about the M1 mac mini is that the ram is not upgradeable. The base model comes with 8GB and sells for $670 at Costco. For a 16GB unit Apple charges a $200 upgrade fee… about $870.
I generally stay away from a first generation product anyways… so I won’t be interested until the M2 or M3 (which has all the fixes).
Yeah same. I’ll buy a Mac Mini when it offers a more cost effective RAM upgrade, and when Apple Silicon supports AV1 video hardware decoding.
Apple has always been far behind the times with video decoding, and the M1 missed the boat with AV1.