First M2 Macs Expected to Launch Later This Year Using TSMC's 4nm Chip Process

[MacRumors]

Apple plans to launch a series of Macs with M2 chips based on TSMC's 4nm process later this year, according to Taiwanese publication DigiTimes. This advancement should allow for continued performance and power efficiency improvements.

"TSMC's 4nm process will also build Apple's M2 chip that will power the new Mac series slated for launch in the second half of this year," the report claims.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman on Tuesday tweeted that Apple has M2 versions of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, 24-inch iMac, and Mac mini in development. In his newsletter last weekend, Gurman said Apple plans to launch at least some of those Macs around May to June of this year, while DigiTimes gave a second half of 2022 timeframe.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1501276447347863554

The standard M1 chip is built on TSMC's 5nm process and has an 8-core CPU, along with a 7-core or 8-core GPU depending on the configuration. The first M2 chip will also have an 8-core CPU, but with faster 9-core or 10-core GPU options, according to Gurman.

Curiously, oft-accurate analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on Tuesday tweeted that a 2022 version of the MacBook Air will still use the M1 chip, although he suggested it could be a modified version of the chip without elaborating further. Kuo said the new MacBook Air will feature a redesign with more color options and said that mass production of the notebook would begin in the late second quarter or the third quarter of this year.

The only Intel-based Macs remaining in Apple's lineup are high-end Mac mini configurations and the Mac Pro tower. During its "Peek Performance" event this week, Apple teased that an Apple silicon version of the Mac Pro is in the pipeline.

Article Link: First M2 Macs Expected to Launch Later This Year Using TSMC's 4nm Chip Process

 

[Justin Cymbal]

I’m planning to get the new redesigned MacBook Air that’s coming out this summer and I hope that it has Apple’s new M2 chip

The new Mac studio that Apple announced the other day looks incredible and I’m really happy that Apple continues to lead the industry with their new silicon chips

 

[tekboi]

Are we really getting an M2 chip? or are we getting an M1 Ultra Plus Pro??

 

[Heat_Fan89]

So what happens when we reach 0nm? Does it then switch to -1nm or does the earth implode?

 

[eric89074]

If M2 is really based on a 4nm process should be a nice upgrade from M1.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Glad to see the transition to switch to Apple silicon chips is going very smoothly. More power to Apple. 🔥☄️

 

[Havoc035]

I wonder if M2 will be ARMv9. For future proofing that would be great.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Bring 'em on. Progress is good.

I just spent more for a single Mac than I've ever spent for any Mac before... and this one doesn't come with a screen, keyboard or mouse. But I don't care that a number painted on the chip inside mine will be lower than a number painted on a chip in some future Mac that might cost a fraction of what I just spent. Odds are very high, I'll never see either number with my own eyes. And if I was the type that worried about friends noticing (or not) if I have "latest & greatest," odds are they would never see the number painted on the SoC either.

Bring 'em on! And then the M3 (or whatever Apple calls that line) ASAP after that. And M4. And M5. Progress! Progress! Progress!

 

[BWhaler]

Mark my words: M2 comes next year. Apple needs to capture as much value from M1 investment, doesn’t want to create waiting behavior for buyers across the line, and there is zero competitive need to ship M2 today.

 

[Mad Mac Maniac]

I’m planning to get the new redesigned MacBook Air that’s coming out this summer and I hope that it has Apple’s new M2 chip

Right? That would be so disappointing if they used to M1 chip again. Obviously it's quite powerful, but still it's been out for a year and a half, likely 2 years by the time the MBA is updated. They should just wait until the M2 is ready before they update

 

[CWallace]

I wonder if M2 will be ARMv9. For future proofing that would be great.

M2 is based on A15 and that is still based on ARMv8.

Mark my words: M2 comes next year. Apple needs to capture as much value from M1 investment, doesn’t want to create waiting behavior for buyers across the line, and there is zero competitive need to ship M2 today.

True there is no compelling competitive reason to upgrade, but Apple does want to update the design of the MacBook Air and Mac mini and moving both to M2 at the same time makes sense from a marketing tie-in.

And as part of the M2 launch, you can be sure Apple will take great pains to note that, while more powerful than M1, it will not be as powerful as M1 Pro / M1 Max / M1 Ultra so the fears some have expressed that nobody will buy an M-series Mac once M2 comes out are unfounded.

 

[Bug-Creator]

This suggest that M2 will indeed be based on A16 which we will see in September, hence October for the M2 Macs (or later).

The wording around M1Ultra being the last M1 and the MPro to come another day suggest that it either comes later (as M2QuadrupleMax with minimal expansion) or it will have it's own chip supporting RAM-DIMMs and PCIe slots (maybe still based on M1/A14 just not named like those).

 

[Orange Bat]

Are we really getting an M2 chip? or are we getting an M1 Ultra Plus Pro??

I’m holding out for the M1 Ultra Pro Max Plus Plus, but only in purple.

 

[Macative]

M2 is based on A15 and that is still based on ARMv8.

Apparently not.

 

[CWallace]

This suggest that M2 will indeed be based on A16 which we will see in September, hence October for the M2 Macs (or later).

Well if you believe the rumors, Apple started sample M2 production last year and A16 was not that far advanced.

Still convinced M2 will be based on A15.

 

[whooleytoo]

I've not been keeping up with the Apple Silicon news at all.. is it likely that the plan is that the M "generation" will be a core design, and then the variants will be the various multi-core configurations of that core?

i.e. M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, M1 Ultra = 1st gen cores, in various core number/configuration options.
M2, M2 Pro, M2 Max, M2 Ultra etc. = 2nd gen cores, in similar options?

 

[jayducharme]

Hard to believe that by the time the M2 is released, my M1 mini will be nearly 2 years old. I guess that might be time for an upgrade, since my wallet won't open up for the Mac Studio.

 

[Orange Bat]

Mark my words: M2 comes next year. Apple needs to capture as much value from M1 investment, doesn’t want to create waiting behavior for buyers across the line, and there is zero competitive need to ship M2 today.

I think the same thing. They need to ride the wave of the Studio and perhaps the Mac Pro that could be released at WWDC. The minute they announce the M2 there will be people who will hold off on buying the M1, potentially hurting sales, even though the Pro and Max versions will be a year or more away. It also makes sense to introduce the chips at WWDC like they did the M1. Apple can make a big deal out of a new generation of chips before releasing any hardware.

I’m probably wrong, but that’s how I see it. ?

 

[dapa0s]

So how will M2 compare to the M1 Ultra?

 

[CWallace]

Apparently not.

Max Tech has claimed A16 and M2 will be on ARMv9, but I have seen nothing concrete that M2 will be based on A16 and plenty of claims it will be on A15 and A15 is on ARMv8.

And Max Tech has been very often incorrect in their beliefs as of late (still like the channel, but for their reviews, not their projections).

 

[Falhófnir]

So redesigned MacBook Air, but still with the M1 chip in the May-June timeframe, M2 macs from October time? I’ve thought all along it would get very complicated to do M series chips on anything other than a full 1 or 2 year cycle, given the amount of chip variants, and all the different products those go into, all on different release cycles.

 

[Mr. Dee]

Mark and so many of the other analyst have been off with their guess work; its getting really embarrassing. Apple is being strategic with this transition. Part of that is giving each product category time to shine. Another reason too is Apple see's that people don't just have money laying around to buy everything in lockstep that they release. They are spreading out these product releases so you can save and buy some of them or do trade ins so you can get the latest; and also no feel jilted if you less than 2 year old M1 MacBook Pro is superseded by the latest greatest.

Lets accept that we won't see an M2 based Mac until the fall of 2022 and I say October 2022 is an accurate guess.

The next Mac to get an M1 based family SoC is the Mac Pro and that's gonna happen in late June at WWDC with availability two weeks sometime after announcement. I see the new Mac Pro being a bit smaller too, but not very small. Still gonna be a tower that is modular with the ability to upgrade it as needed. But guess what, any component you want to put in it: RAM, storage, afterburner, Apple only.

 

[CWallace]

So how will M2 compare to the M1 Ultra?

A hell of a lot less CPU cores.
A hell of a hell lot less GPU cores.
A hell of a hell of a hell less memory bandwidth.

 

[dapa0s]

A hell of a lot less CPU cores.
A hell of a hell lot less GPU cores.
A hell of a hell of a hell less memory bandwidth.

But faster single core speeds or what?

 

[Macative]

Mark my words: M2 comes next year. Apple needs to capture as much value from M1 investment, doesn’t want to create waiting behavior for buyers across the line, and there is zero competitive need to ship M2 today.

Today? No. November? I'd say it's very likely to see the first round of M2 updates in November, based on the A16.