Apple is working on a new ARM-based processor with as many as 32 high-performance CPU cores that could appear in a Mac in late 2021, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The processor could also appear in a new “half-sized Mac Pro” in 2022. Alongside it, the company is also reportedly developing CPU designs with up to 16 high-performance cores and four power-efficient cores which are destined for new versions of the MacBook Pro and iMac. The new processors could arrive as early as spring 2021. Future Apple Silicon designs could also feature GPUs with up to 128 dedicated cores.
The new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini each used the company’s M1 chip, which features a CPU with four high-performance cores and four high-efficiency cores. However, the company’s more powerful machines like the Mac Pro continue to use Intel chips. Apple has said it intends to transition its whole Mac lineup onto its own chips over the course of two years.
Some questioned whether or not Apple was making the right move by going with its own silicon. While we won’t have a definitive answer to that query for a while longer, things seem promising thus far.
The first M1-powered offerings impressed early reviewers with their performance and energy efficiency. The move could also save Apple lots of money in the long run on top of further helping the company differentiate itself from other computer makers and free it from Intel’s roadmap.
