Apple M2 chip goes into production ahead of MacBook Pro 16-inch 2021 launch

News
By published

Apple's M2 chip could be here very soon, if a new report is accurate

apple m2 chip leak
(Image credit: Future)

Apple’s long-rumoured M2 chip, the successor to the popular Apple Silicon M1 chip, might have just entered mass production. 

That’s according to a report from Nikkei Asia, which cite sources “familiar with the matter”. If accurate, the report suggests that the next wave of Macs with new Apple Silicon could be on the way.

According to Nikkei Asia’s sources, the M2 chip could start shipping in July ready to go on sale in the second half of this year. That would put it in the right time frame to be included in the MacBook Pro 16-inch 2021.

According to leaks, the M2 chip is set to pack in a lot more power than the M1 had to offer. That includes 12 CPU cores, made up of 4 performance cores and four high efficiency cores, plus 16 GPU cores. 

Compare that to the M1 chip, which packs an 8-core CPU (with four performance and efficiency cores) and an 8-core GPU. We’re looking at a major upgrade.

That’s not to say the M1 chip is likely to be obsolete. The chip has already wowed with its performance, offering more power and better battery life for the same price as the old Intel MacBooks. Apple includes the M1 chip in its newly-launched iMac 2021 and iPad Pro 2021.

But Apple needs to keep pushing the envelope, especially given Apple’s goal of moving away from Intel chips within the next two years. We just hope that the M2 chip, or M1X if it really ends up being called that, offers all that power without a loss of battery life.

Expect to hear more over the next couple of months, especially as we draw closer to the MacBook Pro 16-inch 2021’s rumored mid-year launch window.

TOPICS
Tom Pritchard
Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.