The Cupertino based tech giant Apple is widely regarded as one of the most successful tech companies of all time, bringing to its users groundbreaking devices like the Mac and the iPhone, all of which have gone on to become either segment leaders or major competitors.
To do this, Apple has sometimes made use of localised parts to ensure that it has total control over key aspects of a device, one of the prime examples being that of the silicon used in the iPhone, which has always been leaps and bounds ahead of what the competition has had to offer.
In 2020, the company decided to ditch Intel and its processors, which were in use for the company’s MacBook and iMac and, instead of looking for an alternative, Apple decided to take a gamble with its own silicon that was later dubbed the M1 chip.
Fast forward to 2021, the MacBook Air and Pro, which run the M1 chip, are selling like hotcakes, with users reporting much better performance in comparison to the older models and, more recently, the famed iMac and iPad Pro making use of the same for their computing needs.
Within a span of a year or so, Apple has seen the fruits of its labour and, it seems that it is getting ready to launch a 40-core Apple Silicon chip to power the likes of the iMac Pro with a new Mac Mini in tow as well. So, is Apple getting ready to take things to the next level? Yes, here’s why we think so.
Apple M1: What Made It Special
Before one discusses the future, they must delve into the past, and that is what we will do first. At the time of launch, Apple touted the M1 chip to be the world’s fastest CPU core in low-power silicon with the world’s fastest integrated graphics, the world’s best CPU performer on a per watt basis and much more.
The cores in use for the M1 chip are quite efficient in terms of regular tasks and browsing, with the 8 cores on offer combining to offer the world’s best CPU performance on a per watt basis. These high-cores were designed to offer the best performance at the optimum efficiency levels.
The chip is based on a 5nm basis, much like the A14 Bionic chip that was featured on the last-gen iPhones and iPad. This decision allowed for better efficiency and the best battery life possible without sacrificing overall performance. The M1 chip also offered the ability to play games, a prospect that would, on earlier occasions, cause Apple users a headache due to the whirring that would occur from the Intel chips.
Now, with all of this, one would be pretty happy, wouldn’t they? Well, yes, at least most people are. Users who have purchased the M1 Macs have been pretty happy with what they were getting, especially if they were coming from older MacBooks or iMacs.
Apple’s Next Big Move?
Despite all these features being in favour of the company, by adding this chip to the iPad Pro, Apple indirectly hinted at a probable successor to the M1, this time offering actual Pro-level performance.
If recent reports are to be believed, the company is working on a 40-core chip that will be an Apple silicon chip meaning that devices like the iMac Pro, which are due to get a refresh, will be receiving some serious firepower. The MacBook Pro 16-inch is expected to get either an updated M1 chip or the same 40-core CPU, which will be worthy of the Pro moniker.
Considering the strides that have already been observed over Intel, it will be quite interesting to see what Apple will do with the successor of the M1 chip and what the future of the Apple silicon holds.
