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.
FYI: Still expecting an iMac Pro, for those wondering. M2 versions of the Mac mini, MacBook Pro 13-inch and 24-inch iMac are also in development. — Mark Gurman (@markgurman) March 8, 2022
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.
