In a fresh report from Bloomberg today, we’ve got new details on what we’ll likely see as Apple Silicon expands to the rest of the Mac lineup. Apple is said to be working on an all-new Mac Pro with 40 cores, a higher-end Mac mini, and more.
We’re still in the early stages of Apple’s shift to using its own chips for the Mac lineup with the company’s most powerful machines still waiting to be updated.
In a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman this morning, we’ve got some new details on what to expect for the whole Mac lineup including the Mac Pro, Mac mini, and more.
Next-gen Mac Pro
As for the high end, Gurman’s sources say Apple is working on a 40-core Mac Pro. That will be exciting to see the amazing performance Apple Silicon is able to bring to the machine. A 20-core chip is also in the works and as for the GPU, options will include 64 or 128 cores.
Codenamed Jade 2C-Die and Jade 4C-Die, a redesigned Mac Pro is planned to come in 20 or 40 computing core variations, made up of 16 high-performance or 32 high-performance cores and four or eight high-efficiency cores. The chips would also include either 64 core or 128 core options for graphics. The computing core counts top the 28 core maximum offered by today’s Intel Mac Pro chips, while the higher-end graphics chips would replace parts now made by Advanced Micro Devices Inc.
The next-gen Mac Pro has been more mysterious compared to other Macs in the lineup. But a previous report from Bloomberg said it could end up being half the size of the current Mac Pro. Today’s report reiterates the same saying “is expected to look like a smaller version of the current design.”
The report says the new Mac Pro is “planned for next year.”
High-end Mac mini
On the more affordable side, Apple is also working on a more powerful Mac mini. Last fall Apple launched the first M1 Mac mini, but it’s capped at 16GB RAM and has an 8-core CPU/GPU.
The report says the more powerful Mac mini will arrive with the same Apple Silicon as the upcoming MacBook Pro with up to 64GB RAM, 10-core CPU, 16 or 32 graphics cores, and four ports instead of two. The new chip in the higher-end Mac mini and upcoming MacBook Pro models will also have a more advanced neural engine.
The chips also include up to 64 gigabytes of memory versus a maximum of 16 on the M1. They’ll have an improved Neural Engine, which processes machine-learning tasks, and enable the addition of more Thunderbolt ports, which let users sync data and connect to external devices, than the two on the current M1 MacBook Pro.
However, the report does say the new Mac mini launch isn’t a sure thing:
Apple could delay or cancel the new mini’s launch — as it has in the past — but eventually the company will likely replace the Intel-equipped version it now sells.
After launching the 24-inch M1 iMac at its Spring Loaded Event in April, Bloomberg also notes Apple is working on an Apple Silicon update for its larger iMac. However, that might not be launching as soon as other new Macs in the pipeline:
Apple has also been working on a larger iMac with in-house processors, but development of that version was paused months ago in part to let Apple focus on releasing the redesigned 24-inch model this month.
Today’s report also shares more details on the upcoming MacBook Pro models which could launch this summer and a new MacBook Air:
- Bloomberg: Redesigned MacBook Pro coming as soon as this summer, up to 64GB RAM and 10-core chip
- Bloomberg: Apple prepares revamped MacBook Air with M1 successor
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments