M2 Processor WWDC22: Apple Silicon power going even further

At this year’s WWDC, Apple lifted the lid on the next generation M-series chip: M2, which extends the remarkable features of M1, with industry-leading power efficiency, a unified memory architecture, and custom technologies that unlock a whole host of possibilities for the Mac.

INTRODUCING THE M2 CHIP

Apple changed the game for the Mac when it announced the M1 chip in 2020, and since the launch of the first MacBook Pro and Mac mini, we’ve come a long way. Alongside the launch of the M1 Pro and the M1 Max, we’ve recently seen the launch of the first M1-powered iPad, and the M1 Ultra, which offers professional computing performance for the next generation of videographers, coders, and professionals.

The M1 was built on the architecture of the A14 chip used for the iPad and iPhone, doubling the performance of the CPU cores, GPU cores, and memory bandwidth to make them compatible with the next generation of Mac devices. In early benchmarks, the M1 outperformed virtually every Intel-based Mac ever made, even the Mac Pro, and Apple has used the power of the new chip to refresh its entire Mac lineup, recently introducing an all-new MacBook Air, and previously an overhauled iMac desktop. In short, M1 changed the way both consumers and professionals thought about the Mac, with some technology critics suggesting that the M1 chip “saved Apple’s computing lineup.”

It’s been more than a year and a half since the launch of the first M1 computer, and now it’s time for Apple to lift the lid on what’s next. It’s unlikely that we’ll see a new M-series chip every year as we do with the iPhone; instead, an 18- to 24-month M-series refresh cycle will be introduced to help Apple keep its Mac range at the top of its game. Appearing first in the new MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro is the M2 chip - if the M1 was the A14, the M2 is the A15 chip.