'M2' chip to arrive in early 2022 in a colorful MacBook Air, says leaker

AppleInsider

Apple's "M2" processor will be arriving in early 2022, a leaker claims, with the first hardware using it apparently set to be some form of MacBook with an updated color scheme.

So far, Apple has released only one chip under the Apple Silicon banner, with the M1 appearing in the first wave of Apple's transitional devices. While it is unclear what Apple's next Apple Silicon effort will be, one leaker claims a proper second-generation chip won't be arriving until 2022.

Posting to Twitter on Monday, iOS developer "@Dylandkt" claims the next-generation "M2" is "on track to release in the first half of 2022." As for the potential product that it will be included within, the Twitter account states it will be an "upcoming colorful MacBook (Air)."

Rumors and leaks have proposed the new MacBook Aircould follow the 24-inch iMac in departing from the usual silver casing, in favor of a more colorful lineup.

Just wanted to share some details on when to expect the next generation M2 (not the M1X which is reserved for the Pro Mac devices). This processor is on track to release in the first half of 2022 alongside the upcoming colorful Macbook (Air).

-- Dylan (@dylandkt)

July 5, 2021

Dylandkt also points out that the rumor is about the "M2" specifically, in that it is different from the "M1X" that is "reserved for the Pro Mac devices." In February, it was claimed the "M1X" would be an iteration of the M1, using 12 CPU cores instead of 8 and 16 GPU cores instead of 7 or 8, as well as a higher thermal design point of 35W instead of 15W with the M1.

While plausible, with the leaker having previous form for predicting M1's inclusion in the iPad Pro lineup, there's always a chance the rumor is wrong.

In April, a supply chain report pointed to Apple producing new MacBook Pro models for the second half of 2021. The "M2" was said to have entered mass production earlier in April, which makes it a good candidate for use in the new models.

On July 1, it was claimed Apple was preparing for a September debut of 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, with two different processor options. According to a May report, the variant chips will apparently use 8 high-performance CPU cores alongside two high-efficiency versions, and have either 16 or 32 graphics cores, alongside an improved Neural Engine.

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red oak

Hard to believe Apple would launch M1X MacBook Pros and then 6 mo later launch M2 MacBook Airs 

Does not add up 

oberpongo

Makes sense to me to have an X line of processors for the Pro line. Where simply more cores and thus more thermal power is needed. Followed by a new M2 later for the mass  market (Air and MacBook and iMac) with less cores and just less power hungry due to smaller production process. Followed again by a M2X for the pros. 

edited July 2021

daalseth

The big question for me at least is when does the iPad Pro get the next gen chip?

xyzzy01

New colours is probably the last thing I want on a new laptop. Sure, please add stellar gray, but other than that - just leave it alone.

I'm waiting for a new laptop, but don't need one right away. The first thing that comes to mind is that both the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air need better front facing cameras. Previously, I didn't really care that much... but the last 16 months have been filled with online meetings, and I expect that to continue to be important - hopefully less so, but more than in the past. The cameras are pretty bad, because Apple didn't care either. Hopefully, the last year and a half have given them time to fix that... even though we see that there is some lag, in that many devices just support FaceID and don't include the new Touch ID on the side button. With hardware and a large company, it takes time before a need translates into changes in upcoming products.

I like the idea of going fanless, so MBA is the front runner on that account - I don't use the touchbar much on my current MacBook Pro, and sustained performance isn't that important. But I will have to wait and see for the next gen for a better camera.

Also, with Apple now building their own CPUs I'm also thinking that Q3 is not a good time to buy a laptop, just as that's a bad time to buy a new iPhone. 

dewme

I have no issues with the different colors on notebooks and tablets, or anything really. I love variety and choice. The only question I have is around color matched peripherals, like mice and keyboards, which is a thing with the new iMacs. Will Apple make replacement units for these peripherals available in all of the original colors? Functionally it doesn't really matter at all, but for people who care about matching the colors on all of their stuff, will the colors make it more difficult and expensive to obtain replacements?  

lkrupp

I wonder where the iMac sits in Apple’s plans for the M series. The 24” iMac is nice an all but at least some of us are trying to wait for a larger form similar to the current 27” model. I fully realize that laptops are Apple’s main revenue source when it comes to Macs so I’m a little worried about the iMac line. I have a late 2013 iMac 14,2 27” and I’m now two macOS generations behind (Big Sur, Monterey). Yes, I know, my iMac still works wonderfully and still does what I need it to but it is falling behind in features and security improvements. I have no intention of buying the current Intel iMac. Maybe the Mac Mini is in my future, especially if my eight year old iMac starts acting up.

Patiently waiting... for now.

charlesn

xyzzy01 said:

New colours is probably the last thing I want on a new laptop. Sure, please add stellar gray, but other than that - just leave it alone.

Gotta love the "I hate colors" crowd. Their choices of silver or gray will still be there, but because they don't like colors, color choice shouldn't exist. HINT: Apple has been doing color choice in computers and accessories for almost 25 years, since iMac in 1998. People like it. It sells. It's not going to stop for you. 

daalseth

I just noticed something:

This processor is on track to release in the first half of 2022 alongside the upcoming colorful Macbook (Air).

It says alongside, not in. 

auxio

DAalseth said:

I just noticed something:

This processor is on track to release in the first half of 2022 alongside the upcoming colorful Macbook (Air).

It says alongside, not in. 

eCPU?  Would make more sense for a desktop machine.

daveinpublic

xyzzy01 said:

New colours is probably the last thing I want on a new laptop. Sure, please add stellar gray, but other than that - just leave it alone.

I'm waiting for a new laptop, but don't need one right away. The first thing that comes to mind is that both the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air need better front facing cameras. Previously, I didn't really care that much... but the last 16 months have been filled with online meetings, and I expect that to continue to be important - hopefully less so, but more than in the past. The cameras are pretty bad, because Apple didn't care either. Hopefully, the last year and a half have given them time to fix that... even though we see that there is some lag, in that many devices just support FaceID and don't include the new Touch ID on the side button. With hardware and a large company, it takes time before a need translates into changes in upcoming products.

I like the idea of going fanless, so MBA is the front runner on that account - I don't use the touchbar much on my current MacBook Pro, and sustained performance isn't that important. But I will have to wait and see for the next gen for a better camera.

Also, with Apple now building their own CPUs I'm also thinking that Q3 is not a good time to buy a laptop, just as that's a bad time to buy a new iPhone. 

Hold on, let me get my notepad out...... ok you said no new colors? OK, got it, and you said you don't care about front facing cameras? OK. Oh wait, you said you changed your mind on that, OK we'll get those better cameras in there...

japhey

DAalseth said:

The big question for me at least is when does the iPad Pro get the next gen chip?

Rumors point to fall 2022. 

Just curious…are the current Pro’s not powerful enough yet for your workflow? Or are you just getting your ducks in a row?

xed

This is all great news, but I can't help want to express that I just want an M-series 16" MacBook Pro to be released ASAP.

DAalseth said:

I just noticed something:

This processor is on track to release in the first half of 2022 alongside the upcoming colorful Macbook (Air).

It says alongside, not in. 

Alongside is in reference that both will be announced and/or released at the same time. For example, you could say that Apple announced and demoed FaceTime alongside the iconic Phone 4 at the 2010 WWDC. That's not saying that FaceTime is outside of the iPhone 4.

edited July 2021

aderutter

red oak said:

Hard to believe Apple would launch M1X MacBook Pros and then 6 mo later launch M2 MacBook Airs 

Does not add up 

An M1X would be faster than an M2.
Totally adds up.
M2X a further 6 months later would subsequently be faster than an M2 of course.

saarek

lkrupp said:

I wonder where the iMac sits in Apple’s plans for the M series. The 24” iMac is nice an all but at least some of us are trying to wait for a larger form similar to the current 27” model. I fully realize that laptops are Apple’s main revenue source when it comes to Macs so I’m a little worried about the iMac line. I have a late 2013 iMac 14,2 27” and I’m now two macOS generations behind (Big Sur, Monterey). Yes, I know, my iMac still works wonderfully and still does what I need it to but it is falling behind in features and security improvements. I have no intention of buying the current Intel iMac. Maybe the Mac Mini is in my future, especially if my eight year old iMac starts acting up.

Patiently waiting... for now.

Assuming you’ve got an SSD in your iMac just use PatchedSur. It works a treat with full driver and software update support, no need to fall behind.

saarek

aderutter said:

red oak said:

Hard to believe Apple would launch M1X MacBook Pros and then 6 mo later launch M2 MacBook Airs 

Does not add up 

An M1X would be faster than an M2.
Totally adds up.
M2X a further 6 months later would subsequently be faster than an M2 of course.

It’d make more sense to release a M2X alongside the M2. I appreciate that Apple tends to release an “X” CPU in the iPads a few months after the iPhones and that these chips are as good, and frequently better, than the iPhones that then come out 6 months later, but telling a consumer that the M2 is inferior to a M1X is going to be hard.

The M2 is a bigger number so it must be better is how the logic will go.

I suppose you could argue that the M1X won’t be aimed at consumers, but real Pro’s who’ll know the difference.

Still, seems weird that they’d not use the best chips on the Pro Mac’s and then filter down to the base consumer models. M2X followed by M2.

xed

saarek said:

aderutter said:

red oak said:

Hard to believe Apple would launch M1X MacBook Pros and then 6 mo later launch M2 MacBook Airs 

Does not add up 

An M1X would be faster than an M2.
Totally adds up.
M2X a further 6 months later would subsequently be faster than an M2 of course.

It’d make more sense to release a M2X alongside the M2. I appreciate that Apple tends to release an “X” CPU in the iPads a few months after the iPhones and that these chips are as good, and frequently better, than the iPhones that then come out 6 months later, but telling a consumer that the M2 is inferior to a M1X is going to be hard.

The M2 is a bigger number so it must be better is how the logic will go.

I suppose you could argue that the M1X won’t be aimed at consumers, but real Pro’s who’ll know the difference.

Still, seems weird that they’d not use the best chips on the Pro Mac’s and then filter down to the base consumer models. M2X followed by M2.

Why? It has never been a problem that the MacBook Air and MacBook have had less performance than the MacBook Pro.

edited July 2021

opuscroakus

saarek said:

lkrupp said:

I wonder where the iMac sits in Apple’s plans for the M series. The 24” iMac is nice an all but at least some of us are trying to wait for a larger form similar to the current 27” model. I fully realize that laptops are Apple’s main revenue source when it comes to Macs so I’m a little worried about the iMac line. I have a late 2013 iMac 14,2 27” and I’m now two macOS generations behind (Big Sur, Monterey). Yes, I know, my iMac still works wonderfully and still does what I need it to but it is falling behind in features and security improvements. I have no intention of buying the current Intel iMac. Maybe the Mac Mini is in my future, especially if my eight year old iMac starts acting up.

Patiently waiting... for now.

Assuming you’ve got an SSD in your iMac just use PatchedSur. It works a treat with full driver and software update support, no need to fall behind.

Seconded. I have the same year iMac, 27" i5 w/SSD model, and PatchedSur/Big Sur works and runs great. But yes, bring on the new 27" iMac...

edited July 2021

mattinoz

If this the case then the M seems like it's going to be the middle family of the series. 
Apple did say the chip are modular I wonder if the aim is to get to tiles that are then packaged with a platform hub.

A series single tile
M series - AA tiles 
W series - AAA tiles 
X series - 4 x A tiles rotating round a hub. 
* series - 6 x A tiles rotating round a hub. 

lkrupp

saarek said:

lkrupp said:

I wonder where the iMac sits in Apple’s plans for the M series. The 24” iMac is nice an all but at least some of us are trying to wait for a larger form similar to the current 27” model. I fully realize that laptops are Apple’s main revenue source when it comes to Macs so I’m a little worried about the iMac line. I have a late 2013 iMac 14,2 27” and I’m now two macOS generations behind (Big Sur, Monterey). Yes, I know, my iMac still works wonderfully and still does what I need it to but it is falling behind in features and security improvements. I have no intention of buying the current Intel iMac. Maybe the Mac Mini is in my future, especially if my eight year old iMac starts acting up.

Patiently waiting... for now.

Assuming you’ve got an SSD in your iMac just use PatchedSur. It works a treat with full driver and software update support, no need to fall behind.

I will never, EVER, install an unsupported, unlicensed, kludge like PatchedSur. I value my data more than that. 

saarek

lkrupp said:

saarek said:

lkrupp said:

I wonder where the iMac sits in Apple’s plans for the M series. The 24” iMac is nice an all but at least some of us are trying to wait for a larger form similar to the current 27” model. I fully realize that laptops are Apple’s main revenue source when it comes to Macs so I’m a little worried about the iMac line. I have a late 2013 iMac 14,2 27” and I’m now two macOS generations behind (Big Sur, Monterey). Yes, I know, my iMac still works wonderfully and still does what I need it to but it is falling behind in features and security improvements. I have no intention of buying the current Intel iMac. Maybe the Mac Mini is in my future, especially if my eight year old iMac starts acting up.

Patiently waiting... for now.

Assuming you’ve got an SSD in your iMac just use PatchedSur. It works a treat with full driver and software update support, no need to fall behind.

I will never, EVER, install an unsupported, unlicensed, kludge like PatchedSur. I value my data more than that. 

Just run a decent backup, you know, like you should be anyway.

Besides, when you look at it there is no technical reason as to why your Mac isn’t supported (fusion drive seems only potential issue), Patched Sur doesn’t even need to supply drivers because Big Sur has them all natively built in for your iMac already.

Up to you, obviously, but there are no reported issues with Patched Sur, I even use it myself on our own 2013 iMac.