tenthousandthings

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tenthousandthings
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  • When will Apple upgrade all of its Macs to M4?

    tenthousandthingstenthousandthings
    blastdoor said:
    elijahg said:
    Spreading the CPU updates over years makes it seem like the devices that are last to get upgraded are getting an old processor. The top-of-the-line Mac Studio is still on the M2, but the M4 is in the Pad Pro wherein it's nigh-on pointless.
    I agree it’s not a good look. I guess one could argue that people buying a Mac Studio know that there are important differences between an M2 Ultra and a vanilla m4, so maybe the marketing issue isn’t such a big deal for this audience. 

    But on the other hand they also know that the m3 Max is pretty close to the M2 Ultra at least in cpu power — that’s the bigger issue, I think. 

    Overall I agree that they really ought to narrow the gap between introducing the first and last processor in a generation. Ideally they’d all come out within 6-9 months. 
    I think that’s the goal. I also think they are on track to achieve that. The MacBook Pro has been on annual cycle since the current form factor was introduced, with only the M2 Pro/Max release delayed due to the 2022 lockdown in China. Otherwise M1 Pro/Max = October 2021; M3 Pro/Max = October 2023; and now M4 Pro/Max = likely October 2024.

    The lead product has varied, with the M2 MacBook Air in 2022; the M3 iMac in 2023: and M4 iPad Pro in 2024. As I said above, I think MacBook Air will lead again, with M5 in 2025.

    I think the lack of an Ultra for M3 was due to factors not in Apple’s control. So I think the Mini-Studio-Pro desktop continuum will also benefit from the regular cadence they’ve established.

    EDIT to add: My main criticism would be that I think they should launch the Max Mac Studio at the same time as the Max MacBook Pros, and not wait for the Ultra, which takes longer to develop and doesn’t have the same priority as the higher-volume silicon. 
    elijahgnmemacForumPostAlex1N

  • All iPhone 16 models said to be powered by A18 chips

    tenthousandthingstenthousandthings
    blastdoor said:
    The vast majority of iPhone  generations have used the same SOC across all models in the generation. I suspect the recent aberrations may have been due to TSMC constraints. The timing/yields/costs of N3E might allow apple to return to a single SOC across the lineup.

    But next year we might see a split again if N2 is available, but not ready to support the full lineup.
    Maybe, and let’s hope so, but I think it’s more likely there’s a reason they replaced “Bionic” with “Pro” for the A17, in preparation for exactly this A18/A18 Pro distinction, parallel with the M-series.
    watto_cobra

  • All iPhone 16 models said to be powered by A18 chips

    tenthousandthingstenthousandthings
    This is compatible with the other report saying there will be an A18 and an A18 Pro — just look at, for example, the current MacBook Pro identifiers, all start with 15, regardless of whether they have M3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max…

    So all iPhone 16 identifiers will start with 17, because all will have variants of A18. This lines up with the other report.
    radarthekatwatto_cobra

  • Apple is expecting big iPhone 16 sales, based on chip orders

    tenthousandthingstenthousandthings
    mike1 said:
    For the last few iPhone generations, Apple incorporated new chip features into its Pro product line. The standard iPhone tier instead had the same chips one year later.

    This is demonstrated in the iPhone 15 family of devices. While the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max used the A17 Pro, the iPhone 15 and Plus used the A16.

    If I'm not mistaken, the 15 models were the only series that followed this path. Don't think it was the case with the 14 series. That would make last year the outlier.
    It started when the A15 Bionic was used in the iPhone 13, then reused for the iPhone 14, while the iPhone 14 Pro got the A16 Bionic.

    But yes, it’s just these last two generations.

    It’s interesting (if accurate) that the A17 Pro architecture will be reused on N3E for A18. I think we might be able to draw some conclusions from that. It could mean that the A17 Pro was rearchitected (in preparation for the transition to N3E) at a late stage, while the M3 family was not changed. That would explain the INT8 support in the A17 Pro’s Neural Engine, while M3 (apparently) doesn’t have it.
    watto_cobra

  • More M4: When the Mac will get upgraded with the latest Apple Silicon

    tenthousandthingstenthousandthings
    ecarlseen said:
    This is why it's difficult for medium and large businesses to adopt Apple products on a large scale. We have to plan our capital expenditures to maximize return over depreciation periods. Companies like HP and Dell will work with us by giving us access to their production schedules for 9-24 months out, depending on what products we are talking about. This lets us plan the best time to make purchases to maximize our returns not just on investment, but on the happiness and productivity of our end-users which is directly related to how well their gear works. Working with Apple is like: "Screw you. Guess." They put it more nicely, but that's basically what they're saying. The magic and mystery of surprise is great for consumer-level products, but for business it's a giant pile of unacceptable pain. When you wonder why iMacs and Mac Studios aren't found on more business desktops - and there is a case to be made for this - this is a big part of it. We don't like to play guessing games.
    For the MacBook Pro, M4 should tell us whether or not it’s now on an annual cadence like the iPhone Pro. We can also be hopeful that iMac and MacBook Air are going to be on it as well.

    I know that’s not really what you’re talking about, but it’s better than nothing.

    I don’t think there’ll be much clarity on the Mini/Studio/Pro, however. That is still developing, a moving target. Silicon, advanced packaging, and display technologies are all in flux.

    I understand Apple wanting to avoid leaked-roadmap syndrome. But this is a new era for Apple. It’s a chance to reset relationships with the kinds of businesses you’re talking about. The old days where Apple would struggle to navigate third-party CPUs and GPUs, wanting to lead the industry, but ultimately dependent upon it, are dead and gone. The 2013 Mac Pro, precursor to the Mac Studio, embodied the problem. Few of the factors that frustrated the 2013 Mac Pro are still in place. TSMC and Apple have proven repeatedly over more than a decade that they can do this, and the desktops are going to benefit from that experience (not to mention Apple Intelligence)…
    Alex1Nwatto_cobramacike