Recently, the leaker known as “ShrimpApplePro” said that Apple will use the same manufacturing technique for its A16 processor for the iPhone 14 Pro models, saving a larger performance boost for the M-series chips built for its next-generation Macs. Today, Kuo confirmed that the A16 and M2 processors will be released, as reported by ShrimpApplePro.
In the meanwhile, since mass production of TSMC’s superior N3 and N4P fabrication processes isn’t expected to begin until 2023, Kuo believes that N5P and N4 are the most recent possible technologies for Apple’s next new chip designs.
There aren’t any significant advantages to using a method called N4 over N5P, which is presently utilized to build the A15 Bionic processor in Apple’s iPhone 13 series and the iPad mini, according to Kuo. Because the A16 chip’s performance and efficiency gains over the A15 are “modest,” according to Kuo, the name “A16” was chosen for “more of a marketing reason.”
Apple’s new MacBook Air also has “the same technological restrictions as A16” with N5P, says analyst Kuo. Redesigned in 2022 to be a “huge selling feature,” he said, the MacBook Air’s entire makeover may be less crucial than a significant processor increase for this device.
The first M2 processors might be seen in the next-generation 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, according to Kuo. Apple may choose to save the ” M2 ” designation for a far more substantial improvement over the previous generation in 2023 to further promote Apple silicon’s brand image by calling the processor in the new MacBook Air the ” M2 “
Previous reports indicated that the “final SoC of M1 series” is being developed by Apple and that it will include newer processor cores. They all employ “Icestorm” and “Firestorm” cores like the A14 Bionic CPU in order to be both energy-efficient and high-performance at once. It is rumored that Apple’s final M1 model will be built on the A15 Bionic, with “Blizzard” energy-efficient cores and “Avalanche” high-performance cores.
According to MacRumors, it is probable that ShrimpApplePro’s claim refers to a new version of the entry-level M1 chip, which Kuo said earlier this year that the 2022 MacBook Air will maintain rather than contain the M2 chip. It is possible that Apple will be able to buy time before selling Macs with the M2 processor if it offers devices with a mid-generation M1 chip.
That However, it’s possible that the genuine M2 processor may not be released until 2023, with chips in next products like the iPhone 14 Pro and updated MacBook Air showing an uncanny similarity to the A15. Furthermore, the A15 CPU from the iPhone 13 series is expected to be retained in the regular iPhone 14 models.
As a result, Apple chip updates in 2022 may be more small and incremental, with larger upgrades on the horizon for 2023 as more advanced fabrication technologies become available.
