Reports indicate that Apple is currently working on several variations of Apple Silicon chips featuring considerably increased core counts when compared to the M1 chips found in the current MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini computers. These new chips are based on Apple’s own ARM processor architecture. According to information from Bloomberg, the upcoming chips encompass designs with 16 performance cores and four efficiency cores, intended for use in future iMacs and more powerful MacBook Pro models. Additionally, a high-end version with 32 performance cores is being developed to eventually power the first Apple Silicon Mac Pro.

The existing M1 Mac incorporates four performance cores alongside four efficiency cores. It also utilizes either seven or eight dedicated graphics cores, contingent upon the specific Mac model. Apple’s next generation of chips could potentially jump to 16 performance cores; however, Bloomberg suggests they might also choose eight or 12-core versions, largely depending on the success rates achieved during the manufacturing process. In the initial phases of new chip designs, manufacturing often experiences error rates that render some cores unusable. Consequently, manufacturers frequently categorize these chips, offering them as lower core count designs until manufacturing yields improve.

Irrespective of whether future Apple Silicon Macs employ 16, 12, or eight-performance core designs, they are expected to deliver strong competition to comparable Intel-based systems. Apple’s initial M1 series has received considerable acclaim from both critics and reviewers, demonstrating substantial performance gains over previous models and even more costly Macs powered by high-end Intel chips.

The report further details that Apple is also creating new graphics processors with both 16 and 32-core configurations for upcoming iMacs and professional notebooks. Furthermore, designs with 64 and 128 cores are reportedly in development for use in high-end professional machines such as the Mac Pro. These should provide performance levels that can compete with dedicated GPUs from Nvidia and AMD in certain applications, although their appearance in commercially available machines is not anticipated before late 2021 or 2022, as per the report.

Apple initially stated its intention to transition its entire product line to its own Apple Silicon processors by 2022. The currently available M1 Macs represent the first generation, and Apple began with its lower-power machines, utilizing a chip design closely related to the A-series chips powering its iPhone and iPad devices. Future M-series chips appear to be diverging further from Apple’s mobile processors, offering significant performance enhancements to meet the demands of intensive professional tasks.