Apple's Mac Chip Roadmap Leaks Some 2022 Excitement

Apple's alleged M2 hardware plans for the next couple of years have leaked via Commercial Times, a Chinese website that indicates global chip shortages may have disrupted the company's roadmap for the near future. Assuming the claims are accurate, the next iteration of Apple Silicon may arrive in the second half of next year with higher-end versions slated to launch later on in 2023.

Apple's big switch to its own hardware is solidly underway, with consumers having multiple Mac and iPad options powered by Apple Silicon. The M1 and its faster variants, the M1 Pro and M1 Max, have paved the way for future versions, the details of which may have leaked via supply chain sources speaking with Commercial Times.

The report alleges that Apple's M2 chip for Mac is "nearly complete" and that the first devices offering it will launch in the second half of 2022. The upcoming processors will, the sources claim, be manufactured using TSCM's 4nm process, with the M2 chips slated for the MacBook line and the more powerful M2 Pro and M2 Max chips reserved for the MacBook Pro models.

Likewise, the industry sources allege the next iMac will sport the M2 hardware, while the iMac Pro will be offered with the two more powerful variants. The Mac mini, meanwhile, is said to be earmarked for the M2 chip, but the Mac Pro will allegedly launch with the M2 Pro and Max options.

Among other things, Apple is rumored to streamline its silicon across the entire Mac line starting next year, making it easier for consumers to distinguish which products feature the three different processor options. However, the report claims that while the M2 models will arrive in the second half of 2022, the M2 Pro and Max won't hit the market until sometime in the first half of 2023. Apple allegedly plans to update its silicon processors on a regular 18-month cycle.

Assuming the M2 Apple Silicon is made using TSCM's 4nm process, that would indicate efficiency improvements and increased performance over the current M1 processors (which are built on the 5nm process).

Those who have been following Apple's silicon efforts may note a slight discrepancy between the company's stated two-year transition plan and the roadmap claimed in the new report. If the industry sources prove correct, the first half of 2023 release time frame for higher-end Mac models would push the full transition beyond Apple's two-year goal.

That wouldn't be surprising, however, as the pandemic ended up causing widespread disruptions across the industry that continue to this day. Global chip shortages have impacted more than just Apple (which itself has been hit hard), prompting issues with car shortages and, in some cases, some big decisions to sidestep the issue altogether (via Car & Driver).