Apple is testing a pair of recent high-end Macs and their accompanying processors forward of its Worldwide Developers Conference subsequent week, suggesting that it is nearing the discharge of professional-focused desktop computer systems.
The corporate is planning two new Mac fashions — labelled internally as Mac 14,13 and Mac 14,14 — that run the M2 Max processor introduced in January and a yet-to-be-unveiled M2 Ultra chip. That second processor would change the M1 Extremely mannequin at the moment featured within the Mac Studio, a high-end desktop introduced in March 2022.
The brand new computer systems are a part of an effort to overtake the Mac line and appeal to customers throughout a sluggish stretch for the pc business. Highly effective desktop fashions stay key to Apple’s attraction amongst skilled customers, reminiscent of video editors or graphic designers. The corporate is also simply days away from WWDC, its annual gathering of builders who depend on such machines to construct apps.
A consultant for Cupertino, California-based Apple declined to remark.
The primary desktop laptop in testing is operating an M2 Max processor with eight high-performance cores — parts for probably the most demanding duties — in addition to 4 effectivity cores and 30 graphics cores. These are the identical specs featured within the MacBook Professional with the M2 Max. This explicit machine additionally contains 96 gigabytes of reminiscence and is operating macOS 13.4, the model of the Mac working system that was simply launched earlier this month.
The second machine in testing has what’s labelled as an M2 Extremely chip, which the corporate hasn’t but introduced. That part, which sports activities 24 processing cores, doubles the efficiency of the M2 Max mannequin. The chip contains 16 high-performance cores and eight effectivity cores, in addition to 60 graphics cores. The corporate is testing it in configurations with 64 gigabytes, 128 gigabytes and 192 gigabytes of reminiscence.
The M2 Extremely chip may also embrace a extra highly effective possibility, with as many as 76 graphics cores, doubling the 38-core most discovered within the present M2 Max chip, Bloomberg has reported.
The M2 Extremely chip was initially designed for a future model of the high-end Mac Professional desktop. That machine at the moment nonetheless runs Intel chips — a holdout in Apple’s three-year effort to make use of homegrown processors in its computer systems.
Apple has been obscure about when a brand new Mac Professional is coming. It mentioned greater than a yr in the past that an up to date mannequin would arrive “one other day.” Inside Apple, the longer term Mac Professional with in-house chips has been labelled Mac 14,8. That means that the newest desktops in testing are totally different machines, reminiscent of new variations of the Mac Studio, which is at the moment provided in M1 Max and M1 Extremely configurations.
Bloomberg reported in April that two new Mac Studio updates are within the works. Apple has additionally been creating a 15-inch model of the MacBook Air, together with future iterations of the 13-inch MacBook Air and 15-inch mannequin with a 3-nanometer M3 processor. And it is planning a low-end 13-inch MacBook Professional and an iMac with the next-generation chip.
Subsequent week’s developer expo kicks off Monday with the debut of Apple’s much-anticipated mixed-reality headset. The corporate additionally will unveil updates to the software program that runs on the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac. The presentation will embrace a number of new Mac fashions as effectively.
In one other signal that new machines are coming quickly, Apple is planning to begin letting clients commerce in additional forms of Macs for a present card subsequent Monday. The Macs that Apple will start accepting: the M2 13-inch MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Professional, in addition to the present Mac Studio. Such a transfer sometimes heralds that new variations are on the way in which.
© 2023 Bloomberg LP
(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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