Apple M2 chips being prepared for nine new Macs

Citing developer logs from Apple, Bloomberg reported at least nine new Macs are being readied to have Apple’s M2 processor, the chipset expected to power the next generation of Apple computers. There are reportedly four variations of the M2 chip being developed, namely the standard M2, M2 Pro, M2 Max, and a successor to M1 Ultra. To recall, Apple began in-house production of chips as it embarked on a separate journey from Intel.

The following are being tested with the new M2 chips:

• A MacBook Air with an M2 chip, codenamed J413. This Mac will have eight CPU cores, the components that handle the main processing, and 10 cores for graphics. That’s up from eight graphics cores in the current MacBook Air.
• A Mac mini with an M2 chip, codenamed J473. This machine will have the same specifications as the MacBook Air. There’s also an “M2 Pro” variation, codenamed J474, in testing.
• An entry-level MacBook Pro with an M2 chip, codenamed J493. This too will have the same specifications as the MacBook Air.
• A 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and “M2 Max” chips, codenamed J414. The M2 Max chip has 12 CPU cores and 38 graphics cores, up from 10 CPU cores and 32 graphics cores in the current model, according to the logs. It will also have 64 gigabytes of memory.
• A 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, codenamed J416. The 16-inch MacBook Pro’s M2 Max will have the same specifications as the 14-inch MacBook Pro version.
• A Mac Pro, codenamed J180. This machine will include a successor to the M1 Ultra chip used in the Mac Studio computer.

An earlier report from Bloomberg cites that the new MacBook Air, the new MacBook Pro, and the new Mac mini are scheduled to debut as early as this year, with at least two Macs planned for launch around mid-2022, speculating a possible launch at the upcoming Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Signs of the M2 chip were allegedly observed in the beta of macOS 12.3, Apple’s latest software update for Mac. It has to be noted, however, that we have to take available information on the M2 chip with prudence.