Maxing out the M1 Pro
One of the more specific leaks in recent weeks was the processor information for Apple’s new MacBooks. These machines are expected to include two distinct processor variants — both with ten CPU cores (two efficiencies and eight performance) but one with sixteen and the other with 32 GPU cores. What could Apple be thinking about calling those two noticeably different chips, we wonder?
Well, a Mac developer let slip to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman that they found a reference in some app logs to two previously unseen processors — the aforementioned M1 Pro and M1 Max. Gurman then put that information in his Power On newsletter, pointing out that he’s “…not saying Apple will take that direction with its actual marketing names, but that’s another—albeit more confusing—possibility. We’ll know for sure in just about 24 hours.”
But it makes a kind of sense for Apple to stick with this branding. The Pro and Max branding already exists for its iPhones, and using the same differentiators will make it easy for Apple fans (who may not be the most technically-minded folks on the planet) to choose which level of power they want from a new MacBook Pro. Either way, this question will be resolved in a few hours — Apple’s Unleashed event kicks off at 19:00 tonight.
Source: Power On newsletter