A smaller Mac Pro with Apple Silicon will reportedly launch later this year. Apple ditched Intel's processors in 2020 with the launch of its new line of MacBooks and Mac Mini before migrating the iMac and iPad Pro to its in-house M1 chips. If the latest report is anything to go by, the company is now working on a new Mac line, including a smaller Mac Pro, with its next-gen in-house processor.
Apple had earlier put a two-year timeline on its plans to transition its MacBook and iMac lines from Intel processors to its in-house chips. One of the most powerful devices in the next-gen lineup will be the Mac Pro that rumors suggest will be half the size of the current Mac Pro but with a more capable processor with multi-core CPU and GPU options.
According to Mark Gurman's Power On newsletter for Bloomberg, the new Mac Pro will come in a more compact package but will have considerable processing power derived from Apple's in-house silicon. In addition, the chip will reportedly have up to 40 CPU cores and up to 128 GPU cores in what promises to be one of the most talked-about hardware upgrades for the iMac in years. The news comes several months after reports about the upcoming Apple chip first emerged. According to a Bloomberg report from May 2021, Apple is working on a processor with 20-40 CPU cores and 64-128 GPU cores. If the report turns out to be accurate, it will be significantly higher than the 28-core maximum offered by current Intel CPUs.
New Mac Mini Reportedly Also In The Works
Alongside the new Mac Pro, Apple is also reportedly planning to update its Mac Mini with several new design elements. According to Gurman, that includes a "plexiglass-like" top panel and multiple color options. He further claims that the device will offer multiple USB-A ports alongside Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, and more. The device is also expected to ship with a more powerful chip, although it's not immediately clear as to whether that will be the M1 Pro or M1 Max or possibly, even the so-called "M2" processor.
Along with the two devices mentioned above, Apple is also reportedly working on a new large-screened iMac Pro, which will also be powered by Apple silicon. Gurman further claims that Apple is also planning a new, redesigned MacBook Air and a new entry-level MacBook Pro, both powered by Apple silicon. Overall, 2022 promises to be a good year for people looking to buy a new Mac computer or workstation. The company initially claimed that it would take about two years to transition its entire Mac lineup to its own in-house chips, and the latest report suggests that it will be done by WWDC 2022.
Source: Mark Gurman/Bloomberg, 9to5Mac, Bloomberg