Apple’s new M4 chip is mostly about AI

Apple recently announced its next-generation processor, the M4. The upgraded processor is designed to deliver M2 level performance at just half the power, with capabilities to boost further beyond Apple's previous chips. However, it wouldn't be a 2024 chip launch if AI wasn't also mentioned. 

Apple claims the M4 can deliver the same performance as the newest PC CPUs while using just a fifth of the power. The M4 is built on the second-generation 3nm node and packs a 10-core CPU, of which four are performance cores, and six are efficiency cores. This allows it to provide 50% more power than the M2 inside the previous iPad Pro. Additionally, the M4's 10-core GPU features dynamic caching, mesh shading, ray tracing, and a new display engine that renders four times faster than the M2. 

It is unclear how many cores the M4 NPU has, as Apple did not disclose it. Nonetheless, Apple's M-series processors (except the M1 and M2 Ultra) have consistently had the same 16-core NPU count since the M1's inception. NPU performance has increased progressively with each iteration, and the new NPU on the M4 accentuates that trend. The jump from the M1 to the M2 was quite significant, contrary to what we've seen from the M2 to the M3. However, with the M4, we go from M3's 18 TOPS to the 38 TOPS.

Apple's announcement comes less than two weeks before the Windows and Surface AI event in Seattle on May 20th. Microsoft is confident that Windows on Arm will eventually outperform Apple's MacBook Air M3 computers regarding CPU performance and AI-accelerated workloads. This optimism originates primarily from Qualcomm's future Snapdragon X Elite processors, which promise up to 45 TOPS. It will be interesting to see how the M4 stacks up against the Arm-powered Windows laptops available this summer.

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KitGuru says: What other devices do you think Apple will upgrade with the new M4 SoC?

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