Apple Working On 32-Core Processor For Macs, Including ‘Half-Sized Mac Pro’: Report

Apple is working on more powerful chips and a new Mac Pro that's smaller than current models, a new report reveals.

Apple has made it clear in previous months that it plans to transition away from using Intel chips on its Macs to using in-house silicon. The company proved it was serious in doing just that by releasing three Mac devices with the new M1 chip. Now, the Cupertino tech giant is taking the next big step in developing more powerful processors and Mac devices.

Apple is planning to create in-house chips that have as many as 32 cores, Bloomberg reported. While that’s not the only processor the company is working on, the report indicates that it might be released alongside higher-end Macs for release in 2021 and 2022.

The company is said to be planning on releasing higher-end desktop computers, presumably new Mac Pro workstations and iMacs, next year.

It is also said to be working on a smaller workstation for release in 2022. Bloomberg calls this new computer a “half-sized Mac Pro.” This could be the “compact Mac Pro” previous reports talked about.

Various processors

Apple has many processors in the pipeline, the report said. This is so that it can differentiate between the less and more powerful silicon that it will place inside different devices.

The current M1 chip has four high-performance cores and four power-saving cores. There’s also a model that only has seven cores – the one in the entry-level MacBook Air.

These cores have specific tasks. The more powerful cores will take on demanding tasks like video editing, while the power-saving cores will take on the simpler, less demanding tasks like web browsing.

The upcoming Apple chips will come in different variations, some of them coming with eight cores, 12 cores, 16 cores and 32 cores. The company is said to be testing the 16 and 32-core variations and will place them in the higher-end Macs.

All of these chips will be used for Apple’s lineup of Macs in the foreseeable future, which include upgraded MacBook Pro models, entry-level and high-end iMacs and a new Mac Pro workstation.

Apple hasn’t said anything to confirm or deny Bloomberg’s report. That said, fans can expect the Cupertino tech giant to make good on its promise to ditch Intel in the long run.