The new Mac Pro may still be an M2-powered beast
Apple looks increasingly likely to miss its expected date of 2022 for completing the transition to using proprietary silicon processors across the region Duster line-up, with the enterprise Mac Pro being the last to arrive.
As highlighted (opens in a new tab) by BloombergMark Gurman, the road to Mac Pro computers powered by Apple’s custom M-series chip that would allow iOS apps to run natively on macOS, plus increase performance and lower power consumption, was a difficult one.
Reasons for the delay include relocating production to avoid additional tariffs on Chinese-made goods, the ongoing redesign of M include the “Extreme” variant.and fears of soaring costs for customers.
Mac Pro M2 Delay
As Gurman has pointed out, Apple plans to move its high-end line workstations Apple’s silicone started with its introduction M1 chip in 2020
A unique processor was planned, which in two configurations of the Mac Pro product would combine the power of two or four M1 Max chips, the most powerful chip available in the Macbook Pro line at the time.
However, the Mac line didn’t take advantage of the simplicity, and the dual-chip M1 Max, which became known as the M1 Ultra, was launched alongside the Mac Studio, a line aimed at creators and others who rely on resource-intensive processes.
An M2 Ultra chip is reportedly in development promising an additional performance boost, but hopes for further M2 Extreme the chip, which Gurman speculates would likely offer “up to 48 CPU cores and 152 graphics cores”, being four M2 Max chips linked together, seems dead in the water, according to him.
The biggest barriers to the Mac Pro appear to be production costs and customers.
The complex nature of the architecture of Apple’s most powerful silicon, which would give the Mac Pro their unique advantage, is costly enough without moving production to Texas during the Trump presidency.
The two main reasons for this move were for Apple to avoid increased tariffs on imports from China and to maintain a public commitment to the US economy – both point to a PR exercise and one that costs them the ability to painlessly switch to their own silicone.
Gurman says the M2 Extreme version of the Mac Pro would “probably” cost “at least” $10,000 each, which would not be profitable even in the recession.
Conjecture aside, the Mac Pro is in trouble as a product. It has to offer better performance than all other Macs, which complicates the existence of Mac Studio, but it is a niche offering, especially suitable for enterprise customers who need extra power.
Only Intel-based Mac Pros are available at this time. There will probably be another item in the queue, but it may not appear for a while and it still won’t be powered solely by Apple’s own silicon.
