Apple is developing three chips codenamed Ibiza, Lobos and Palma

At the second new product launch event this fall, Apple will bring a new generation of 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro for professional users. These devices are equipped with M1 Pro or M1 Max chips, its self-developed chip plan has taken another step forward, and once again triggered a heated discussion on the Internet. However, Apple’s pace has not slowed down because of this, and a new report recently revealed Apple’s plans for the next phase.

Image: Apple

According to The Information, Apple’s M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max are currently manufactured using TSMC’s 5nm process. The second-generation M2 series SoC will be launched next year and using TSMC’s N5 process nodes (N5P, N4, N4P). Due to the limitation of the number of transistors in the semiconductor process, there should be no significant improvements in the core architecture. It is rumored that Apple is planning to design a processor with multi-chip modules to allow high-performance Mac products to obtain a more powerful SoC. At present, Apple’s self-developed chips still cannot touch the high-end desktop/workstation product line, and there is still a gap in performance with AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper series and Intel’s Xeon W series.

By the third-generation M-series SoC, Apple will make real improvements in its architecture. Several chips in the new development plan will use the 3nm process, code-named Ibiza, Lobos, and Palma, corresponding to different levels of performance requirements, and are expected to be unveiled in 2023. Compared with the current M1 series SoC, it can have more transistors and increase the frequency under the same power consumption. It is said that the top chip will be configured with 40 CPU cores to meet the performance requirements of workstations like Mac Pro. At this point of time, it is in line with the mass production plan of TSMC’s N3 process node.