Apple Resets AI Race with the M4-powered iPad Pro

Apple M4

The M4 Chip in the Apple iPad Pro has come to market in record speed. Read how Apple resets AI Race and what we you expect as TechInsights digs deeper into the technical analysis.

It was less than two months ago when Bloomberg reported that the M4 chip would enter production soon, skipping the intermediate step of the M3 Ultra chip. Today, about six months after releasing M3-powered MacBooks, Apple rolled out the M4 chip in its sixth generation iPad Pro models to drive on-device AI capabilities and 50% faster performance than the previous M2-powered 5th generation iPad Pro.

Apple iPad Pro

The new iPad Pro comes in 11” and 13” models, both running on the new M4 chip with Ultra Retina XDR display: CCD-2405-801.

The M4, built on TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process, includes a new neural processing unit (NPU) that can handle 38 trillions of operations of second (TOPS), instantly putting it at the top of the computing industry for on-device AI. The M4 will likely still be manufactured in TSMC’s 3nm process, albeit a variant with some performance optimizations to differentiate it from its M3 predecessor that was manufactured in TSMC N3, a topic TechInsights will be digging deep into with exploratory process analysis and upcoming floorplan analysis.

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Want to learn more?

Want to learn more about Apple and TSMC's 3nm approach to CPUs? Read our Apple APL1201 M3 Digital Floorplan Analysis.

Do you need to better understand the outlook for AI PCs? Consult Analysis: AI Notebook PC Forecast 1Q 2024 – 95% of Notebooks Shipped in 2029 Will be AI-Capable.

Need more details on how the tablet market is performing? Review Analysis: Tablet Forecast Update Q4 2023 – Tablet Growth to Return in Post-COVID Refresh Cycle.

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