Apple unveiled a new chip on Tuesday called the M4, claiming it would outperform laptops built for artificial intelligence. However, the M4 chip was only included in iPad Pro models.
This is a departure from Apple’s customary practice of releasing its newest CPUs in the Mac lineup, where M3 chips were first introduced last autumn.
However, ahead of its annual software developer conference next month, Apple is probably keen to get its newest chips—which are more power-efficient and have larger sections of the chip dedicated to tackling AI tasks—into the hands of app developers.
The iPhone manufacturer is lagging behind its Big Tech competitors in the race to integrate AI into all of its products and take the lead in developing technology, as evidenced by the recent product launch event.
With improved screens, Apple’s most expensive model, the iPad Pro, will retail for $1,000 for an 11-inch (27.9-cm) model and $1,300 for a 13-inch (33-cm) model.
Laptops 1000It will include an M4 chip with a larger “neural engine,” a section of the chip made especially for the kind of processing needed for AI functions like text or image generation.
Neural engines have been a feature of Apple CPUs since 2017, but competitors like Intel have started to highlight their competitive technology for personal computers.
“The neural engine makes M4 an outrageously powerful chip for AI,” Apple Vice President of platform architecture Tim Millet stated during the event.
“In fact, with this level of performance, the neural engine and M4 are more powerful than any neural processing unit in any AI PC today.”
Apple also unveiled updated iterations of the iPad Air, a mid-range device that was previously available for $600 and now has a larger 13-inch screen for $800. The M2 processor, which was initially introduced in Apple’s MacBooks in 2022, is included with the models.
May is when Apple usually releases new iPads because that’s when school buyers make their purchases for the upcoming school year.
However, with the release of the iPad Pro models, Apple has begun to repurpose its more expensive versions as tools for business and creative workers.
It may not be quite evident what AI functions the new chips could enable until Apple’s developer conference, where the company frequently reveals new features for its voice assistant, Siri, as well as the other operating systems.
Some analysts predict that several AI features—like the ability to zoom in on a user during a video conversation and slightly change the appearance of their eyes to make it appear as though they are looking directly into the camera—will not likely spur a wave of updates for the time being.
“Is it truly sufficient for individuals to research and purchase them? Most likely not, according to Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa. “It has to be some kind of remarkable experience.”
Competitors of Apple, Microsoft and Alphabet’s Google, have jumped headfirst into artificial intelligence (AI), releasing chatbots that are intended to serve as virtual helpers for repetitive activities like typing computer code or emails.
Laptops 1000While the stocks of those businesses have skyrocketed to all-time highs, Apple’s share price has dropped 6% year to date as the company battles with sluggish iPhone demand, fierce competition in China, and investors’ anticipation of how it will use AI technology.
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, declared last week that the business is “very bullish about our opportunity in generative AI” and that additional announcements will be made later in the year.
Upgraded iPads, according to Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi, may be a means for Apple to introduce new CPUs before its developer conference the following month when it is expected to make further announcements regarding its AI strategy.
This might take the shape of speeding up routine processes through automation or allowing Siri, the company’s voice assistant, to interact with more apps to do tasks for users.
The main challenge Apple has is how far it can enhance its AI capabilities while handling the majority of data on the device itself, protecting user privacy.
“I always say that the AI is only as smart as the data it can get its hands on,” Milanesi stated.
