With the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max launching in just a few weeks, we were expecting the A20 Pro to be Apple’s first 2nm chipset. Apparently that won’t be the case, because the honor of being the first has been given to a different processor.
Apple announced the M6 processor
Apple has announced two new processors for its Mac computers, alongside new Mac Mini and Mac Studio computers. The new M6 is Apple’s first chip manufactured on a 2nm process, which the company says will lead to performance and power efficiency improvements.
The new chip announcement talks a lot about AI capabilities, which are improved with a Dual 16-core Neural Engine, serving for on-device AI tasks. Besides that, the chip now has a 12-core CPU, up from the 10 cores on the M5, which are presented in a configuration of two super cores, four performance cores, and six efficiency cores.
M6 comes with more cores than the M5 chips. | Image by Apple
Unsurprisingly, the company boasts that the CPU has the “fastest single-threaded performance” in the world. The multithreaded performance is 1.2x faster compared to the M5 chip, and 2.4x faster than the M1.
On the GPU side, the chip has also grown from the 10 cores in the M5 to 12 cores. Each of the 12 cores also has a Neural Accelerator, and the chip supports up to 32GB of unified memory. The M6 will be available in a new Mac Mini, available for preorder beginning Tuesday before its September 22 release.
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Reactions on Reddit range from disappointment with the storage options for the new Mac Mini to people just deciding to stick with their older hardware, all of which is because of the prices. While people are not surprised by it, the combination of an $899 starting price and 256GB storage isn’t making anyone happy.
People are not excited about Apple's prices. | Image by Reddit (screenshot
M5 Ultra is Apple’s most powerful chip
Alongside the M6, Apple also announced the M5 Ultra, which uses its UltraFusion interconnect technology to put two dual-die M5 Max chips into a single quad-die processor. The M5 Ultra can go to up to 36-core CPU, 80-core GPU, and a 32-core Neural Engine, with the CPU getting 12 super cores and 24 performance cores.
What type of computer do you prefer to use?
The maximum unified memory can reach 512GB, but once you choose the amount, you won’t be able to upgrade it. The chip is available in a new Mac Studio with M5 Ultra, which starts at $5,499 and includes 1TB of storage. A version with 512GB memory will be available in late October.
It’s all about AI
If Apple’s first 2nm chip is anything to judge its next steps by, there will be a lot of AI talk during the company’s September event. With the Siri AI and Apple Intelligence upgrades on iOS 27, that won’t be such a surprise, but I expected us to hear more about the A20 Pro’s AI schtick than anything else.
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Ilia, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, has been covering the mobile industry since 2011, with experience at outlets like Forbes Bulgaria. Passionate about smartphones, tablets, and consumer tech, he blends deep industry knowledge with a personal fascination that began with his first Nokia and Sony Ericsson devices. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Lima, Peru, Ilia balances his tech obsessions with walking his dog, training at the gym, and slowly mastering Spanish.
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