Apple has announced the second generation of its silicon, but it is taking a very different approach from the rest of the industry. The Apple M2 will push on performance, but keep the power efficiency the M1 was known for at its core. Usually, when processors level up they achieve better performance compared to the earlier versions, but by burning more power. The M2 claims to have 18% “greater performance” than the M1, but with no significant impact on power consumption. The new MacBook Air powered by the M2, for instance, claims to offer about 18 hours of video playback, almost the same as its predecessor. Interestingly, while the jump might not be so significant for M1 users, Apple claims the M2 has almost 90 per cent better processing than 12-core PC chips while using a quarter of the power. And this is where Apple is going way ahead of the competition in the market, especially for those who need a mobile device that does not need charging every few hours. While processors from Intel and AMD might still catch up on sheer processing power, they will fall way short when it comes to how long they can last in these high-power situations. Also, these processors will end up being louder and hotter, thus also using up more energy. Apple also claims the M2 has a better neural engine and secure enclave than the M1. The M2 is also a signal that Apple is all set to push incremental updates to its silicon for computers, as it does within the A-series processors for iPhone and iPad. While the changes will be incremental for most years, they will always try to be well ahead of the competition, making even older silicon from the Apple stables more powerful than current options from rivals. Apple killed the competition with the M1 in 2020. This year, it is just adding to the pain for companies that once lorded over the computer chip market.
