M1X is for the Pro models, M2 is coming next year
According to Dylan (@dylandkt) it goes like this:
- M2 is scheduled for the first half from 2022 and is intended for the upcoming MacBook Air, which will be available in multiple colors.
- M1X will be released this year and is intended for the high-end models of the Mac, such as the MacBook Pro.
Just wanted to share some details on when to expect the next generation M2 (not the M1X which is reserved for the Pro Mac devices). This processor is on track to release in the first half of 2022 alongside the upcoming colorful Macbook (Air).
Dylan also explains that the M1X is an extension of the existing M1 chip, but with more power and more CPU and GPU cores. It will be used in the MacBook Pro, Mac mini and a new high-end iMac. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, in 2021 we will get two more new MacBook Pros with a new design (probably 14-inch and 16-inch).
Cheaper entry-level models with the M2 chip
The M2 is the next generation chip and is probably based on the A15 chip. We will find this in the MacBook Air, which will be on the market next year. Kuo also expects some design changes and a lower price than the current M1-based model. This is because Apple Silicon is much cheaper to produce than Intel. In turn, rumored Jon Prosser has predicted that Apple will release the MacBook Air in more colors, just like the 2021 iMac. Prosser is sometimes a bit controversial, but correctly predicted that Apple would release a colorful iMac.
< Previously, Nikkei predicted that the M2 chip is already in production and that the first devices with this processor will be released in July, but Nikkei has a somewhat mixed track record as a source. In addition, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has indicated that we should not expect any new Apple products in the coming weeks and that nothing new will arrive until September for the first time with the iPhones.