Apple is on the verge of manufacturing M4 computer processors equipped with AI processing capabilities and intends to update every Mac model with this technology, as reported by Bloomberg News on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The company aims to launch the upgraded computers later this year and early next year. The lineup would include new iMacs, a low-end 14-inch MacBook Pro, high-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros, and Mac minis, according to the report.
The PC industry has faced a downturn since the end of a pandemic-induced surge in sales for remote work and learning. Manufacturers are banking on a new wave of laptops and desktops featuring more robust chips capable of handling artificial intelligence tasks like document summarization without relying on cloud-based processing.
Intel, along with competitors like Qualcomm, is gearing up to introduce such chips. Reuters previously reported Nvidia’s plans to enter the PC market with a new chip leveraging its expertise in AI, possibly by 2025.
Apple intends to emphasize the AI processing capabilities of the new chips and their integration with the upcoming version of macOS, Bloomberg noted.
This news precedes Apple’s annual developers conference in June, where reports suggest the tech giant may announce new AI partnerships and unveil significant changes to iOS.
Mac sales saw a 27% decline in Apple’s most recent fiscal year ending in September. In October, Apple introduced the current-generation M3 chips alongside new MacBook Pro and iMac models equipped with these chips.
