Apple’s ‘M2’ processor could enter mass production this month for upcoming MacBook Pros

The next generation of Mac processors designed by Apple — tentatively titled the “M2” — entered mass production this month, according to Nikkei Asia. 

Shipments of the new chipset — the follow-up to the M1 processor that currently powers all Apple Silicon Macs — could begin as early as July for use in MacBook Pros that are scheduled to go on sale in the second half of this year. As Nikkei Asia notes, the latest entry in the lineup is, like its predecessor, a so-called system-on-a-chip, meaning it integrates central processing units, graphic processing units and artificial intelligence accelerators all on one chip. Sources said it will eventually be used in other Mac and Apple devices beyond the MacBook Pro.

The upcoming laptops are expected to have a major redesign and sport mini-LED displays. The mini-LED displays will likely use 10,000 mini-LEDs and will be comparable to OLED screens. They’ll result in good wide color gamut performance, high contrast and HDR, and local dimming.

Mini-LEDs sport a local dimming function with a contrast effect similar to that of OLED displays. However, on some product lines, costs for mini-LED backlit displays may even be lower than their OLED counterparts, according to LEDinside. Mini-LED products are as thin as those using OLED technology so they consume less power than traditional LED screens, and they cost 70-80% less to produce than OLED displays, although their performance is similar.