Will the New iPad Pro Really Have the M4 Chip?

[Realityck]

Not necessarily. The N3E process is allegedly cheaper to produce because of much higher yields than the N3B process, so a more powerful M4 might actually cost Apple less to make than the M3 even if it has a higher transistor count.

There are other factors then just the M something SoC pricing, the OLED panels for example will cost more.
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The Elec reports that Apple is expected to pay two to three times more than competitors, for equivalent-sized panels.

It is expected that the price of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) for iPads supplied by domestic panel companies to Apple will be 2 to 3 times that of OLED of the same size as before. There is an analysis that the price will inevitably be expensive because the two-tandem method with two OLED emission layers and high-level technologies such as LTPO TFT are applied.

Based on the coverage of this paper on the 27th, it was found that Apple, LG Display, and Samsung Display are discussing the price of OLED panels for iPads scheduled to be released next year, with 11-inch models at $270 and 13-inch models at $350. The supply price of OLED panels for existing early 10-inch IT products is around $100 to $150.

We don't even know the cost involved with the camera optics/sensors if that is improved upon also with the iPad Pro? Slightly more than 5 days to go.

 

[prombough]

This is the one reason why I‘m holding off buying a Surface Pro until the Apple event.

Though like someone else pointed out, IF they are going to enable MacOS, they would likely do that at WWDC. So I think you are waiting until June! ;-) Me, I actually have the M2 11inch pro, and indeed, it is plenty fast for MacOS. I just hope, when it does happen (2030 maybe!) that my iPad M2 also runs it.

 

[incidentallycheckout]

iPad Lightroom does and once LR gets the Denoise AI and yye other neural filters the iPad will take advantage of the M4.

You pointed out 1 app (which I haven't confirmed). Do any other apps also utilize the M1 on the iPad in any noticeable way over the A series?

Or are you saying one singular app using the chip is enough?

 

[RedWeasel]

Though like someone else pointed out, IF they are going to enable MacOS, they would likely do that at WWDC. So I think you are waiting until June! ;-) Me, I actually have the M2 11inch pro, and indeed, it is plenty fast for MacOS. I just hope, when it does happen (2030 maybe!) that my iPad M2 also runs it.

I could imagine that they would announce the general ability together with the hardware and then go into details at WWDC. If...

 

[chucker23n1]

You pointed out 1 app (which I haven't confirmed). Do any other apps also utilize the M1 on the iPad in any noticeable way over the A series?

Or are you saying one singular app using the chip is enough?

It's not (directly) the OS's fault if not enough pro apps exist that take advantage.

 

[ric22]

There are other factors then just the M something SoC pricing, the OLED panels for example will cost more.
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The Elec reports that Apple is expected to pay two to three times more than competitors, for equivalent-sized panels.


We don't even know the cost involved with the camera optics/sensors if that is improved upon also with the iPad Pro? Slightly more than 5 days to go.

The panel cost increases are mitigated by the crash in cost price of RAM and storage.

 

[guscall]

I don't care about the M4. What I want is 16 GB of RAM in the iPad Pro base model.

 

[luy]

For me personally it would be more interesting, if the pro really will have a matte screen option.

I use the iPad Pro mostly for media consumption and a lot outdoor, so any better anti glare option would really be welcome.

 

[ric22]

I don't care about the M4. What I want is 16 GB of RAM in the iPad Pro base model.

What app are you using that is struggling with 8GB, out of interest?

 

[Mackan]

I don't care about the M4. What I want is 16 GB of RAM in the iPad Pro base model.

Since when does Apple give the "base" model the hardware we expect? Never. Likely have to pay $800 more to get that 16GB RAM and that 512GB SSD.

 

[KPy]

If they want to sell 13" Pro, not 12.9" Air, tere has to be significant difference. M2 vs. M4 or even M3 vs. M4 would be that. I'm waiting for announcement to make my decision. If Pro is with M3, I think that I'll buy Air.

 

[ric22]

Since when does Apple give the "base" model the hardware we expect? Never. Likely have to pay $800 more to get that 16GB RAM and that 512GB SSD.

Whilst it is more likely they'll continue charging rip-off prices as you suggest, we might have some luck due to the coming AI features and the associated RAM requirements.

 

[Torty]

If they want to sell 13" Pro, not 12.9" Air, tere has to be significant difference. M2 vs. M4 or even M3 vs. M4 would be that. I'm waiting for announcement to make my decision. If Pro is with M3, I think that I'll buy Air.

OLED vs. Mini LED? 120hz? (Not important for me but for many others) Better speakers? New pencil? If it would come with M3 and Air with M2 you would still get longer OS support with the pro

 

[retroneo]

TSMC won't be making any N3B in late 2024. It's a dead end.

N3E is a less advanced process with fewer EUV layers, so this new M4 will be one step backwards in a way too.

Chips take 4 months to etch, so it's time to introduce the N3E versions of Apple's chips. There's no way Apple would start making M3 chips again on the same process a year later.

The iPad Pro is low volume, so using the first few M4s they have for this makes sense. A18 production will be underway too now and needs larger volumes this year to be used in both iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models. The A17 Pro will be gone come September.

The iPad Air is inheriting the key features from the iPad Pro anyway (ProMotion and larger screen) so this kind of makes sense. So the Pro may become even lower in sales this year, especially with the rumoured higher price.

The M3 didn't make sense when it came out, as everyone thought it would be delayed until N3E. Apple needs to boost sales at the moment anyway it can, so calling the new chip M4 might help too. The performance jumps are quite small now, not doubling each generation anymore.

 

[solarmon]

It needs a headphone jack and data through the keyboard before it needs a quantum chip.

“data through the keyboard…”

Please explain. My keyboards have always transmitted data, “through” the keys, so…?

 

[ictiosapiens]

“data through the keyboard…”

Please explain. My keyboards have always transmitted data, “through” the keys, so…?

Via the keyboard's usb-c port?

 

[Unami]

Could be. Although, if it is, it‘s probably just a M3 speedwise with a bigger neural engine and more RAM for AI.

 

[darngooddesign]

You pointed out 1 app (which I haven't confirmed). Do any other apps also utilize the M1 on the iPad in any noticeable way over the A series?

Or are you saying one singular app using the chip is enough?

Well the M# is basically the A# with some more desktop features, like better handling of swap memory which anyone doing photo editing on an 8GB RAM IPad will benefit from. But A# vs M# isn’t what was being discussed. What was being discussed was whether iPads even need the faster M4; and yes, depending on what you do the iPad would benefit from either a faster A# or M# chip.

If you are claiming that the iPad would never benefit from the M4 then I only need to list one workflow, of which there are several Raw photo editing apps, that does. And no, I don’t need you to confirm what I have already tested to be true.

 

[Chuckeee]

TSMC won't be making any N3B in late 2024. It's a dead end.

Not quite

Apple will still be making M3 MacBook Airs and M3 iMac through at least October and potentially into 2025. The number of M3 chips required for that continued production run will be many times greater than total iPad Pro sales.

 

[Chuckeee]

My guess is that they will now offer the M3 Pro chip as an option for IPad Pros. My dream is for it to be able to run MacOS as well as IPadOS.

One again the M3Pro chip runs hotter than the M3 chip and requires a fan (or a significant heatsink with air flow). I still don’t see how that is possible in a thin iPad chassis.

 

[fpnc]

A week ago I posted a suggestion that the next iPad Pro would use an M3 Pro chip rather than a regular M3. Thus, if that proves to be true maybe the rumblings were that the iPad Pro wouldn't use the M3 and that's why some jumped to the conclusion that it would have to be the M4.

 

[Yichumedfurk]

I have a hunch that the 11-inch iPad Pro will have M3, but the 13-inch version will have M4

 

[fpnc]

One again the M3Pro chip runs hotter than the M3 chip and requires a fan (or a significant heatsink with air flow). I still don’t see how that is possible in a thin iPad chassis.

Perhaps by downclocking the M3 Pro and disabling some of the graphics cores they could make the M3 Pro work in a redesigned iPad Pro. The iPad probably doesn't need all of the graphics cores nor the support for two external displays, just more cpu cores.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

OLED vs. Mini LED? 120hz? (Not important for me but for many others) Better speakers? New pencil? If it would come with M3 and Air with M2 you would still get longer OS support with the pro

120Hz (ProMotion) -- what a joke. Just upgraded my iPad Air to an iPad Pro M2 11" yesterday (great sale price plus good trade-in) and was shocked how few apps even use 120Hz. Even their own Safari browser is 60Hz! I wish I hadn't already traded in my Air...I'd return the Pro and keep using my Air (M1).

 

[Elusi]

A week ago I posted a suggestion that the next iPad Pro would use an M3 Pro chip rather than a regular M3. Thus, if that proves to be true maybe the rumblings were that the iPad Pro wouldn't use the M3 and that's why some jumped to the conclusion that it would have to be the M4.

The M4 rumor started because in a leaked listing a chip identifier changed into one that had never before been seen. It wasn't changed into the M3 Pro identifier.