Apple already producing M2 chip for a launch later this year, says report

A new report says Apple's supplier TSMC has begun producing the M2 Apple silicon chip "this month", with devices sporting the next-generation processor expected in the second half of the year.

From Nikkei Asia:

The next generation of Mac processors designed by Apple entered mass production this month, sources familiar with the matter told Nikkei Asia, bringing the U.S. tech giant one step closer to its goal of replacing Intel-designed central processing units with its own.

Shipments of the new chipset -- tentatively known as the M2, after Apple's current M1 processor -- could begin as early as July for use in MacBooks that are scheduled to go on sale in the second half of this year, the people said.

The report says that, as expected, the M2 is a system-on-chip containing the CPU, GPU, and RAM all in one package, just like the first iteration of Apple silicon, the M1. The report says the chip "will eventually be used in other Mac and Apple devices beyond the MacBook" but that for the time being it will ship in new MacBooks scheduled for sale later this year.

Multiple reports have tipped that Apple will release new MacBook models later this year. Not only will they feature new Apple silicon, but they are also expected to feature a new mini-LED display, and may be available in a new 14-inch configuration. Apple's mini-LED display debuted in its new 2021 iPad Pro, unveiled at last week's Spring Loaded April event.