What you need to know
- A new report claims that one in five iPads sold in 2022 will have Apple M-series chips inside.
- That will be an increase from one in ten this year, according to Counterpoint Research.
A new report by Counterpoint Research has one in five of all iPads sold in 2022 packing Apple M-series silicon of some sort. That would be an increase on the one in ten iPads that the report believes will include similar chips this year.
The lengthy report goes into detail as to why Counterpoint Research believes the M-series Apple silicon chips will be a big deal for Apple and tablet users, not least the potential for future-proofing.
The increase in demand for storage capacity can be attributed to higher resolution cameras capable of capturing high-quality photos and videos, storing audio, video and other types of content, and more. The maxed-out version of M1 iPad Pro also has 2TB of onboard storage which allows content creators to store those large video files without worrying about storage space, thus making it future-proof.
The increased speed afforded by the M-series chips will be of benefit to all kinds of users, as will the arrival of 5G connectivity for the first time in an iPad Pro when the new tablets ship later this month.
With demand for that new iPad Pro already appearing strong, Counterpoint Research is of the belief that this is just the beginning and that 2022 will see M-series chips really take off in the iPad world. Current iPads ship with Apple-designed A-series chips, but they're designed mobile-first. The M-series Apple silicon chips are more powerful and also beat at the heart of Apple's recent Macs, too.
The M1 iPad Pro is launching around mid-May in key markets such as the US. In other markets, it may take a little longer. The demand for M1-based iPads will be very high but with Apple's warning about chip shortages in H2 2021, we estimate the share of M-series-based iPads to remain at close to one in ten iPads shipped this year. For the second half this year and the next, we estimate that almost one in five iPads shipped will sport an M-series SoC.
The M1-powered iPad Pro is already shaping up to be the best iPad ever sold – I can only imagine what Apple intends to do with all that power. Apple may well begin to transition other iPad models to its M-series chips soon enough.
