Next MacBook Pro with M1 could have a 32-core chip — Intel won't stand a chance

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Watch out Intel! Apple is coming for your neck

Apple
(Image credit: Apple)

The lightning-fast M1 chip is already disrupting the laptop industry with its power-efficient, breakneck speeds on the new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, but Apple isn't stopping there.

The Cupertino-based tech giant is reportedly working on developing a new processor that will rival Intel's fastest CPUs, according to Bloomberg.

Apple chip will compete with Intel's best

Apple was once shackled to Intel's pace of innovation, but with the new 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air refresh, Apple broke free from Intel with the introduction of a new custom-designed, ARM-based SoC that is shaking up the laptop industry with its beastly performance. That, of course, is the M1 chip. 

The M1 chip is on fire with its industry-leading performance. In our review of the M1-equipped MacBook Air, the processor crushed the quad-core 11th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU inside the Dell XPS 13.

Unnamed sources close to Apple revealed that the MacBook maker is seeking to dethrone Intel by manufacturing M1 chip successors that will outperform Intel's latest and greatest processors. With the M1 demonstrating Apple's CPU engineering prowess, Intel is in big trouble.

Apple is also reportedly revamping integrated graphics for future laptops. If this secret chip lives up to the tech giant's expectations, the graphics processors will top its own M1 chip. Equipped with eight GPU cores, the M1 chip inside the MacBook Air outperformed Intel's Iris Xe graphics on our Rise of the Tomb Raider and Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm gaming benchmarks.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is experimenting with 16-core and 32-core graphics parts for upcoming high-end laptops and mid-range desktops.

So when can we expect these M1 chip successors? The unnamed sources revealed that Apple plans to release the next series of chips as early as spring 2021. Another set will be unveiled in the fall. The MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac Pro workstation will all reportedly receive new SoC upgrades next year.

The Cupertino-based tech giant plans to fully transition to Apple Silicon by 2022.

Kimberly Gedeon
Kimberly Gedeon

Kimberly Gedeon, holding a Master's degree in International Journalism, launched her career as a journalist for MadameNoire's business beat in 2013. She loved translating stuffy stories about the economy, personal finance and investing into digestible, easy-to-understand, entertaining stories for young women of color. During her time on the business beat, she discovered her passion for tech as she dove into articles about tech entrepreneurship, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and the latest tablets. After eight years of freelancing, dabbling in a myriad of beats, she's finally found a home at Laptop Mag that accepts her as the crypto-addicted, virtual reality-loving, investing-focused, tech-fascinated nerd she is. Woot!