Apple's upgraded M2 Pro + M2 Max SoC: on TSMC 3nm node later this year

Apple unveiled its next-gen M2 at its recent WWDC 2022 event, offering some upgrades over its M1 predecessor, but now it's time for M2 Pro and M2 Max rumors.

Apple's upgraded M2 Pro and M2 Max SoCs will be upgraded versions of the M2, and act as next-gen replacements to the M1 Pro and M1 Max SoCs, leaving a hole for the M2 Ultra afterwards to replace the current-gen M1 Ultra replacement (which is effectively 2 x M1 Max SoCs glued together).

9to5Mac is reporting that Apple will "continue with TSMC as its Apple Silicon chip supplier. The Taiwanese semiconductor company is expected to start mass production of Apple's new "M2 Pro" chip later this year, which reportedly will be built on the 3-nanometer process". The difference here is that the upcoming M2 is being made on second-gen 5nm at TSMC... while the beefed-up M2 Pro and M2 Max will be made on the next-gen 3nm process node at TSMC.

• Read more: Apple announces next-gen M2 SoC: 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, made on 5nm

Apple should roll out upgraded versions of its MacBook Pro laptops later this year, powered by the upgraded M2 Pro and M2 Max chips -- just like it did with their current flagship 16-inch MacBook Pro laptop powered by the M1 Pro and M1 Max SoCs. These new laptops should rock the latest 3nm chips made by TSMC later this year.

• M2 Max: unknown CPU, unknown GPU, unknown transistors on TSMC next-gen 3nm
• M2 Pro: unknown CPU, unknown GPU, unknown transistors on TSMC next-gen 3nm
• M2: 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU + 20+ billion transistors on TSMC second-gen 5nm
• M1 Ultra: 20-core CPU, 64-core GPU + 114 billion transistors on TSMC first-gen 5nm
• M1 Max: 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU + 57 billion transistors on TSMC first-gen 5nm
• M1 Pro: 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU + 34 billion transistors on TSMC first-gen 5nm
• M1: 8-core CPU, 14-core GPU + 16 billion transistors on TSMC first-gen 5nm