Apple M1 vs. M2 — Comparison
The second generation of Apple Silicon is here. The SOC M2 is Apple’s consumer upgrade to M1 from 2020 in the Mac lineup and beyond. See how the two chips compare — and what it means for future Macs. A brief refresher on Apple Silicon.
The M series of system processors on the Apple Silicon chip represents Apple’s move to distance itself from Intel architecture processors in its Macintosh computers and move to ARM-based chips used in the iPhone and iPad lines. Apple has also brought the M1 chip to some iPad models.
Apple introduced Apple Silicon chips for Macs in November 2020, with the M1. In 2021, Apple introduced the faster M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. In March 2022, Apple debuted the M1 Ultra chip, which combined two M1 Max chips into one super-powerful chip currently used in the Mac Studio. During a critical WWDC event in June 2022, Apple announced the M2 processor, which Apple is positioning as an upgrade of the M1 chip for the lower to mid-range, leaving the M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra “pro” and professional machines on the market. The M1 machines are also available for now, so you may have to decide: Should I buy Mac with M1 or wait and get the upgraded M2 version? See how the two chips differ.
