Apple may not be quite finished with its M1 generation of Apple Silicon chips. A leaker now claims that another configuration will appear in an "iMac Pro".
Apple currently offers its M1 chip in three general configurations: the M1 is followed by the improved M1 Pro and the M1 Pro Max. If a rumor is to be believed, Apple could introduce a fourth M1 chip. As the well-known leaker @Dylandkt in a tweet reported, he has "received confirmation that there will be another configuration for the upcoming iMac Pro alongside the M1 Max." The tweet goes on to say that a snippet of code that also mentions the iMac references a 12-core CPU configuration.
iMac Pro is aimed at professional users
The original M1 uses an 8-core CPU with a 7-core or 8-core GPU on board. The M1 Pro uses an 8- or 10-core CPU while the top-of-the-line M1 Max has a 10-core CPU. The Max sets itself apart from the Pro, however, with higher memory support and more GPU cores. There is currently no indication of how the cores in the fourth chip will be configured. Since the 10-core CPUs combine a pair of highly efficient cores with eight powerful cores, it is plausible that the new processor could have a split between two and ten cores. Dylandkt also claims that the "internal name candidate is not called iMac Pro for nothing. It is aimed at professionals." (Photo by Jshanebutt / Bigstockphoto)