Apple tantalized audiences with glimpses of AI integration across its device spectrum at its recent iPad event. While reserving the full unveiling for the Worldwide Developer Conference in June, the tech giant strategically highlighted AI-powered functionalities woven into its latest offerings.
The centerpiece was the revamped iPad Air, now armed with the M2 chip, boasting accelerated CPU, GPU, and neural engine capabilities. This powerhouse upgrade promises users a gamut of AI-driven features, from visual lookup and subject isolation to real-time text extraction, all orchestrated by the dedicated neural engine.
Pixelmator’s Photomator also earned a nod for its AI-driven photo enhancement prowess, leveraging extensive training on professional images to deliver seamless edits.
Apple introduces M4 chip
Not to be outdone, the iPad Pro ascended to the pinnacle of performance with the introduction of the M4 chip, a quantum leap in Apple’s silicon evolution. Bolstered by a revamped CPU, next-gen GPU, and ML accelerators, the M4 promises a 50% boost in performance over its predecessor. Apple’s hallmark neural engine, deeply embedded within the chip, further elevates AI workloads to unprecedented heights.
M4 has a new up-to-10-core CPU consisting of up to four performance cores and now six efficiency cores. The next-generation cores feature improved branch prediction, with wider decode and execution engines for the performance cores, and a deeper execution engine for the efficiency cores. And both types of cores also feature enhanced, next-generation ML accelerators.
M4 delivers up to 1.5x faster CPU performance over the powerful M2 in the previous iPad Pro.1 Whether working with complex orchestral music files in Logic Pro or adding highly demanding effects to 4K video in LumaFusion, M4 boosts performance across pro workflows.
“The new iPad Pro with M4 is a great example of how building best-in-class custom silicon enables breakthrough products,” said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies.
The Most Powerful Neural Engine Ever
M4 has a blazing-fast Neural Engine — an IP block in the chip dedicated to the acceleration of AI workloads. This is Apple’s most powerful Neural Engine ever, capable of an astounding 38 trillion operations per second — a breathtaking 60x faster than the first Neural Engine in A11 Bionic.
While specifics on AI-driven use cases were scarce, Apple hinted at imminent breakthroughs awaiting developers. The robust iPadOS framework, replete with cutting-edge tools like CoreML, stands poised to empower app developers to harness the device’s neural engine for transformative AI experiences.
iPad Pro with M4 can easily isolate a subject from its background throughout a 4K video in Final Cut Pro with just a tap, and can automatically create musical notation in real time in StaffPad by simply listening to someone play the piano.
In music production, Logic Pro pioneers AI-powered session players, augmenting the creative process with intelligent bass and keyboard accompaniments. Notably, these virtual bandmates respond dynamically to user input, enriching the collaborative music-making experience.
While the event primarily spotlighted hardware innovations, the tantalizing hints at AI’s transformative potential foreshadow a paradigm shift in user experience enhancement. As Apple gears up for WWDC, speculations abound regarding potential AI-centric announcements, including a revamped Siri experience or strategic collaborations with industry titans like Google or OpenAI. Exciting times lie ahead as Apple navigates the intersection of AI and consumer technology, reshaping the digital landscape one innovation at a time.