In a bold move to accelerate its presence in the artificial intelligence (AI) arena, Apple unveiled the latest iPad Pro on Tuesday, featuring the new M4 chip specifically designed for AI computing.
Departing from its usual trend of introducing new chips in Mac laptops, Apple's decision to debut the M4 chip in a tablet signals its eagerness to empower app developers ahead of its annual software developer conference next month, according to analysts.
The announcement had a modest impact on Apple's stock, which saw a slight increase of about 0.5 percent, following an earlier gain of up to 1.8 percent during the day.
While giants like Microsoft and Alphabet have aggressively pursued AI advancements, resulting in their stocks hitting record highs, Apple's shares have experienced a 5 percent decline year-to-date. This downturn is attributed to sluggish iPhone demand and investor anticipation regarding Apple's AI strategy.
The new iPad Pro, Apple's premium tablet model, will feature upgraded displays and is priced starting at $1,000 for the 11-inch version and $1,300 for the 13-inch variant. The device is powered by the M4 chip, which boasts a larger neural engine designed to handle AI-driven tasks such as text and image generation.
Apple has incorporated a neural engine in its chips since 2017, but competitors like Intel and Qualcomm have developed their own neural processing units (NPUs) for personal computers. Tim Millet, Apple's Vice President of Platform Architecture, highlighted during the presentation that the M4 chip's neural engine surpasses any existing NPUs in AI PCs today.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
