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Apple starts its fightback in AI battle

Tech giant breaks with traditional product cycle to launch new chip in flagship iPad

The new iPad Pro will come with a brand new chip, the M4

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Cantillon
Thu May 9 2024 - 06:00

When Apple unveiled its new iPads this week, there was something different about the launch. While the company announced a refresh of its tablet range as expected, it had one surprise move up its sleeve: the new iPad Pro will come with a brand new chip, the M4.

This breaks with Apple’s usual product cycle; the company usually announces the new chip for its Mac range of devices, and then brings it to the iPad at a later date.

But times are changing. Apple has been accused of falling behind in the AI arms race and has had doubt cast on its ability to keep innovating. The company had indicated that it would talk more about AI at its upcoming conference for developers, but this decision is a strong indicator that it will be more than just lip service.

It could also rejuvenate the tablet sector. Apple’s quarterly figures published last week showed iPad sales were down 17 per cent. You couldn’t help but feel the iPad, once touted as a magical device by the late Steve Jobs, was failing to reach its potential.

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While it may not immediately revitalise the market, they are being seen as a much-needed reason to upgrade for customers. But analysts are seeing the event as a precursor for next month’s developer event, with AI expected to feature heavily at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference.

“The emphasis on artificial intelligence was palpable with Apple determined to seize back the initiative in this area given the huge focus on this topic by all its rivals over the last 18 months,” said CCS Insight’s Ben Woods.

“The focus on AI performance from the Neural Engine in Apple’s chips and reminders that this has existed since 2017 when it was introduced to its A11 Bionic chip was intentional. So too was Apple’s emphasis that its neural engine is ‘more powerful than any NPU in any PC [shipping] today’.”

There may be one other consequence to this push to power up the iPad though; it may come at the expense of other products in its portfolio, persuading some potential MacBook buyers that an iPad will do the same job.

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