A developer who abandoned reverse-engineering Apple's Neural Engine (ANE) three years ago has resumed the project, this time focused on mapping its full internal architecture rather than making it usable via a Linux driver. The renewed effort was prompted by Apple's M5 chip, which emphasizes LLM performance and integrates ANE cores directly into the GPU, signaling the decline of the standalone neural processing unit design that began with the A11 Bionic in 2017.
eiln.github.io
· 2026-09-12
Apple detailed its A20 Pro chip, which will power the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and iPhone Duo. Built on a 2nm process, the chip features a six-core CPU with two new 'super cores' up to 20% faster than the A19 Pro, a redesigned seven-core GPU with 40% better graphics performance, and a dual Neural Engine offering twice the AI compute of its predecessor. Apple also boosted memory bandwidth by 50% and added neural accelerators to every CPU core.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-10
A developer profiling Apple's M3 Neural Engine found an RTL performance bug that cuts DRAM weight-streaming speed from a normal 45-60 GB/s down to just 17-19 GB/s whenever a model's total weight size lands on an exact multiple of 1 MiB, affecting 7 of the 15 models in the ANEMLL project. By rerouting around the flawed speculative prefetch path in the kernel's DMA engine, the developer restored full throughput, more than doubling token generation speeds for Llama 3.2 1B and Qwen3-8B.
eiln.github.io
· 2026-09-10
Apple introduced the iPhone 18 Pro, featuring a variable aperture camera system that gives users more manual control over photos instead of relying solely on computational photography. The device is powered by the new A20 Pro chip, Apple's first 2nm processor, which includes a 6-core CPU, a 7-core GPU with up to 40 percent better performance, and a dual Neural Engine design. Apple also detailed upcoming Siri AI features, powered by large language models, set to launch in October.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-09-09
At its 'Surprise and Shine' event, Apple introduced the A20 Pro chip, built on 2nm technology, which will power the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. The chip features a six-core CPU with faster supercores, a seven-core GPU offering up to 40% better performance, and a 32-core Neural Engine with double the compute capability. Apple also boosted memory bandwidth by 50% and redesigned chip packaging to improve cooling, borrowing techniques from its M-series processors.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-09
Apple has officially unveiled the M6 chip ahead of a new 14-inch MacBook Pro expected this fall, keeping the same industrial design as current models. The chip adds a dual 16-core Neural Engine for faster on-device AI, a 12-core CPU with super, performance and efficiency cores alongside a 12-core GPU, and is built on a new 2nm manufacturing process for greater power efficiency.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-02
Apple unveiled the M6 chip alongside new Mac mini and Mac Studio models, marking the debut of a chip family that will later include the iPhone 18 Pro's A20 Pro. Apple says M6 uses a 2-nanometer manufacturing process and a redesigned 12-core CPU layout, delivering major gains in speed and power efficiency along with a doubled Neural Engine for on-device AI tasks.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-08-25
Apple has released a new Mac mini lineup powered by its M6 chip and M5 Pro chip, replacing the previous M4 and M4 Pro models. The M6, built on a 2nm process, brings a 12-core CPU, 12-core GPU, and dual 16-core Neural Engine, while the M5 Pro offers up to an 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU. Both versions also gain higher memory bandwidth and increased maximum RAM configurations.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-08-25
Apple unveiled two new processors, the M5 Ultra and M6, to power refreshed Mac Studio and Mac Mini lines. The M5 Ultra fuses two M5 Max dies into Apple's first quad-die chip with up to 36 CPU cores, 80 GPU cores, and 1.2 TB/s memory bandwidth, while the 2nm M6 targets everyday users with a 12-core CPU and nearly 30% more peak GPU compute for AI tasks than the M5.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-08-25
Apple unveiled updated Mac Mini and Mac Studio desktops featuring new chip options, including the first Apple computer built on an M6-generation chip made with TSMC's 2-nanometer process, alongside an M5 Pro option. The company emphasized neural engine hardware and a memory architecture designed to help developers run and fine-tune large AI models directly on the machines rather than in the cloud.
cnbc.com
· 2026-08-25
Apple has updated the Mac mini for the first time in nearly two years, keeping its compact design but switching to a new chip lineup. The base model now runs on the newly introduced M6 chip, Apple's first built on a 2nm process, while the higher tier uses the M5 Pro chip that debuted earlier this year in the MacBook Pro. Both configurations are available for pre-order starting today.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-08-25
Apple has refreshed its Mac mini with a new M6 chip and given the Mac Studio upgrades to M5 Max and M5 Ultra processors. The base Mac mini now starts at $899 with 256GB storage, an increase of $100, while the Mac Studio starts at $2,499 for the M5 Max version and $5,499 for the M5 Ultra model. Buyers wanting more performance can also configure the Mac mini with an M5 Pro chip for $1,699.
engadget.com
· 2026-08-25
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