The M2 MacBook Pro may finally have a worthy opponent

Apple Silicon's M1 and M2 chips have raised the game for computer processing

Apple M2 processor
(Image credit: Apple)

Every now and then, something new comes along that redefines the standard for how something is done. In the world of consumer computing, that came with Apple and the M1 chip. Offering unprecedented power with super low power consumption, the M1 extended battery life even when completing power hungry tasks.

Now in their second iteration – the M2 chip – Apple's in-house processors can be found powering a host of devices from the MacBook Pro M2 to the iPad Air. Safe to say, it's been a real hit.

And now, there's good news for those who aren't fans of Apple devices. Chip making behemoths Qualcomm are preparing to market an alternative to the Apple Silicon processors. It's internally code-named "Hamoa" and this is everything we know about it so far.

Qualcomm Hamoa: Everything we know

"Hamoa" is a processor that is designed to go toe-to-toe with Apple's M1. All reports so far have slated it for a first appearance in 2024, with the aim being to significantly outperform current processors and close the gap between Windows devices and Apple.

According to WinFuture, Hamoa will feature eight high-performance cores, and four energy-saving cores. That array is based on a chip called the Phoenix, designed by a company called Nuvia who Qualcomm bought for a cool $1.4 billion last year. 

Nuvia was started by a team of ex-Apple engineers, who had a hand in the current ARM based chips that Apple employs. The company has expressed a desire to overshadow the current processors on the market, promising 50-100% more performance than others in the market, which are also three-times as power hungry.

The new chip is also slated to be suitable for use with an additional graphics card.

With a few years until its expected to hit the market, I'm sure we'll find out more about it before it gets released. 

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Sam Cross
Senior Staff Writer

Sam is an award-winning journalist with over six years of experience across print and digital media. As T3’s Senior Staff Writer, Sam covers everything from new phones and EVs to luxury watches and fragrances. Working across a range of different social media platforms alongside his written work, Sam is a familiar face for fans of T3. When he’s not reviewing snazzy products or hunting for stellar deals, Sam enjoys football, analog photography and writing music.