Apple’s silicon is genuinely world-class — but it is now being used to prove Apple’s AI software inadequacy rather than Apple’s AI superiority.
The M-Series Evolution
| Chip | Process | Transistors | AI Capability |
|---|---|---|---|
| M1 | 5nm | 16B | First Apple Silicon |
| M2 | 5nm (2nd gen) | 20B | 16% faster GPU |
| M3 | 3nm | 25B | First 3nm process |
| M4 | 3nm (2nd gen) | 28B | 38 TOPS Neural Engine |
| M5 | 3nm (3rd gen) | Expected 2nm | More AI focus |
6 years of continuous silicon leadership.
The Technical Advantage
| Feature | Spec | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Neural Engine | 38 TOPS | On-device AI ready |
| Unified Memory | No memory copy | Faster AI inference |
| Power Efficiency | 3x competitors | All-day AI ready |
The Silicon Opportunity vs. Paradox
The Opportunity
- On-device AI processing without cloud dependency
- Privacy-preserving AI — data stays on device
- Instant AI response — no network latency
- Best-in-class hardware for running any AI model
The Paradox
- World’s best AI hardware…
- …running competitors’ AI software
- Neural Engine optimized for models Apple can’t build
- Hardware moat doesn’t protect software weakness
Silicon Comparison: Apple vs Competitors
| Chip | AI Performance | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Apple M4 | 38 TOPS | Shipping |
| Qualcomm X Elite | 45 TOPS | Shipping |
| Intel Lunar Lake | 48 TOPS | Shipping |
Competitors catching up on hardware while Apple struggles with software.
Framework from The AI Intelligence Gap Inside Apple on The Business Engineer.
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