Apple’s silicon is genuinely world-class — but it’s now being used to prove Apple’s AI software inadequacy rather than Apple’s AI superiority.
The M-Series Evolution
| Chip | Process | Key Advancement |
|---|---|---|
| M1 | 5nm | First Apple Silicon, 16B transistors |
| M2 | 5nm | +18% faster CPU, 20B transistors |
| M3 | 3nm | 3nm process, 25B transistors |
| M4 | 3nm | 38 TOPS Neural Engine, 28B transistors |
| M5 | Expected: 3nm+ | More AI focus |
4 years of continuous silicon leadership
The Technical Advantage
Neural Engine
38 TOPS — On-device AI ready
Unified Memory Architecture
No memory copy = Faster AI inference
Power Efficiency
3x more efficient = All-day AI ready
The Silicon 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 Silicon 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
| Chip | AI Performance |
|---|---|
| Apple M4 | 38 TOPS |
| Qualcomm X Elite | 45 TOPS |
| Intel Lunar Lake | 48 TOPS |
Competitors catching up
The Silicon Foundation — Bottom Line
Apple’s silicon is genuinely world-class — but it’s now being used to prove Apple’s AI software inadequacy rather than Apple’s AI superiority.
This is part of a comprehensive analysis. Read the full analysis on The Business Engineer.
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