Apple M4 Chip Leads AI Innovation, New iPad Showcases Outstanding Performance

Apple recently showcased the application and importance of AI technology in its devices at the latest iPad launch event, although the company has not fully disclosed its AI strategy. It is reported that Apple will unveil a broader AI strategy at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June this year. However, during the iPad launch event held on Tuesday, the new iPad Air was praised as a "device designed specifically for AI with outstanding performance".

The new iPad Air is equipped with an upgraded M4 chip, which features a neural engine designed specifically to accelerate AI workloads. This means that the iPad Air will have faster speed and higher efficiency when processing AI-related tasks. For example, users can easily identify objects in photos through visual search functionality, AI tools can extract subjects from photos, and real-time text capture functionality allows users to copy, share, search, and translate text within the camera viewfinder.

In addition to the iPad Air, the iPad Pro has also undergone significant upgrades, transitioning from the M2 chip to the all-new M4 chip. This chip adopts TSMC's second-generation 3nm process and has up to 28 billion transistors, providing powerful performance support for AI applications. The M4 chip has a 50% improvement in CPU performance compared to the previous generation M2, and the GPU performance has increased fourfold. The built-in new NPU can perform 3.8 trillion AI calculations per second, which is remarkably fast.

Apple emphasized during the event that the M4 chip not only has powerful performance but also has excellent energy efficiency. It can provide the same performance as the M2 chip while reducing power consumption by half. In addition, the M4 chip is equipped with a new display engine, bringing a more precise, color-rich, and outstanding brightness display experience to the iPad Pro.

While showcasing its own AI technology, Apple also mentioned third-party applications. For example, Pixelmator's Photomator app uses AI models trained on over 20 million professional images to improve photo quality with just one click. This once again demonstrates the enormous potential of AI technology in enhancing user experience.

Of course, consumers are most concerned about how these hardware advancements will be applied in practical scenarios. Although Apple did not provide detailed explanations during the event, the company hinted that improved AI features will soon be mastered by iPadOS app developers. iPadOS provides advanced frameworks such as CoreML, allowing developers to leverage these frameworks and the neural engine of the M4 chip to provide "powerful AI capabilities" on the device.

In addition to the updates to the iPad product line, Apple has also incorporated AI elements into other applications. For example, in the Logic Pro music production software, Apple has added AI-based accompanists such as bassists and keyboardists who can join the performances of available drummers. These AI-driven band members can also react to feedback provided in the application, bringing more possibilities to music creation.

In the field of photography, Apple showcased the application of AI technology. The new iPad Pro utilizes AI to automatically detect documents such as tables and receipts and automatically uses the new adaptive flash in shadowed areas to capture multiple frames, which are then stitched together to achieve better scanning results. This feature undoubtedly greatly enhances the user experience when using the iPad for document scanning.

Although Apple's mention of AI during the event did not reach a breakthrough level, these examples have already demonstrated Apple's style: combining AI improvements with enhancing the consumer experience of using their devices. We look forward to hearing more about Apple's AI plans at the upcoming WWDC, including possible AI-based Siri or collaborations with AI providers such as Google and OpenAI.

In summary, Apple showcased the application and importance of AI technology in its devices at the latest iPad launch event, indicating that Apple will fully engage in the generative AI track. With the continuous advancement of technology and the expansion of application scenarios, AI will bring more convenience and possibilities to our lives.