Apple has introduced the M4 chip, enhancing the performance capabilities of the new iPad Pro. Developed with second-generation 3-nanometer technology, the M4 is a system on a chip (SoC) that enhances power efficiency and supports the slim design of the iPad Pro. This chip includes a new display engine, which optimizes the Ultra Retina XDR display's precision, color, and brightness. The M4 chip features a central processing unit (CPU) with up to 10 cores and a 10-core graphics processing unit (GPU) that incorporates advances from the preceding M3's GPU architecture. These improvements include Dynamic Caching, and for the first time on iPad, hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading, elevating the device’s capabilities in rendering realistic graphics and complex scenes.

Moreover, the M4 is equipped with Apple's most advanced Neural Engine, capable of performing up to 38 trillion operations per second. This marks a significant increase in processing power compared to previous AI PC chips, enhancing artificial intelligence functionalities. The combination of this Neural Engine with advanced machine learning (ML) accelerators integrated into the CPU, a high-performance GPU, and increased memory bandwidth positions the iPad Pro as a formidable tool for AI-related applications.

The M4 chip comprises 28 billion transistors and benefits from the technological advancements inherent in the 3-nanometer process. This not only elevates power efficiency but also supports the implementation of a new display engine that further enhances the visual output of the Ultra Retina XDR display by integrating dual OLED panels for improved light control and color accuracy. The CPU segment of the M4 chip is designed with up to four high-performance cores and six efficiency cores, featuring improved branch prediction, and broader decode and execution capacities. These cores are supported by next-generation ML accelerators, which bolster the chip's ability to handle demanding tasks.

In terms of GPU enhancements, the new M4 chip facilitates significant advancements in professional applications and gaming. The GPU’s enhanced local memory allocation through Dynamic Caching improves utilization and performance. The inclusion of hardware-accelerated ray tracing and mesh shading introduces new levels of realism and geometric complexity in visual rendering. The M4 chip maintains Apple's leadership in performance per watt, offering significant efficiency improvements over its predecessors. It delivers equivalent performance to the M2 chip at half the power consumption and matches the performance of contemporary PC chips at a fraction of the power usage.

Additionally, the M4 chip’s Media Engine supports advanced video codecs and introduces hardware acceleration for the AV1 codec, enhancing streaming efficiency and playback quality. This aligns with Apple's environmental goals, as the power-efficient performance of the M4 contributes to reduced energy consumption and supports prolonged battery life in the iPad Pro.

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