iOS 16.4 code references new ‘compute module’ device — Mac Pro, Reality Pro, or something else?

DESCRIPTION:

While the Mac Pro hasn’t yet arrived, two requirements must be met if it is to live up to the high standards set by its forerunners: Both the most powerful Mac and the most configurable Mac are required. With the Xcode 16.4 beta release last week, PepperTech discovered a new “ComputeModule” device class that may be the final component of Apple’s modular Mac Pro ambitions. Instead, it may be a CPU box for the Apple Reality Pro headset or possibly a machine like a Raspberry Pi. Let’s look more closely.

WHAT WE KNOW FOR SURE

Three things are certain:

• (1) the Compute Module exists;
• (2) it is a brand-new device class that runs iOS or a derivative of it; and
• (3) Apple has at least two distinct Compute Modules that are advanced in development, namely ComputeModule13,1 and ComputeModule13,3.

We could see their arrival before the end of 2023 if whatever these devices turn out to be are intended for Apple users.

WHAT WE’D LIKE IT TO MEAN: A MAC PRO SOLUTION

Apple revealed its ambitions to switch its Mac range, which was previously only powered by Intel CPUs, to Apple Silicon at WWDC2020. The strategy has gradually but certainly paid off, since all Macs now have internal processors made by Apple (apart from the Mac Pro). Despite Apple’s halo machine being a little bit more than fashionably late to the party, work continues.

The 2019 makeover of the Mac Pro will use the same exterior casing, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who made the announcement earlier this year. While Apple Silicon often demands a smaller overall footprint, there will be plenty of extra room in the case for additional components, as you can see from our coverage of the 2019 Mac Pro.

Hard drives, SSDs, I/O cards, networking cards, and other conventional internal upgrade components should be expected by users, however there are still unanswered concerns with regard to important areas like external graphics. One of the main selling aspects of the Mac Pro was the possibility to install GPUs from manufacturers like AMD and NVIDIA (when using Boot Camp), however Apple Silicon is incompatible with third-party GPUs.

TWO POTENTIAL ANSWERS FOR MAC PRO EXPANDABILITY

So, the solution for future graphics expansion may be a compute module. When it comes time to update, consumers might add a new Compute Module—or whatever Apple’s brilliant marketing staff decides to call it—inside the modular Mac Pro in place of a conventional GPU. These modules could just be related to graphic performance…

Instead, they may be the full system on a package with a swappable modular interface. In a few years, when Apple releases the M3 Ultra, may a customer opt to buy a new M3 Ultra Compute Module rather than a brand-new Mac Pro? Consumers may then replace the outdated module with the new one and immediately get the best performance.

The so-called M2 Extreme processor, which would have combined two Ultra chips onto one huge wafer with 48 CPU cores and 152 GPU cores, is said to have been abandoned by Apple. Much how the Intel version supports two MPX GPU modules connected through its Infinity Fabric Link technology, it’s possible that the Mac Pro may enable multiple Compute Modules.

Swift Distributed Actors, which were released last year, can make it simpler for Apple to offer APIs that programmers can utilise to take advantage of computation on other devices. Swift Distributed Actors enables peer-to-peer communication with a different process, whether it is operating on the same machine or a different “computer,” such as a Compute Module that is running an iOS variation.

IT COULD ALSO BE A PROCESSOR BOX FOR APPLE REALITY PRO

The planned Apple Reality Pro headset will have cutting-edge technologies including ultrahigh-resolution screens and sophisticated hand and eye tracking, as well as more than a dozen cameras and sensors in the headgear chassis. It has been postponed until WWDC2023. The Apple M2 processor will apparently also power the headgear. Might Apple Reality Pro need a second compute module to give it the power it needs?

LEAST EXCITING… A RASPBERRY-PI LIKE DEVICE

The Compute Module, a Raspberry Pi device oriented for embedded applications, is currently available for purchase. The references to ComputeModule might possibly be an allusion to Apple testing iOS on a device like that.

FROM PepperTech

For the forthcoming Mac Pro update, we at PepperTech would like it if the Compute Module referred to swappable “brains.” The Mac Pro was designed to be expandable, unlike Apple’s other machines, thus being able to change out modules for more powerful ones would be a significant benefit for Mac Pro users.

The option of installing a second Compute Module for even more power, in addition to just replacing the primary Compute Module, seems quite beneficial for professional operations. Consider a Mac Pro with an M2 Ultra Compute Module already installed from the factory, with the possibility to add a second M2 Ultra Compute Module by opening the case for even more parallel processing capabilities. Or how about the capacity to delegate tasks to one compute module, such as an 8K timeline render, while utilising the other to complete colour grading another project? If Apple chooses to go in this way, there are many intriguing possibilities.