by Tim Hardwick
Apple has apparently updated its specifications webpage for the latest iPad Air M2 models, revealing that the M2 chip has a 9-core GPU, rather than a 10-core GPU as previously claimed.
The change was first reported by 9to5Mac. Based on available web snapshots, the update to Apple's US website appears to have been done within the last 10 days. However, a similar web page in many regional Apple stores still states that the iPad Air M2 has a 10-core GPU.
Apple's press release initially announcing the product in the newsroom also reflects the original specification of the 10-core processor, as does the device's support documentation.
Apple has not commented on this change, which, if true, would make the new iPad Air Apple's first M2-based device with a 9-core GPU. Since the change was posted on Apple's website, the current theory is that Apple's processor performance with 10-core chips is insufficient, so a “binned” version of the 10-core chip is used with one of the GPU cores disabled. The practice of “binning” is sometimes used to optimize processor performance and reduce waste.
In all likelihood, every M2 iPad Air model sold by Apple includes a 9-core GPU, and Apple is simply updating its product information to ensure accuracy. Any real performance difference between the iPad Air M2 with a 9-core processor and a 10-core GPU would probably not be noticeable to most users. However, some customers may want to know why Apple's marketing materials were wrong.
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