iMac Pro debuts custom Apple T2 chip to handle secure boot, password encryption, more
Apple's iMac Pro desktop will also sport an anew custom chip dubbed the T2, serving as a secure enclave for encrypted keys, giving users the ability to lock down their Mac's boot process and also handling system functions like the camera, audio control, and managing the solid-state hard drive.
Details on the T2 chip were revealed on Tuesday by Caleb Sasser, cofounder of developer Panic. According to him, the T2 chip combines previously discrete functions, including the system management controller, image signal processor for FaceTime camera, audio control, and SSD control.
In addition, like Apple's A-series chips for iPhone and iPad, as well as the MacBook Pro's T1 before it, the T2 has a secure enclave for storing information like passwords. It also has a hardware encryption engine, according to Sasser.