It has long been rumoured that Apple is looking to move away from Intel and x86 onto their own custom ARM silicon. Apple has even taken steps to hire ARM chip specialists and the way we see it, the first Mac to be powered by one of these custom processors shouldn't be too far away. It seems that Apple analysts have a similar opinion.
This week, as reported by 9to5Mac, Ming-Chi Kuo has a few interesting forecasts for Apple that have been shared with investors. According to Kuo, Apple will be releasing its first Mac with an ARM processor within the next 12-18 months, meaning it should arrive in the first half of 2021.
Kuo says that Apple has been “more aggressive” in funding R&D as well as production of its upcoming 5nm SoC, which will be used in future iPhones, iPads as well as a Mac. However, the switch from Intel x86 processors to ARM is going to be a major shift, meaning Apple will need to give developers ample time and resources to make the switch effectively and ensure third-party app support.
A similar situation played out back when Apple moved Mac away from PowerPC, so it will be interesting to see how Apple would handle a similar move now 15 years later.
Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.
KitGuru Says: This is a discussion that has been in place for years now, but hopefully this year we can finally get some official details.