Apple to announce shift to ARM Macs at WWDC, says Bloomberg

Apple may be planning to announce its switch to ARM-based Macs as early as WWDC, according to the latest report.

From Bloomberg:

Apple Inc. is preparing to announce a shift to its own main processors in Mac computers, replacing chips from Intel Corp., as early as this month at its annual developer conference, according to people familiar with the plans.

The company is holding WWDC the week of June 22. Unveiling the initiative, codenamed Kalamata, at the event would give outside developers time to adjust before new Macs roll out in 2021, the people said. Since the hardware transition is still months away, the timing of the announcement could change, they added, while asking not to be identified discussing private plans.

The report suggests that the "timing of the announcement could change" because the actual hardware change is "months away". Apple has long been rumored to be planning a switch to ARM-based, Apple-designed chips in its Mac lineup, in the same way it uses A-series chips in its iPhone and iPad. One motivation for an earlier announcement is that ARM architecture is different from the current Intel base, and would require developers to re-optimize their software, hence why Apple is likely to announce the change long before the new hardware is made available to the public. It would mark the first time in the Mac's 36-year history that it would include Apple's own chip.

A recent report from Bloomberg suggested Apple plans to begin selling Macs with Apple-designed chips in 2021 and is reportedly working on three variants of its own processors, based on the A14 chip which will also feature in the iPhone 12.