What you need to know
- Previously rumored ARM MacBooks may arrive as early as Q4 of 2020.
- Ming-Chi Kuo says that Apple's own chips may feature in MacBooks coming then or in Q1 of 2021.
- It has long been reported that Apple plans to move its Macs to ARM-based processors.
A report from Ming-Chi Kuo claims that Apple-designed chips may feature in MacBooks as early as Q4 of 2020.
According to a report from MacRumors:
In a research note today, obtained by MacRumors, Kuo said Apple plans to launch MacBook models with its own custom processors in the fourth quarter of 2020 or the first quarter of 2021. Kuo did not indicate whether these will be MacBook Pro or MacBook Air models, or both, nor did he share any further details.Rumors have suggested that Apple is working on custom Arm-based processors that would allow it to transition away from its current MacBook processor supplier Intel, which has occasionally experienced delays with its chips.
Rumors that the MacBook will transition to ARM-based processors have been around for some time. More recently, speculation began to ramp up as an earlier prediction from Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that Apple's own processors could feature in a MacBook released in 2021. Now, Kuo seems to have adjusted that prediction slightly, opening up the possibility that an ARM-based MacBook featuring Apple's own chips might debut as early as the end of this year.
As Steve Troughton-Smith has previously noted:
The transition has been in plain sight; over past few years, macOS:
Started integrating iOS' frameworks & UIKit
Dropped 32-bit apps & runtime
Dropped Carbon
Dropped KEXTs
Moved away from unsigned apps
Put OS on a read-only partition
Delegated more and more to ARM chips in MacsThe transition has been in plain sight; over past few years, macOS:
Started integrating iOS' frameworks & UIKit
Dropped 32-bit apps & runtime
Dropped Carbon
Dropped KEXTs
Moved away from unsigned apps
Put OS on a read-only partition
Delegated more and more to ARM chips in Macs— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) February 24, 2020February 24, 2020
There is no indication from Kuo's prediction as to whether an ARM-based Macbook with an Apple-designed chip would be a MacBook Air, Pro or some other model. Nor is there information regarding whether this would be a single model or a lineup of different variations.
Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.
Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple.
