It looks like Apple could switch from Intel to ARM processors for its Macs by 2020.
In an interview with Axios, the chipmaker privately stated that ARM-based Macs could hit the market by 2020.
Apple has shifted to new chip architectures twice now. In 1994 Apple switched from the Motorola 68000 series to PowerPC. Then, in 2005 it moved to x86 Intel processors. When the iPhone was introduced in 2007 it had an Apple-designed ARM chip. Recent iterations of the chip, like the A12X, are powerful enough to edge close to laptops.
Rumors of ARM-based Macs have been around for years. This also comes at a time when Intel has been lagging in chip manufacturing, having gone from a 14 nanometer process to a 10 nanometer process. Apple, in turn, has been able to ramp up the creation of its own custom designs, such as the T1 and T2 security chips.
Should it switch to ARM chips, Apple would have that much more control over its production, manufacturing, Mac roadmaps, and product development. In addition, Apple’s ARM chips are also more power efficient, which could help preserve Mac battery life that much better.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via The Mac Observer and Axios