Apple Analyst: Only Expect MacBook Air & 13-Inch Pro With ARM Silicon This Year
Mainstream parts soon, high-end later.
For quite some time now, there have been rumors of Apple transitioning to its own ARM-based silicon for its Mac products. Then, Apple finally made the announcement at WWDC last month, and now we get to watch it happen. Meanwhile, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo told MacRumors what kind of timeline to expect.
Kuo explained that the first products to receive the ARM treatment should be the 13-inch MacBook Pro as well as the MacBook air, expecting them to go into production by the end of the year.
Of course, it should go without saying that this is a rumor, though the transition process makes sense. After all, Apple did state at its WWDC announcement that it would be delivering the first parts with Apple Silicon this year and complete the transition within two years.
If you're wondering why Apple isn't transitioning all products at once, it's because of the high-end requirements. Users that aren't too demanding of their systems should be able to transition without noticing too much of a change when jumping onto Apple Silicon, but for creators or professionals that use programs currently programmed for x86, a quick transition could be quite problematic. Therefore, Apple is sticking with Intel for the high-end parts, which includes the 16-inch MacBook Pro, until the jump can safely be completed.
Meanwhile, Kuo also noted that there would be a 14.1-inch MacBook Pro inbound, which is quite exciting as it's a very popular form factor for PC notebooks. He says to expect the 14.1 and 16-inch MacBook Pro's with Apple Silicon in either Q2 or Q3 of 2021. No word on what will happen with the iMacs.
Stay on the Cutting Edge
Join the experts who read Tom's Hardware for the inside track on enthusiast PC tech news — and have for over 25 years. We'll send breaking news and in-depth reviews of CPUs, GPUs, AI, maker hardware and more straight to your inbox.
Niels Broekhuijsen is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He reviews cases, water cooling and pc builds.
-
JarredWaltonGPU This is a test. This is only a test. Had this been a real comment, I would have said something meaningful.Reply
Most Popular
By Anton Shilov
By Mark Tyson
By Mark Tyson
By Mark Tyson