Apple introduced Apple Silicon at this year's WWDC 2020 and confirmed that two Mac devices with the brand new processor will be introduced by the end of this year. Now there are new details.
One of the first devices with the Apple Silicon chip will be a 12-inch MacBook, which will be unveiled by the end of the year. According to a new China Times report, the device will weigh less than a kilogram and offer a battery life of around 15 to 20 hours. The ARM-based Mac will feature the A14X processor and is codenamed "Tonga." The report states: report:
Apple is developing at least three processors based on the A14 chip
According to information from the supply chain, Apple is expected to launch a Macbook with a 12-inch Retina display at the end of this year, which will use its self-developed and designed A14X processor with the Tonga development code, support a USB Type-C interface, and weigh less than 1 kilogram because the ARM-based processor has low power consumption. The Macbook's battery lasts 15 to 20 hours. The A14X processor will also be used in the new generation of iPad Pro tablets.
The new processor is said to be so efficient that the battery is smaller overall while the battery life increases. As a reminder: Bloomberg has already claimed in the past that Apple is developing at least three Mac processors based on the 5-nanometer A14 chip that will be used in the upcoming iPhone 12 models. If The China Times is to be believed, the first chip - the A14X processor - has already been completed. Mass production should therefore start soon. If the rumors are to be believed, the chip will have 12 cores, including eight high-performance cores and at least four energy-efficient cores.
New iMac to be released in the second half of 2021
In addition to the 12-inch MacBook, a new iMac was also mentioned by The China Times. The Chinese-language news site claims to have learned that a new ARM-based iMac will be released in the second half of 2021. This is said to have a powerful graphics processor developed in-house. The report states:
In the past, Apple has introduced Mac personal computers with Intel CPUs equipped with Nvidia or AMD graphics processors. However, industry insiders have pointed out that Apple has stopped supporting AMD graphics processors in the 64-bit macOS ARM operating system, suggesting that Apple will adopt Silicon's Mac personal computers in the future may use a graphics processor developed and designed by Apple. Recently, The Industry reported that in addition to Apple's Silicon processors, Apple's iMac desktops that will be launched next year will also be equipped with self-developed and designed Apple GPUs.
According to relevant sources, Apple's in-house development of GPUs is progressing smoothly. The research and development code is Lifuka. Like the upcoming A14X processor, it will be manufactured using TSMC's 5nm process. Apple has developed a series of processors for Mac personal computers. The new graphics processor will provide better performance per watt and higher computing power. It features tile-based deferred rendering technology, allowing application developers to write more powerful professional application and game software.
Apple itself confirmed at WWDC 2020 that the entire Mac range will be switched from Intel to Apple Silicon processors over the next two years. The chips are said to be more powerful and significantly more energy efficient. For this reason, flatter housing designs are not ruled out. MacBooks are likely to benefit particularly from this.
