Apple ditches Intel for its own custom ARM-based chips for the next generation of Macs

WWDC 2020 saw Apple make some major announcements on the software front for the Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, Apple TV, and Apple HomePod. However, the biggest of those announcements came on the Mac front with Apple confirming the switch from Intel processors to ARM-based Apple Silicon. Apple’s last major transition on the processor front was back in 2005 when the company replaced PowerPC with Intel CPUs.

Apple will launch the first Macs with Apple silicon at the end of 2020, while the complete transition is expected to take around two years. It is worth noting that despite the announcement of the switch, Intel-based Macs are still in the pipeline. So, while Apple is not moving exclusively to ARM-based Macs just yet, it is still a major transition.

Apple’s upcoming ARM-powered chips bring the ability for iOS and iPadOS apps to run natively on macOS in the future. Apple says most apps will work on macOS from the get-go, which means you will be able to run native macOS and native iOS apps side by side.

Apple promises new levels of performance and power-efficiency with the shift to its in-house processors. The company is designing its own range of SoCs for Macs, with features that will be unique to the Mac. Since ARM-based architecture will now be common across different Apple devices, it should be easier for developers to write and optimise apps across major Apple devices.

Apple’s ‘pro’ apps will also be updated to support the new ARM-based chips in macOS Big Su. Apple Senior VP of software engineering claims, “The vast majority of developers can get their apps up and running in a matter of days.” Microsoft is working on Office updates for the new Apple Silicon, while Word and Excel are already running natively on the new Mac processors.

Apple has also worked with Adobe and ran a demonstration of Photoshop and Lightroom running on the company’s new Macs. The demo showed a 5GB Photoshop PSD running natively with smooth animations. Apple is also introducing Rosetta 2 to make the transitioning between Intel to Apple Silicon smoother. To recall, the first version of Rosetta was introduced when Apple shifted from PowerPC to Intel. Apple is also using virtualisation for running versions of Linux on these new Macs.

The Cupertino-based tech giant is also launching a new ‘quick start’ programme for developers interested in porting apps to ARM-based Macs. In addition to documentation and a private forum, developers will get access to a Developer Transition Kit in the form of a Mac Mini with Apple’s A12Z chip, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.

Apple will begin the transition to ARM-based Silicon at the end of the year. The company also announced one of the biggest software overhauls in the form of the macOS. Big Sur, which will likely arrive at the same time as the first Macs with the new Apple chips.

Also Read: WWDC 2020: 10 features Apple has borrowed from Android for iOS 14

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