Apple looking to launch ARM-powered Macs as early as 2021: Report

Apple is reportedly gearing up to release its first Mac with an ARM processor. According to a Bloomberg report, the Cupertino-based tech giant is working on three custom ARM-based chipsets for Macs that will be based on the A14 Bionic processors, which will power the next generation of iPhones.

Despite being based on the A14 chip, the Mac version of these processors will be far more powerful. The report suggests that the new processors will include a 12-core CPU with eight high-performance “Firestorm” cores and four energy-efficient “Icestorm” cores. In comparison, the A13 Bionic chip on the iPhone 11 Pro is currently beating out the competition with a 6-core design.

The new ARM chips will be manufactured by TSMC on the company's 5nm fabrication process. The new A14 is also rumoured to be a complete system-on-chip with a CPU and GPU on a single die, similar to the A13. The rumours of Apple’s in-house ARM processors date back several years.

Since then, multiple rumours have surfaced about Apple replacing the Intel chips it currently uses in its Macs. The company will reportedly release its first ARM-powered Mac in 2020 or 2021. However, considering the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, ARM-powered Macs might not come out until 2020.

The switch to ARM will give Apple more control over its own hardware. Switching to ARM will also offer power-efficiency gains. The ARM processors will likely arrive on Apple’s MacBooks and iPads first as they will likely benefit mobile computers. According to a report by The Verge, the switch to ARM is expected to reduce Apple’s processor costs by up to 60 percent.