ARM-Based Mac Laptops And Desktops Coming Next Year

According to a report citing a research note prepared by reputed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple plans to launch not just one or two but "several" Mac notebooks and desktops based on ARM Processors by 2021. The long-rumored move of the Mac from Intel processors to Apple's own ARM designs may be faster and more extensive than you would have thought. Kuo recently reported that in the fourth quarter of this year or the first quarter of next, Apple will launch its first ARM-based laptop.

Apple will start depending on the USB4 interface that aims to unify USB Type-C and Thunderbolt protocols to provide new computing experiences with higher data transfer rates, in addition to new processors. Kuo claims that moving to ARM would allow Apple to reduce its processor costs by 40 to 60 percent while increasing flexibility over its hardware lineup. Through its ARM-based processors, Apple could provide better battery life over what users are getting on the Intel-powered MacBook models.

Compared to Intel or AMD x86 processors, ARM designs are typically associated with mobile devices due to their greater power output, giving long battery life to items such as the iPad without the need for active cooling. So, it makes sense, that Apple will see its increasingly powerful processors in the A-series as a good match for MacBooks. Even more interesting is the notion of ARM desktops, mostly because no-one has tried it in consumer computers yet.

In any event, it sounds like next year's ARM transition will be big news for the Mac. Apple would normally announce this kind of thing at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June, but because of the coronavirus pandemic this year's in-person event won't take place. The WWDC 2020 keynote and other developer sessions will then be broadcast online at an as-yet undetermined date.

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