In June, Apple officially announced the switch from Intel to its own ARM chips. The first Mac with an Apple Silicon processor is expected to be released this year. Now there is a report that offers further details.
The Taiwanese news platform DigiTimes has published a report containing new information from Apple's supply chain. According to the report, both a 13-inch MacBook Pro and a new MacBook Air with Apple Silicon processor are to be released by the end of the year. Taiwan's supply chain will begin shipping backlit units (BLUs) and other components for the next generation of MacBooks in the third quarter of the year. writes the DigiTimes:
With Apple set to launch 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air powered by Apple Silicon by the end of this year, total shipments of the MacBook lineup are expected to reach 16-17 million units in 2020, compared to 14.5-15.5 million units shipped a year earlier, the sources said.
DigiTimes also confirms new iPad
Apple itself has already confirmed that the first ARM-based Mac will be released this year. The company wants to switch the entire Mac series to its own processor over the next two years. It is therefore not impossible that more than one device with the new chip will be introduced this year. According to the report, Apple's main supplier will be TSMC. It continues:
TSMC will manufacture Apple's custom chips for the Mac using 5nm process technology, with production still in small quantities in the first half of 2021, the sources said, but production will expand significantly over the course of next year.
In addition to TSMC, ASMedia will also provide components for the RM Macs, according to the news sites. In addition to the Mac, DigiTimes also mentioned a new 10.8-inch iPad that will contain a "high-performance chip" and will be released in fall 2020. This statement is consistent with an earlier prediction by Ming-Chi Kuo. Whether the model is an updated iPad Air remains unknown, however. (Photo by Yastremska / Bigstockphoto)