Multiple reports have indicated that Apple plans to transition to its own ARM-based processors in Macs starting as early as 2020, and the company recently made a significant hire that lends credence to that objective.
ARM’s lead CPU and system architect Mike Filippo joined Apple last month, based out of the Austin, Texas area, according to his LinkedIn profile. Filippo led the development of several chips at ARM between 2009 and 2019, including the Cortex-A76, Cortex-A72, Cortex-A57, and upcoming 7nm+ and 5nm chips…
Apple designing its own ARM-based processors for Macs would allow it to move away from Intel processors, which have frequently faced delays. In fact, sources within Intel reportedly confirmed to Axios that Apple does plan to transition to ARM-based processors in Macs starting next year.
Mark Gurman and Ian King for Bloomberg:
Prior to his work at ARM, Filippo was also a key designer at chipmakers Advanced Micro Devices and Intel Corp. ARM confirmed Filippo’s departure. Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment.
“Mike was a long-time valuable member of the ARM community,” a spokesman for the U.K.-based company said. “We appreciate all of his efforts and wish him well in his next endeavor.”
The company initiated a plan several years ago to replace Intel chips in its Mac computers with processors based on the ARM architecture as early as 2020. Filippo’s experience in more advanced chips like those in servers would assist in that effort.
MacDailyNews Take: We love it when a plan comes together!
Buckle up, it’s going to be a wild – and much faster/more efficient – ride!
Bring on the new Apple-designed, ARM-based Macs!
Apple has been, for years, building strength in the enterprise via BYOD and the rise of mobile which Apple ushered in with iPhone and iPad. “Compatibility with Windows” is not nearly as important today as it was even a few years ago… We expect to see Apple begin the ARM-based Mac transition with products like the MacBook and work their way up from there as the apps are brought over to ARM via Xcode and as the rest of the world continues to throw off the Microsoft Windows shackles into which they stupidly climbed so many years ago, lured, wrongly, solely by Windows PC sticker prices. – MacDailyNews, June 19, 2019
If it doesn’t mean cheaper macs and it won’t it’s a waste of money. Proof, look at how high the iPhones are.
Don’t think that is proof Bob it is anything but a direct comparison, size alone makes for a Complexity very different to even a compact laptop and recent IPads at low to medium sectors anyway, are pretty good value now. Cooks greed to expand margins might be the worrying factor however I accept, but that is policy over innate cost factors and even if our cynical side proves valid it still has scope to change under market pressure (as with iPad) or more enlightened management in ways that Intel does not allow them the flexibility to do.
Equally I can see Windows following a similar if glacially slower path if Microsoft has its way, though due to its complex interactions with others it’s far more difficult to control and influence.
BUT CISC and RISC and INTEL API’S!! ARM’s CPU architect knows nothing of such things!! Why would they hire him??
They’re building their own little closed off world. Again. A world where there will be even less mainstream software compatibility. They will however, control everything. From content to desktop, mobile, and handheld computing, they will control it all. I believe it was Steve Jobs who wanted such a world for Apple.
It’s a nice world. A world where most users will only need an iPad, and don’t scoff. The iPad, especially under iOS 13, competes very effectively with conventional computers. It most definitely is a computer.
Outside of the desires of us dinosaurs, Apple’s ghetto will be a world of elegance and simplicity. Like a city in the clouds.
I think you’re exactly right on all counts. Except for one thing…
Elegance and oversimplicity. Tech lobotomy. Dystopia.
Apple getting iOS & iPad OS compatibly with MacOS is the key in all this…
But yes… if these MacBooks end up costing more… head scratcher…
If they were able to keep their margins while brining the price down… would be awesome.
I wonder which Macs they will bring this technology to first. Probably my beloved Mac mini line. (Sigh)
2020 may be the year I get a brand new 2018 Mac mini.
Will “legacy” Mac software run on these ARM machines, i.e., on top of the OS, or will every app have to be at least partially rewritten?
Or might some?
Adobe will rewrite Affinity will not……Those that use Xcode and follow the rules will have no problem.
I am really worried about this move. We need Windows compatibility via virtual machine, or I have to drop the Mac.
This gives me a bad feeling about the Mac Pro that I want to buy.
Are Intel Macs facing a dead end?
Will Apple yet again drop a popular product (soon after I buy it)?
Apple is creating their own FUD here.
This is not a good move.
That’s a hell of a username! How do you pronounce it 😃
No one outside of Apple knows what the plan is. A hire meant to advance their chip design talent cannot be viewed as anything but a good thing.
Apple moving to ARM is inevitable, Intel has been dicking about for far too long as well as having bugs in their processors. I also think that they will start with the MacBook, then the Air and so on. As far as the new Mac Pro is concerned I think it will come eventually but there will be a couple of years before that happens. This isn’t going to happen overnight but remember that Apple has done this before incredibly successfully with the PowerPC/Intel move.
Apple has done it 3 times?