Apple is reportedly on a path that will see it drop Intel chips for Macs by 2020. Instead, the company is said to be developing ARM-based processors; which would allow more seamless integration between its portfolio of products.
Bloomberg’s report indicates that the Kalamata project is still very much in its early stages. The change is likely to be a multi-stage process, and wouldn’t see an immediate switch over to homegrown chips. However, distancing itself from Intel would allow Apple to return to its own release and update schedule for Macs; freed from the constraints of working around Intel’s own release timetable.
It’s not too difficult to imagine that Apple would be interested in designing its own Mac chips. Seeing that the company already designs the processors for the rest of its devices that span across the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV, and HomePod.
Of course, the company also has experience in computer processors, having been part of the alliance that produced the Power PC chips. While that didn’t quite go as planned, it may have provided Cupertino with valuable insight into going about the business of microprocessors.
There’s still some time between now and the supposed execution date of 2020. Apple has been known to experiment with many ideas, only to drop them later. Which means that there is plenty of time for Tim Cook to change his mind.
[Source: Bloomberg]
