Apple is working on some new Mac devices that will be powered by Apple’s own in-house ARM-based processors. According to rumours, we could be seeing ARM Mac devices in 2021.

ARM processors are custom device chips, unlike what you will see from top chip-makers like Intel and AMD. They are usually less energy-hungry and can run on a device without any Fans and special cooling systems. ARM processors are popular in mobile devices and iPads, delivering longer battery life.

What will be interesting to see about the new ARM Mac devices is how they run MacOs and how developers will support them. Will developers be onboard with the idea of optimising their apps for the ARM architecture? For now, there is no info on whether Apple is planning to move the MacBook Pro to ARM soon. We could still see Intel-based MacBook Pro devices for another 4 to 6 years of the product generation.

ARM processors are cool for tasks like light web browsing, media playback emails and other non-heavy office tasks as they can deliver up to 16 hours of battery life. Making devices powered by ARM processors will also cost less in manufacturing and might translate to more affordable devices in the Mac lineup.

It will be interesting to see how far Apple can push their ARM processor to go beyond what existing ARM devices can do in terms of performance. But for now, working with what already exists, if you need a computer for heavy tasks like software development, graphics intense work, etc, you might want to wait a bit before jumping on this wagon.

Source: https://towncryer.com.ng/2020/04/27/apple-is-making-arm-based-macbooks-and-what-that-means/