Apple is ready to embark on what surely has to be the biggest upgrade to the Mac computing device line in many years. And it coincides with the end of the Apple and Intel partnership that has stood the test of time for a solid 15 years. As we head to Apple’s “One More Thing” event tonight, it’s really not hard to imagine that the long-awaited Apple Mac computing devices, powered by Apple’s own processors and graphics, will be on the menu. There have been rumors about this impending change from the beginning of the year (you know, the internet can be pretty gossipy) and Apple finally confirmed the change at the Worldwide Developers Conference over the summer. Multiple advantages of that, including performance increases, a more tight-knit hardware and software ecosystem, and also a possible widening of the price band, particularly on the lower side. And that also makes one wonder: which Mac gets the Apple Silicon first?
First of all, it’s important to understand that the long-standing partnership between Apple and Intel doesn’t end today. It doesn’t come to an end here and now, or on November 10. This is supposed to be a 2-year transition period, giving Apple a 24-month window to make the switch for all lines of Mac computing devices. Yes, you will continue to see new Apple MacBook and Apple iMac updates for at least the next 12 months or so, still running Intel processors. As existing consumers, you do not have to worry at all about this possible change. Your Macs will continue to receive all updates and support for years to come, without any changes. If you’re looking to buy a Mac device now, and the one you’ve shortlisted turns out to be an Intel processor, you can be sure there’s no hidden kill switch that will usher in the end of the machine. Good Morning. It will not. Even if Apple and Intel eventually stop making new computing devices together, their Macs will continue to perform as usual.
Apple Silicon hardware is a very important part of the Apple puzzle. The same puzzle, the same quest for the same experiential control over hardware and software, that has worked wonders for the iPhone line over the years. The new chip is expected to be very similar to the A14 Bionic that powered the latest iPhone 12 line, as well as the new Apple iPad Air. With its own processor and graphics, Apple will have complete control over the mix of hardware, macOS, and applications running on the platform, for better performance and a more elegant experience. Surely one of the complaints Apple must have had with Intel in recent years would have been that the annual performance increases are not big enough.
Apple has been designing chips for its products for years. With major performance, machine learning, and graphics enhancements every generation. The iPad, iPhone, HomePod, Apple TV, Apple Watch, and even that silicon intelligence in AirPods and the T2 security chip that is now part of the MacBook line. Yes, there will always be risks when moving from Intel chips to Apple Silicon, but it is not completely uncharted territory for Apple. As it may have been for other brands.
Then there’s the cross-platform game that Apple wants to take advantage of. During this summer’s WWDC keynote, Apple confirmed that custom Mac chips will also be able to run iPhone and iPad applications. That will be huge. The underlying architecture of Apple’s A12Z chip (we didn’t have the A14 Bionic until then) also powers the 2020 versions of the iPad Pro 12.9 and iPad Pro 11, which shipped with the Developer Transition Kit. That included a Mac Mini with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD running the macOS Big Sur developer beta, and the chips that power the iPhone and iPad remain the same.
Apple’s custom chips will also have their own designed graphics and storage drivers.
During the WWDC keynote address, Apple demonstrated the power of the upcoming custom chip Macs by also showing the Monument Valley 2, Calm and Fender Play applications. We are finally entering the uniform world that Apple had envisioned with apps running smoothly on all of its platforms. Buy an app on an iPhone, use it on iPad and macOS too. That is the world we are getting closer and closer to.
This marriage of macOS with iOS and iPadOS began last year with macOS 10.15 Catalina and the Catalyst applications that are compatible with Apple’s UIKit software framework used for iPhone and iPad applications. It may have been a bit trickier then, but the change in the beating heart that silicon is just makes uniformity attempts even faster. If you look at the visual changes Apple showed off with the upcoming macOS Big Sur, there seems to be considerable resemblance to the iOS and iPadOS apps for the same thing: Safari, Messages, and Photos, for example.
So which Macs will get the first bite of the new silicon? If we are going to look at the candidates, it is not a simple choice. Unless there is a significant shortening of the update cycle this year, for some Mac devices. The Apple MacBook Pro 13 has already received the 2020 update with 10th generation Intel Core processors. So has the MacBook Air, around the same time. The 21.5-inch iMac and 27-inch iMac were also updated in the second half of 2020. That leaves the Apple MacBook Pro 16 pretty good, which has yet to receive the 2020 update.
Could we see the flagship MacBook Pro usher in the Apple Silicon era? It could be a pretty solid statement if Apple did that. My bets are solidly behind the larger MacBook Pro that ushers in a new era for Apple Silicon. What could be better than the flagship MacBook leading the line, as Macs move down a new path? Could it also be the Mac Pro that gets Apple Silicon? Apple is believed to be working on a redesigned Mac Pro. However, a Mac Pro is unlikely to be the only Mac to get Apple Silicon. Well, there have been rumors about the return of the Apple 12-inch MacBook. The MacBook Air and iPad Pro 12.9 may have a say in this regard. And if that happened, we might have an even more affordable MacBook option.
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