DigiTimes: Arm-Based 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air to Ship By End of 2020

[MacRumors]

Apple will release its first Arm-based 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air by the end of 2020, according to a new DigiTimes report today.

Taiwan's supply chain will begin shipping backlit units (BLUs) and other components for the next-generation MacBooks in the third quarter of the year, which could be interpreted as meaning anytime between now and September.

As Apple is set to release 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, powered by Apple Silicon, by the end of this year, total shipments of 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 estimated.

At WWDC in June, Apple officially announced that its Mac computers will be transitioned from Intel x86 to homegrown Apple Silicon chips. Apple said it plans to deliver the first ‌Apple Silicon‌ Mac by the end of the year and complete the transition in about two years.

DigiTimes' latest prediction pegs the launch of Apple Silicon Macs a little earlier than analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has said he expects an Arm-based MacBook Air either in the fourth quarter or in the first quarter of next year. Kuo also believes that an Arm-based 13-inch MacBook Pro will arrive by the end of the year.

Apple will reportedly rely heavily on TSMC for the Arm-based silicon destined for its Macs. The semiconductor foundry is expected to ramp up its wafer sales in the second half of 2021, according to a separate DigiTimes report today.

TSMC will fabricate Apple's custom chips for the Mac using 5nm process technology, with production still in small volume during the first half of 2021, the sources noted, but the output will expand substantially later next year.

ASMedia is said to be another supplier for Apple's Arm-based Macs, and will also see orders for the devices start contributing substantially to company revenue in the second half of 2021. ASMedia reportedly will provide USB controllers for the new Macs.

Today's report also claims that parts for a new "more affordable" 10.8-inch iPad with a "high performance chip" will start shipping in the latter half of this year. This prediction aligns a little more favorably with Kuo's latest thoughts on Apple's iPad roadmap.

Likewise, Kuo believes Apple is working on a new 10.8-inch iPad that's set to be released in the second half of 2020. However, it's unclear if Apple plans to introduce a larger iPad or if the increase in size will be implemented through a bezel reduction, and other rumors have suggested that this updated iPad could actually be an iPad Air, so we're waiting to see what Apple has in store for the low-cost iPad in the future.

According to a leaker that has provided accurate information about Apple's plans in the past, Apple's next-generation low-cost iPad will feature an A12 chip inside, an upgrade from the A10 Fusion chip in the seventh-generation model.

Article Link: DigiTimes: Arm-Based 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air to Ship By End of 2020

 

[jclardy]

I'm really curious how they will differentiate between the Air and Pro lines with Apple Silicon. So far every Apple chip is pretty much just "1 better" than the last, with the X and Z series adding more GPU power.

Are they going to have different lines like i3/i5/i7/i9 with different capabilities? Or just names + core counts? And then there is TDP. Will they release this information now that all CPU's are in-house?

 

[ghanwani]

Ordinarily I would be excited but Apple tends to do weird things that make new products less desirable than the ones they replaced. Let’s see what surprises they have up their sleeve this time.

 

[Caliber26]

Gird your loins, folks. This is gonna be an expensive fall/winter season. New phones. New iPads. New Macs. Possibly new AirPods. And the new AirTags.









just kidding, no AirTags 😄

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Was hoping for a (new form factor) 14" MBP, but I'll "settle" for a 13"

 

[Blackstick]

Ordinarily I would be excited but Apple tends to do weird things that make new products less desirable than the ones they replaced. Let’s see what surprises they have up their sleeve this time.

I’d expect future Macs (especially the consumer side first) to be more iPad-like than ever. Count on stuff like FaceID, longer battery life, cellular connectivity options, Apple pencil support, ProMotion, and multitouch screens - I’d say.

Choosing RAM or processor type will disappear... just like on the iPad, you can pick storage and color.

 

[Yoms]

Is that 13" laptop with Apple Silicon not actually a MacBook with shrunken bezels (hence going from 12" to 13") instead of a 13" MacBook Pro ?


It doesn't make sense to me to launch a new laptop with Apple Silicon and not using the opportunity to bring a whole new design at the same time, i.e. a 14" MacBook Pro instead of 13". There's an opportunity here to both introduce Apple Silicon Macs and a new model altogether.

Also, we heard in the past that the first Mac with an A chip would be a revival of the MacBook. That would make more sense. It's the best 1st candidate for an Apple Silicon laptop as it used to be the least demanding laptop in terms of performances.

 

[jclardy]

I’d expect future Macs (especially the consumer side first) to be more iPad-like than ever. Count on stuff like FaceID, cellular connectivity options, Apple pencil support, and multitouch screens - I’d say.

Choosing RAM or processor type will disappear... just like on the iPad, you can pick storage and color.

I'm not so sure on the RAM or processor type being fixed. Maybe across a line, like the MBA gets A15, MBP gets A15Z. But RAM is still expensive (So the base Pro will start at 16GB), and the "pro" line will still need options for people that need 32/64GB.

I do see touchscreens/Apple Pencil + Face ID coming to the Mac soon, but I don't think these first models are going to have it. The first ones will be the "transition" models using the same body styles that we currently have. In Apple's eyes it makes perfect sense - cause the early adopters to double dip in 2020 and 2021. Get out a huge margin MBA/MBP 13" device (since fabrication on all the external components is super cheap after years of the same design) with a cheaper in-house processor and a ton of people will buy just because of the performance/battery gains (Maybe they even do a slight price drop at the same time?) Then in 2021 drop your all new design with touchscreen/Apple Pencil/Face ID with a 2-in-1 style body and those same people will jump on the upgrade again.

 

[Deliro]

Gird your loins, folks. This is gonna be an expensive fall/winter season. New phones. New iPads. New Macs. Possibly new AirPods. And the new AirTag









just kidding, no AirTags 😄

I salute you brave (guinea pigs) souls that will be among of the first to get a ARM based Mac. I’m sure it will be smooth sailing..

 

[prism]

I'm really curious how they will differentiate between the Air and Pro lines with Apple Silicon. So far every Apple chip is pretty much just "1 better" than the last, with the X and Z series adding more GPU power.

Are they going to have different lines like i3/i5/i7/i9 with different capabilities? Or just names + core counts? And then there is TDP. Will they release this information now that all CPU's are in-house?

The difference is probably going to be in the specs, ie better screen, faster ssd, more ports etc.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

I salute you brave (guinea pigs) souls that will be among of the first to get a ARM based Mac. I’m sure it will be smooth sailing..

I’d be more worried about premature obsolescence over product quality.

Take the original iPad, for example. Shipped with iOS 3.2, and was only supported for 1 iOS update. Lasts iOS for the original iPad was 4.5.2. The iPad 2, released 1 year later, had iOS updates through iOS 7. This was due to the iPad 1 only having 256MB RAM. The iPad 2 had 512MB.

 

[Lone Deranger]

Gosh, these Apple Silicon machines can't come soon enough for me. Just this morning, my 'early 2013' 13" MBP developed some issues with the trackpad (no longer registers a left-click). I hope it's a software thing that can be resolved with a full re-install. I'd hate to have to buy an Intel MBP so close to this paradigm shift Apple is about to unleash.

 

[prism]

I’d be more worried about premature obsolescence over product quality.

Take the original iPad, for example. Shipped with iOS 3.2, and was only supported for 1 iOS update. Lasts iOS for the original iPad was 4.5.2. The iPad 2, released 1 year later, had iOS updates through iOS 7. This was due to the iPad 1 only having 256MB RAM. The iPad 2 had 512MB.

Well the current Mac stock at least have bootcamp insurance, something the other devices never did. Also the installed intel base is so huge that there is a financial incentive for both Apple and others to continue releasing stuff.

 

[headlessmike]

I’d be more worried about premature obsolescence over product quality.

Take the original iPad, for example. Shipped with iOS 3.2, and was only supported for 1 iOS update. Lasts iOS for the original iPad was 4.5.2. The iPad 2, released 1 year later, had iOS updates through iOS 7. This was due to the iPad 1 only having 256MB RAM. The iPad 2 had 512MB.

The original iPad got two major updates, iOS 4 & 5, and the iPad 2 actually got iOS 9, but your point still stands.

 

[ChromeCloud]

I'm really curious how they will differentiate between the Air and Pro lines with Apple Silicon. So far every Apple chip is pretty much just "1 better" than the last, with the X and Z series adding more GPU power.

Are they going to have different lines like i3/i5/i7/i9 with different capabilities? Or just names + core counts? And then there is TDP. Will they release this information now that all CPU's are in-house?

I think the MacBook Air processor will be a "rebadged" A14 (same as the one in the iPhone 12) on the base model.

If the leaks are correct, the A14 in the iPhone 12 will be around 50% faster than the current Intel Core i7 MacBook Air, so everybody will be more than happy with an A14 powered MacBook Air.

For the MacBook Pro I expect a declination of the future iPad Pro processor, the A14X, coming in 8 and 12 core variants and with really strong GPU performance (probably on par with the current MacBook Pro 16" with dedicated graphics).

 

[kobaltz]

I'm really curious how they will differentiate between the Air and Pro lines with Apple Silicon. So far every Apple chip is pretty much just "1 better" than the last, with the X and Z series adding more GPU power.

Are they going to have different lines like i3/i5/i7/i9 with different capabilities? Or just names + core counts? And then there is TDP. Will they release this information now that all CPU's are in-house?

Air products will cost an ARM
Pro products will cost an ARM and a leg

 

[wood1208]

End of 2020 and early 2021, if I need MAC than I will stick to Intel version. Starting end of 2021 or 2022; I will look into switching to ARM MAC. Early ARM MACs suppose to be for development/test/benchmark/fine tune native apps on real ARM MAC machines.

 

[Jony Ive and Co.]

I’d be more worried about premature obsolescence over product quality.

Take the original iPad, for example. Shipped with iOS 3.2, and was only supported for 1 iOS update. Lasts iOS for the original iPad was 4.5.2. The iPad 2, released 1 year later, had iOS updates through iOS 7. This was due to the iPad 1 only having 256MB RAM. The iPad 2 had 512MB.

Same case with the Apple Watch. First couple of generations became obsolete and only supported around 2-3 watchOS updates

 

[mattopotamus]

Same case with the Apple Watch. First couple of generations became obsolete and only supported around 2-3 watchOS updates

I highly doubt that considering it is a "PC".

 

[RightMACatU]

I'm really curious how they will differentiate between the Air and Pro lines with Apple Silicon. So far every Apple chip is pretty much just "1 better" than the last, with the X and Z series adding more GPU power.

Are they going to have different lines like i3/i5/i7/i9 with different capabilities? Or just names + core counts? And then there is TDP. Will they release this information now that all CPU's are in-house?

I'm thinking MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Apple Silicon System, or ASS.

 

[whoseanthony]

Apple will release its first Arm-based 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air by the end of 2020, according to a new DigiTimes report today.

Taiwan's supply chain will begin shipping backlit units (BLUs) and other components for the next-generation MacBooks in the third quarter of the year, which could be interpreted as meaning anytime between now and September.
At WWDC in June, Apple officially announced that its Mac computers will be transitioned from Intel x86 to homegrown Apple Silicon chips. Apple said it plans to deliver the first ‌Apple Silicon‌ Mac by the end of the year and complete the transition in about two years.

DigiTimes' latest prediction pegs the launch of Apple Silicon Macs a little earlier than analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has said he expects an Arm-based MacBook Air either in the fourth quarter or in the first quarter of next year. Kuo also believes that an Arm-based 13-inch MacBook Pro will arrive by the end of the year.

Apple will reportedly rely heavily on TSMC for the Arm-based silicon destined for its Macs. The semiconductor foundry is expected to ramp up its wafer sales in the second half of 2021, according to a separate DigiTimes report today.
ASMedia is said to be another supplier for Apple's Arm-based Macs, and will also see orders for the devices start contributing substantially to company revenue in the second half of 2021. ASMedia reportedly will provide USB controllers for the new Macs.

Today's report also claims that parts for a new "more affordable" 10.8-inch iPad with a "high performance chip" will start shipping in the latter half of this year. This prediction aligns a little more favorably with Kuo's latest thoughts on Apple's iPad roadmap.

Likewise, Kuo believes Apple is working on a new 10.8-inch iPad that's set to be released in the second half of 2020. However, it's unclear if Apple plans to introduce a larger iPad or if the increase in size will be implemented through a bezel reduction, and other rumors have suggested that this updated iPad could actually be an iPad Air, so we're waiting to see what Apple has in store for the low-cost iPad in the future.

According to a leaker that has provided accurate information about Apple's plans in the past, Apple's next-generation low-cost iPad will feature an A12 chip inside, an upgrade from the A10 Fusion chip in the seventh-generation model.

Article Link: DigiTimes: Arm-Based 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air to Ship By End of 2020

Also DigiTimes...water is wet, 2021 will be the year after 2020 and tomorrow is after today

 

[PBG4 Dude]

The original iPad got two major updates, iOS 4 & 5, and the iPad 2 actually got iOS 9, but your point still stands.

Thank you for the correction. I wanted to fire up my iPad 1 and 2 for exact iOS versions, but I can’t find my 30 pin charging cable at the moment. :-(

 

[Logamaniac]

Still waiting on that new iPad Air update fellas. Lfg.

 

[Marbles1]

Great.

I'll set a calendar reminder for 3 years time to see where Apple is with their ARM lineup.

Meanwhile the 100million+ Intel Mac users (https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-says-there-are-100-million-macs-out-in-the-wild/) will carry on using our intel Macs for years to come, fuelling demand for software.

 

[UltimaKilo]

I can’t imagine what a MBP without an Intel processor will look like. Is Apple really far ahead of whatever Intel has in their pipeline, or are the “Pro” machines only going to become less “Pro”? Something tells me it’s the latter.

I do see touchscreens/Apple Pencil + Face ID coming to the Mac soon, but I don't think these first models are going to have it. The first ones will be the "transition" models using the same body styles that we currently have. In Apple's eyes it makes perfect sense - cause the early adopters to double dip in 2020 and 2021. Get out a huge margin MBA/MBP 13" device (since fabrication on all the external components is super cheap after years of the same design) with a cheaper in-house processor and a ton of people will buy just because of the performance/battery gains (Maybe they even do a slight price drop at the same time?) Then in 2021 drop your all new design with touchscreen/Apple Pencil/Face ID with a 2-in-1 style body and those same people will jump on the upgrade again.

Macs will never have touchscreens or offer Apple Pencil support. That has been confirmed by Apple a number of times, and for good reason. It would be a terrible idea.