Two things: 1. I was under the impression that the 1st gen ARM processor will have integrated GPU core, it won't come later on; and 2. I thought A15 will be of 3nm standard.. I'll be very disapointed to see 12" inch laptop, this is way to small for me, someone used to 16" but we'll soon see..
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Report: Apple Silicon iMac Featuring Desktop Class 'A14T' Chip Coming First Half of 2021
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It looks to me like the 2018 Mac Mini was already redesigned, with all those ports and the pro paint job, to be eventually updated again with much more CPU & GPU horse power to be the pro-summer’s modular AS desktop. If not, a lot of audio users and others will abandon Apple. Even if it means having to learn new software.
The 21.5" Intel iMac uses the Intel iGPU so it is possible the ~24" ASi model could use the SoC GPU and still offer better performance.
8 GPU cores (vs the 7 in the A12X).
Tonga is already the codename for the A14X.
We're not sure what Lifuka will be. It might be a discrete GPU separate from the A14X/A14T SoC to provide additional graphics performance or it could be the GPU core section of the A14T SoC.
What did you expect? Perhaps more than ever, you’ve had loads of warning. Apple announced they are transitioning to their own chips back in June.
Well what if they make them "super light" like a report stated. If they cut back on battery and then we end up with iPad Air battery life which is not that great, not even close to 10 hours. My pet peave is battery life and speed. Question is if i should invest in the last get MBP 13" or not. They are on sale now and again and get great reviews even on battery life.
480Hz is the sweet spot. Anything less than that and they’re not really trying.
That’s likely just the name of the Graphic Cores on that model as it’ll be different, BUT still integrated.
Sooooo, same as it ever was?
Yeah, I think the laptops will continue to see more regular updates than the desktops.
My iPhone now is faster than the Mac I bought a few months back. Soooo, no difference, really. The difference come in the fact that the “slow” iMac will still be running circles around any Mac still running Intel
Hopefully they will fix the issue with the current 2020 iMac equipped with the 5700XT card.. Glitch line is gone, but not the rest of the issues such as Lockups, Shutdowns, Corner screen graphic issues and True Tone screen issues. Went thru 2 with the same issues and refunded them.. A few other friends, well all but 1, had similar issues with theirs (sam configuration option). There are many other users still having similar issues on Apple's own forum. Hopefully Apple can remedy this issue before just pushing out a new device.
I think the new silicon has some promise, but i am on the fence about when it comes to software compatibility I am curious if they will list any of their, or 3rd party, apps that may have compatibility issues.
I think the new silicon has some promise, but i am on the fence about when it comes to software compatibility I am curious if they will list any of their, or 3rd party, apps that may have compatibility issues.
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Assuming this report is correct, we won't see a new MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon until H2 2021, probably even Q4 2021 if we have to wait for the an A15 based CPU. My MBP 2016 (bought 5/17) will be 4.5 years old by then. I am not sure I want or can hang on that long. I might just try to live with a MB 12 for a year if they're reasonably priced and start moving my workflow across to AS.
The first iMac powered by Apple Silicon is set to arrive in the first half of next year and will feature a desktop class "A14T" chip, according to Chinese-language newspaper The China Times.
Codenamed "Mt. Jade," Apple's first custom-made desktop processor will be twinned with its first self-developed GPU, codenamed "Lifuka," both of which are being produced using TSMC's 5-nanometer process, claims the report.
Today's story is based on the development timeline of Apple's new A14 processors, which recently debuted in the iPhone 12 series and the new fourth-generation iPad Air, and builds on a similar report that arrived in September from the same source. It also brings forward the previously claimed launch roadmap of the first Apple Silicon iMac, and reiterates previous claims that Apple's first Arm-based Mac will be a MacBook powered by an A14X processor, codenamed "Tonga," which is already in mass production and will launch by the end of 2020. That MacBook is said to revive the 12-inch form factor in a new super-lightweight design.
Apple announced at its WWDC developer conference in June that its Macs will transition from Intel x86-based CPUs to its self-designed Arm-based Apple Silicon processors over the next two years. Bloomberg has said that Apple is currently developing at least three Mac processors that are based on the 5-nanometer A14 chip.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted that the first Mac models to adopt Arm-based chips will be a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro and a 24-inch iMac with a redesigned form factor, with Apple planning to launch the new models in the fourth quarter of 2020 or early in 2021 at the earliest. Prior to the launch of its Arm-based iMac, Apple is expected to refresh the existing Intel iMac.
Today's report also claims that Apple has already started working on an A15 series chip using TSMC's 5nm enhanced (N5P) process. The A15 will feature in next year's "iPhone 13," and like the A14 series, modified versions identified as A15X and A15T will provide the foundation for the second generation of Apple Silicon MacBooks and iMacs, with chip production beginning in the third quarter of 2021.
Apple has said it will debut the first Arm-based Mac by the end of the year, and a November event is rumored to take place on November 17.
Article Link: Report: Apple Silicon iMac Featuring Desktop Class 'A14T' Chip Coming First Half of 2021
My assumption is they don’t want to create the impression this chip is best suited to their lowest profile Mac. This is a big boy chip that can play in a big boy world.
I could never bring myself to buy the current iMac as I just can't stand the design and premium MacBooks Pro are way to expensive. So I'm using Mac mini and generally it's great, besides the lack of GPU. If there is a large screen iMac next year then I'm on the ground floor!
Lifuka is an island in Tonga. Makes kinda sense.
Mt Jade is probably a mistranslation (refers to a mountain in Taiwan). God knows what it's meant to be. Assuming the "mountain" part is correct it's probably a mountain in Tonga.
But dont forget another benefit for Apple. Cost of Apple CPU/GPU will be substantially less than paying Intel for their latest CPUs. So i theory pricing could be lower and still allow Apple to maintain their margin. I am pretty sure that is a key reason Apple is switching, not just technical but also financial.
My iPhone now is faster than the Mac I bought a few months back. Soooo, no difference, really. The difference come in the fact that the “slow” iMac will still be running circles around any Mac still running Intel
Time will tell, I suppose. Until we see how fast ARM Macs are at running emulators to run apps that are not native-ARM, the Intel CPU Mac's may have an advantage for a few years.
Eh. I think Intel Macs are gonna be pretty widely supported for at least a few years. If I caught a great deal on a fast 5K iMac I wouldn’t hesitate.
As nice as I’m sure the new ones will be I might save some $$ when they come out and pick up an intel iMac which I’m sure will start to see some serious discounts.
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However they call it, there's going to be a variant that consumes power like a desktop, and it won't be in a laptop. We won't know until we see it, whether that's what's about to come, or where the "like a desktop" things are coming later in the 2-year window. I'm mainly just hoping that the first ARM laptop isn't some wimpy MacBook 12". I think those are fine, but if that winds up being Apple's opening salvo, I'll be extremely disappointed.
It's only a month (or less) before you'll know what the initial Macs will be. Wait at least that long.
The CPUs are proven, the Macs are proven. Integration is a tough thing to get right, though.
Really China, really?!???! The one major surprise we had left, the AS Macs, and especially those desktops AS Macs, and you had to go and spill the beans on these too??!?! Can no secret be kept once Apple starts prototyping and making these awesome machines in China for production? C'mon China! At least keep a lid on it!!
The thing that keeps Apple alive is that there are plenty of people (me included) who are willing to buy 1st generation products.
Unlike other companies, Apple tries their hardest to reduce the amount of risk inherent in a gen1 product...which is why they've been able to break into so many markets. They've built up a lot of trust over the years, and that really does pay off in the long run.
Really, I'm looking forward to picking up a new MacPad (or whatever they're going to call it). If past architectural transitions are any guide it'll be almost completely identical to the MBA, with marginally slower (10-15%) x86 performance and super-fast ARM performance.
Unlike other companies, Apple tries their hardest to reduce the amount of risk inherent in a gen1 product...which is why they've been able to break into so many markets. They've built up a lot of trust over the years, and that really does pay off in the long run.
Really, I'm looking forward to picking up a new MacPad (or whatever they're going to call it). If past architectural transitions are any guide it'll be almost completely identical to the MBA, with marginally slower (10-15%) x86 performance and super-fast ARM performance.
Mactracker says the 21.5" iMac uses radeon pro GPUs, including a vega20 rated at 3.28 TFLOPS.
And? Walk into your local electronics store like Best Buy and report back.
Maybe 10 years ago you might find 2-3 isles full of RAM, video cards, ect.
Today you will find 1/4 of disheveled isle off in some corner of the Computer section.
And in PC components place, you will find display after display of laptops and AIOs which are not user serviceable.
The price/performance for computers have been commoditized. Its not like you are rolling into Comp USA and dropping $4,000 ($7,500 adjusted) on an entry level Macintosh IIvx or even $1,800 ($3,500 adjusted) on a Performa 575 where the cost compels you to upgrade. Joe 6-Pack rolls into an Apple Store and drops $1,000 on a MacBook Air or $1,200 on a iMac and calls it a day until their next computer. And the reality is that Joe 6-Pack would never know the difference between 8GB of RAM and 16GB of RAM.
So unless the iPad Pro 5 with the A14X and MiniLED comes out before 2021... I'm good. Apple chips are monsters ever since the A8X.
J.
Basically yep, this is reality and I'm okay with it.
J.
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