Intel

Apple CEO Tim Cook didn’t fly to Washington last summer to talk about Intel. He went there to keep Apple from getting hit with a 100% tariff on every chip the company imports. But somewhere in those meetings, the conversation shifted to an unexpected topic — Intel.

Fast forward a year, and Apple and Intel now have a manufacturing arrangement in the works. And according to a new report, the origin story is less about “engineering roadmap” and more about “the White House brought it up while Apple was trying to survive a tariff fight.”

President Donald J. Trump took to his Truth Social media site after midnight Wednesday to say Apple and Intel will build chips in the United States together, having struck a design and manufacturing deal. The move sent Intel’s stock soaring and added new urgency to the American semiconductor push.

Apple’s planned goodbye to Intel is almost here, and it’s not about the hardware. macOS 27 Golden Gate will be the last version of macOS to support apps built for Intel-era chips using Rosetta 2, the software layer that’s been keeping older software alive on Apple silicon. Next year, when Apple announces macOS 28, that safety net will disappear completely.

This affects even M-series Mac users who upgraded years ago. If any of the apps you use haven’t been updated with native Apple silicon support, they are likely alive because of Rosetta 2. These apps now have roughly one year before they stop running.

June 6, 2005: Steve Jobs reveals that Apple will switch the Mac from PowerPC processors to Intel.

Speaking at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Jobs’ revelation reminds the tech world that he is a leader who can get things done. Given Intel’s focus on mobile computing, the move also offers a hint at what Apple’s CEO has planned for the second half of his reign.

Apple is considering using Intel and Samsung foundries to fabricate chips for its devices. The company seemingly held early talks with Intel about using its foundry services.

TSMC currently makes all of Apple’s chips on its cutting-edge nodes.

February 14, 1995: Apple Computer extends a lawsuit against developer San Francisco Canyon Company to include Microsoft and Intel. The lawsuit concerns allegedly stolen Apple code that’s used to improve Microsoft’s Video for Windows technology.

The lawsuit comes to a head with Apple threatening a multibillion-dollar lawsuit against Microsoft. Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates threatens to cancel Office for Mac.

January 10, 2006: Steve Jobs unveils the original 15-inch MacBook Pro, Apple’s thinnest, fastest and lightest laptop yet.

Building on the previous PowerBook G4 laptop, the new laptop adds dual-core Intel processors for the first time. The MacBook Pro immediately makes waves in the tech community. And did we mention its awesome MagSafe connector?

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: With the sudden departure of Apple’s UI design chief Alan Dye — and the prompt naming of a Steve Jobs-era veteran to take his place — are we looking at a software renaissance for iPhones and Macs?

We certainly hope so!

Also on The CultCast:

• Apple’s AI chief is out — and that could be great news!
• In another surprise twist, Intel might make chips for Apple again.
• And finally, it’s that time of year when we look at our Apple Music Replay stats and try not to whimper.

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video version, embedded below.

December 4, 1992: Apple engineers demonstrate a “proof of concept” of the Mac operating system running on an Intel computer. More than a decade before Macs will switch to Intel processors, getting Mac OS to run on PCs is an astonishing feat.

It’s part of an aborted plan to make Apple’s software available on other manufacturers’ hardware. Apple ultimately chickens out, fearing (probably correctly) that such a move would hurt Macintosh sales.

Your next Mac might run on an Intel processor, which is a gigantic surprise, considering Apple dropped the chipmaker years ago in favor of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.

But there’s a standout reason why Apple needs Intel — and it might not be what you think.

Apple may turn to Intel to fabricate its low-end M-series Apple silicon chips. Such SoCs could debut as early as 2027.

Intel-fabricated Apple silicon chips will find their way inside the MacBook Air and iPad Pro.

After locking in a $5 billion investment from Nvidia and another $2 billion from SoftBank, Intel reportedly wants Apple as its next major backer.

Apple was once a long-time customer of Intel. However, it eventually shifted to its own in-house chips after Intel failed to innovate quickly enough.

Those working with very large files should be pleased that Intel keeps improving the Thunderbolt standard. The newly announced Thunderbolt 5 doubles the speed of its predecessor, and can even go up to three times faster for video connections.

It’s virtually certain Apple will build support the system for high-speed data transfers into future Macs.

This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Apple’s squinty supreme leader Tim Cook sees room to push the high end of the iPhone market, and you know what that means … iPhone Ultra incoming! We know at least one feature this thing will pack — a big, fat titanium price tag.

Also on The CultCast:

• A cool mockup shows what that rumored iPhone Ultra might look like.
• We could get reverse wireless charging on iPhones after all.
• Insiders explain the messy breakup between Apple and Intel (and reveal the best time to buy a Mac … sorta).

Listen to this week’s episode of The CultCast in the Podcasts app or your favorite podcast app. (Be sure to subscribe and leave us a review if you like it!) Or watch the video live stream, embedded below.

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What pulled Apple away from Intel? In a new interview, Apple executives Tim Millet and Bob Borchers reveal why the company shifted to making its own Mac chips.

Plus, they shed light on what they’re doing to make the Mac a gaming platform once again, how the Apple silicon architecture can make it happen, and when the best time is to buy a new Mac.

At the launch of Apple silicon in 2020, the Mac-maker committed itself to a two-year transition away from Intel processors. Today marks the first day of year three of that transformation but the Mac Pro still uses Intel chips. Apple missed its deadline.

There has not even been a mention from Apple of a replacement macOS workstation with an M-series processor. A few leaked details are all we have.

Once in a while a computer setup comes along that shows off its owner’s invention. Sometimes it’s something perfectly utilitarian and sometimes it’s something weird and wonderful (examples below).

In today’s featured MacBook Pro and Intel NUC PC setup, we find a nifty folding MagSafe charging stand just about to go on the market.

We last wrote about the computer setup of 17-year-old concept creator and render artist Ian Zelbo back in May 2021. As then, the young New Yorker’s 3D renderings of Macs and other leaked tech products continue to amaze viewers online.

But he recently switched things up a bit with the gear he needs to get the job done. Along with a big step up from a 13-inch M1 MacBook Pro to a 14-inch M1 Pro version, he custom-built a PC to do a lot of the heavy lifting in his resource-intensive work.

After gracing us with its jaw-dropping Mac Studio and 27-inch Studio Display on Tuesday, Apple finally discontinued the aging 27-inch iMac. The machine is no longer available to purchase through official Apple retail channels.

It’s probably not gone for good, however. Cupertino is rumored to be working on a larger iMac model that could appear alongside other new Mac models — including a new MacBook Air and MacBook Pro — later this year.

Intel is planning to build more efficient mobile chipsets that will better compete with Apple silicon, according to a leaked internal roadmap.

The document outlines plans to take on the 14-inch MacBook Pro specifically with upcoming Arrow Lake processors that are scheduled to launch in late 2023 or early 2024. There just one (rather large) problem with that plan.

Another key chip designer has left Apple for Microsoft. Mike Filippo, who joined Cupertino in 2019 after a decade with Arm, is the second processor engineer Apple has lost in as many weeks after Jeff Wilcox left to join Intel.

Filippo will reportedly work on server chips for Microsoft’s Azure group, which is said to be pushing forward with its own silicon for cloud computing services.

Apple engineers and other staffers who helped develop the M1 chip are receiving T-shirts to celebrate its one-year anniversary. The shirts feature a picture of an M1 chip, according to a photo posted to Twitter by a senior Apple worker.

“Every so often, something comes along that changes everything,” reads an accompanying note. “Congratulations and thank you for helping make Apple ‌M1‌ possible!”

The new MacBook Pro lineup is an exceptional upgrade over its predecessors, with new M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets that offer more mobile computing power than ever before. And big companies are scrambling to reap the benefits.

The likes of Reddit, Twitter and others are rolling out 2021 MacBook Pro units to employees so that they can take advantage of the massive performance gains. “Engineering hours are much more expensive than laptops,” one said.

Apple has quietly discontinued its most affordable iMac model. The 21.5-inch device with Intel chip remained available to order following the introduction of the 24-inch M1 iMac in April, but it has now been removed from the Apple Store.

The lower cost all-in-one, which usually starts $1,099, is still available from third-party retailers while stocks last. And if you act fast, you can get yours at a sizable discount right now.

Buying a new MacBook Pro with a high-end M1 Max chip? You can expect crazy gains in both processing and graphics performance — no matter which Apple notebook you’re upgrading from, according to early benchmarks.

The M1 Max blows all the MacBook chips that came before it — not just those made by Intel, but even Apple’s own M1 — right out of the water, with up to 181% faster graphics than the previous 16-inch MacBook Pro.