Apple silicon - page 5

Apple Silicon M1’s biggest surprise? Insane battery life

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Apple M1 battery life
Apple's new M1 chip offers massive battery life improvements.
Photo: Apple

Apple Silicon was widely expected to be fast, but perhaps the biggest surprise of the new M1 chip is the insane battery life it enables.

During Tuesday’s “One More Thing” keynote, Apple touted some truly eye-popping battery life numbers. While we expected improved battery life from the new MacBooks, the numbers Apple released surpassed expectations.

New Apple M1 chip will make Macs faster, less power-hungry

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Apple M1 chip
Apple's new M1 chip will blow your socks off.
Photo: Apple

Apple on Tuesday delivered on its promise to unveil the first Apple Silicon chip before the end of 2020. Its brand-new M1 system-on-chip (SoC) promises industry-leading performance and power efficiency for the fastest, most impressive Macs to date.

The M1 chip is the first 5-nanometer computer chip, packing a whopping 16 billion transistors and the world’s fastest CPU cores. It also features an 8-core GPU that’s “in a class of its own,” Apple says.

How to watch Apple’s ‘One More Thing’ event almost anywhere

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Apple one more thing event
Get ready for kickoff at 10 a.m. Pacific.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s next big keynote of 2020 is less than a couple of hours away. We expect the “One more thing” event to bring the first Macs powered by Apple Silicon, new AirPods Studio headphones, and more.

When the keynote kicks off at 10 a.m. Pacific, you’ll be able to watch it live online from almost anywhere. We’ll tell you how.

Apple Online Store goes down ahead of today’s ‘One More Thing’ event

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We'll be right back
Expect to see it return with Apple Silicon Macs.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s Online Store is down ahead of today’s “One More Thing” event. When it returns after today’s virtual event, expect to see details of various new Apple products — including the company’s first Apple Silicon Macs, the first to feature Apple in-house CPUs.

Yes, Apple could easily update its website in real time without taking it offline for a few hours. But where’s the fun and drama in that?

Apple Silicon is one of the biggest risks the Mac-maker has ever taken

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A MacBook with Apple Silicon could be out in 2020.
A MacBook with an Apple A14 processor needs to be slim and powerful. If it’s not, Apple could get a black eye.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Switching Macs from Intel chips to ones Apple designs itself is enormously risky. True, macOS computers will be better than ever … if the transition goes right. But if the first Macs running on Apple Silicon — which are expected to be revealed Tuesday — turn into a debacle, it could seriously hurt Cupertino.

Here are some of the ways moving Mac to Apple processors might go off the rails.

iMac 2021 concept will have you drooling for Apple Silicon

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An iMac 2021 concept is just gorgeous
A concept artist proposes ditching the screen bezels from the iMac.
Photo: Svetapple.sk

There’s good evidence Apple working on new desktop Macs, and a concept artist proposed a pair of iMacs with significantly improved designs for release in 2021. These 24-inch and 32-inch models borrow quite a bit from the iPad Pro line, including edge-to-edge displays.

Apple is already going top speed with Apple Silicon MacBook production

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Apple Silicon
Apple will show off its first Apple Silicon MacBooks next week.
Photo: Apple

Ahead of next week’s “One More Thing” Apple event, the company is ramping up production of MacBooks using its new in-house CPU architecture. According to Nikkei Asia, Apple aims to manufacture 2.5 million MacBooks with Apple Silicon by early 2021.

To put that in context, it’s about a fifth of the 12.6 million MacBooks Apple shipped in 2019. The report continues that Apple will introduce other MacBooks with its Apple Silicon chips in the second quarter of 2021. The goal is to cease producing any Intel Macs inside of two years.

Here’s another clue that Apple’s ‘One More Thing’ is new Macs

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Steve Jobs’ estate triumphs in battle over SteveJobs.com
Steve Jobs announced a dramatically changed MacBook as a “one more thing” before. And Apple might do so again.
Photo: Kazuhiro Shiozawa/Flickr CC

By calling its November product-launch event “One More Thing,” Apple seems to be dropping a hint that history is about to repeat itself.

Way back at Macworld 2006, then-CEO Steve Jobs introduced a MacBook that set a new course for Apple. This came as a “one more thing” addition at the end of his keynote. Something like that might be about to happen again.

Don’t expect the first Apple Silicon MacBooks to look radically different

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Apple_macbookpro-13-inch_screen_05042020
Don't expect a significant (exterior) redesign for the first MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.
Photo: Apple

Don’t expect to see any major design changes when Apple introduces its first Apple Silicon MacBooks at next week’s “One More Thing” event, claims Bloomberg.

The unprecedented third Apple media event in three months will take place on Tuesday, November 10. At the event, Apple will show off the initial Apple Silicon Macs, first announced at June’s WWDC. But it seems that the MacBooks won’t be getting fancy new exterior redesigns to go along with their new processors.

How to see the MacBook clue in Apple’s November event invite

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An AR easter egg hints that the Apple November event will include a new MacBook.
Apple seems to be broadly hinting that a MacBook will be unveiled next week.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple put an augmented reality Easter egg into the invitation to its November product event. The AR object seems to hint that there’ll be at least one new MacBook on the docket.

The basic graphic in the event invite, which went out Monday, is the Apple logo surrounded by streaks of light. iPhone users can transfer that design to the real 3D world, and put it in motion. That motion looks a lot like a MacBook opening and closing.

New ‘A14T’ chip could power first Apple Silicon iMac

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Apple Silicon
Apple announced the transition to Apple Silicon at this year's WWDC.
Photo: Apple

A version of the A14 processor in the new iPhone 12 handsets and iPad Air 4 could power the upcoming Apple Silicon iMac, a report published Tuesday claims.

The so-called A14T chip is reportedly code-named “Mt. Jade.” Like Apple’s other A14 processors, it will be made using the 5-nanometer process. Apple is also developing its own self-contained GPU, which is known inside the company as “Lifuka.”

All the things we didn’t get at Apple’s ‘Hi, Speed’ event

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Hi, Speed event image with wishlist in background
Apple's "Hi, Speed" event offered up some nice updates to the iPhone 12 and HomePod, but left some boxes on the wishlist unchecked.
Photo: Ian Fuchs/Cult of Mac

It happens before every Apple event. The rumor mill, tech blogs (hello), and iPhone-obsessed nerds pin every hope, dream and desire on the next version of Apple’s devices.

More often than not, those desires are dashed, pushing those wants off to another event. While Apple’s iPhone 12 event showed the steps the company is taking toward iterating on its most popular device, there were also some things left on the wish list.

iMac powered by Apple Silicon may be coming sooner than you think

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The EEC says Apple is prepping both MacBooks and iMacs.
This concept iMac with an A14 processor might really be on the way.
Concept: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple is prepping the first laptops and desktops to launch with macOS Big Sur 11, according to the Eurasian Economic Commission. It’s possible these will be the initial models running Apple Silicon, as this company’s switch away from Intel chips is scheduled to begin soon.

Apple ‘Hi, Speed’ event on Oct. 13 could bring iPhone 12, new Mac and more

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The Apple October event 2020 is officially on for October 13.
The theme of the 2020 Apple October event is “Hi, Speed.”
Photo: Apple

Apple just invited the world to an event on October 13. No agenda was announced, but there’s little doubt the star will be the iPhone 12, the first iOS device with 5G wireless networking. Apple hinted at the coming upgrade with the title of the event: “Hi, Speed.”

But a handful of other products might also be on the docket, including the first MacBook built around Apple Silicon rather than an Intel processor.

Apple Silicon chips will enter production later this year

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Apple Silicon
Coming soon to a Mac near you.
Photo: Apple

Mass production on the 5-nanometer chips that will be used in the next-gen iPad Pro and the inaugural Apple Silicon Mac will supposedly kick off in the fourth quarter of 2020, Digitimes reported Wednesday.

According to the report, TSMC will be turning out around 5,000-6,000 Apple Silicon wafers per month. This is rumored to be the A14X chip, which is a more powerful version of the A14 expected with this year’s iPhone 12.

ARM iMac with custom Apple GPU could arrive in second half of 2021

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This iMac concept reflects what a lot of people want.
Could it look something like this?
Photo: Daniel Bautista

A brand-new iMac, powered by Apple Silicon combined with a custom Apple GPU, will land during the second half of 2021, according to a new report.

Codenamed “Lifuka,” the all-in-one is expected to use 5-nanometer chips manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company — like those destined for iPhone 12 and other Apple Silicon machines later this year.

$849 ARM MacBook could feature butterfly keys, 12-inch display

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12-inch-MacBook
And up to 20 hours battery life?
Photo: Apple

One of Apple’s first ARM-powered notebooks could be a 12-inch MacBook with butterfly keyboard, according to one tipster. The entry-level machine could sell for just $849 with 256GB storage as standard.

Other specifications are said to include up to 20 hours of battery life in between charges, up to 16GB of RAM, and a single USB-C port.

More affordable Apple Watch might be in development

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More affordable Apple Watch would be nice.
A less-expensive Apple Watch is just one of the predictions made today by a serial leaker.
Illustration: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

A regular source of Apple leaks said on Thursday that a less expensive version of the Apple Watch is in the offing.

This was just one of multiple tidbits Jon Prosser dropped during a public Q&A session. He mentioned the first MacBook with Apple silicon, talked a bit about the company’s game controller, and more.

Why the new iMac is still a great buy, even without Apple Silicon

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2020 iMac: The new iMac looks just like the old one (only faster).
The 2020 iMac is certainly worth your cash.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s newest iMac is by far the fastest yet, with huge increases in both CPU and GPU performance. It also ships with improved speakers and microphones. And yet, it seems a lot of Apple fans don’t care.

The reason? The new iMac is powered by Intel processors, like all its predecessors since 2006, instead of Apple Silicon. Since Apple revealed its plan to switch to its own custom chips at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Intel processors just don’t hold the same appeal.

But there are some great reasons to continue buying Intel-powered Macs in 2020. Here are a few.

New iMac may be on the way, but don’t expect Apple Silicon or redesign just yet

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IMAC-G4_render_04 1
Don't expect a futuristic redesign just yet.
Photo: Xhakomo Doda

Apple could (possibly) debut its iMac refresh as soon as this week. But those hoping for the much-rumored iMac redesign and Apple Silicon integration likely will need to wait a bit longer.

The suggestion that Apple will update the iMac was first mentioned in a tweet by leaker @Soybeys that has since been deleted. Apple leaker Jon Prosser, who also has been known to be pretty accurate in the past, said new iMacs are on the way, but suggested they will debut in August instead.

Prosser also said not to expect a major iMac redesign until the first Apple Silicon Macs arrive further down the line.

Apple Silicon MacBook Pro and MacBook Air will ship by end of 2020

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16-inch MacBook Pro from 2019
Are you excited about the first Apple Silicon MacBooks?
Photo: Apple

Apple will release its first MacBook Pro and MacBook Air powered by Apple Silicon by the end of 2020, a report published Thursday claims.

According to Digitimes, Apple manufacturers will start shipping components such as backlit units (BLUs) for the next-gen MacBooks in the third quarter of 2020. That could be any time between now and September.

Former Mac boss thinks Apple Silicon could break up Windows and Intel

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Microsoft Surface Pro X
Now that Apple is giving up Intel, and Surface Pro X shows Microsoft is considering it, the future could be grim for Intel.
Photo: Microsoft

Macs moving from Intel to Apple Silicon could cause Windows computer-makers to dump Intel as well, according to Jean-Louis Gassée, the former head of Mac development back in the 1980s. He thinks the move could be led by Microsoft.