arm

Arm ain’t happy about how little Apple pays for its chip tech

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Apple gets Arm chip tech on the cheap
Whatever you think Apple pays Arm to license its technology, the real number is probably less.
Photo: Arm/Cult of Mac

All Apple computers run on chips based on technology licensed from Arm. And it turns out the licensing fee is surprisingly low. Pennies per device.

Apple is one of Arm’s most important customers, and the two have a relationship that goes back to the early 1990s. That’s turned into a sweet deal for the iPhone-maker.

Nvidia scraps $66 billion plan to acquire mobile chip designer Arm

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FTC moves to block Nvidia's acquisition of Arm
Regulators didn't like the idea of Nvidia and Arm merging together.
Image: Arm/Nvidia/Cult of Mac

Nvidia on Monday backed out of a deal to acquire mobile chip designer Arm for $66 billion, according to reports. It would have been the largest ever sale in the semiconductor industry, but regulators including the FTC weren’t keen on it.

SoftBank, the Japanese company that currently owns Arm, still expects to sell it by the end of the year through an initial public offering.

Apple loses another key chip designer as Microsoft swoops in

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Groups oppose Apple photo scanning
Why is Apple struggling to hold onto its chip-makers?
Photo: Benjamin Balázs

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.

FTC wants to put a stop to Nvidia’s $40 billion acquisition of Arm

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FTC moves to block Nvidia's acquisition of Arm
The move would "distort Arm's incentives," the FTC said.
Image: Arm/Nvidia/Cult of Mac

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit to block Nvidia from acquiring Arm. It believes the move would “distort Arm’s incentives in chip markets” and allow the combined firm to “unfairly undermine Nvidia’s rivals.”

Nvidia is already one of the largest chip companies in the world, while Arm’s technology is licensed to some of the biggest and most powerful brands, including Apple, Samsung, and Qualcomm.

Windows could come to M1 Macs with Qualcomm exclusivity ending ‘soon’

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Apple MacBook Pro with Apple Silicon running Windows
Apple would likely be open to the idea.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

A version of Windows built to run on Arm processors could eventually come to M1 Mac models, with Qualcomm’s current exclusivity deal with Microsoft “set to expire soon,” according to a new report.

The deal, which wasn’t public knowledge until this week, could explain why there are only a limited number of Windows devices powered by Arm chips — all made by Qualcomm — on the market today. But that’s set to change.

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.

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.

Apple held early conversations about buying Arm, but ultimately declined

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Apple Silicon
Apple has relied on Arm technology a lot over the years.
Photo: Apple

Apple reportedly participated in early stage conversations with SoftBank about acquiring its Arm Holdings.

Arm Holdings is the semiconductor conductor whose ARM architecture Apple licenses for everything from its A-series chips for iPhone and iPad to its upcoming Apple Silicon processors for Mac.

Apple’s first Macs with custom ARM chips could arrive in 2021

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2020-MacBook-Air
Look out, Intel.
Photo: Apple

Apple plans to start selling new Macs powered by custom ARM processors in 2021, according to a new Bloomberg report, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The company is said to be working on three of its own chips — all based on the A14 processor than will ship inside the next-generation iPhone lineup this fall. The first version will reportedly be “much faster,” according to sources.

Apple could be developing its own game controller for iOS, Apple TV

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Fortnite on iPad with SteelSeries Nimbus
Coming this year or next?
Photo: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

Apple is developing its own game controller for Apple TV and iOS devices that will launch this year or next, according to claims from one tipster, published on Monday. It is said to be part of a big push to improve Apple Arcade.

The information comes from the same source who accurately predicted Apple’s plans for the 2020 iPad Pro refresh and the second-generation iPhone SE.

Apple’s first Mac with a custom chip expected in early 2021

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MacBook Pro review
It's about time!
Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac

Apple’s first Mac with a custom processor is expected to make its debut in the first half of 2021, according to one reliable analyst.

Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities reports it will be a 5-nanometer chipset — like the upcoming A14 SoC that will power the next iPhone and iPad Pro. Apple is said to be increasing its orders after the coronavirus outbreak.

Big macOS leak hints at future switch to AMD chips

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Apple iMac 2019
The modern iMac is a stunner... and last on our list.
Photo: Apple

Could Apple be preparing to make a surprise switch to AMD processors in a future Mac? References to a number of new AMD microprocessors have been spotted in the latest macOS 10.15.4 beta, which rolled out to developers Wednesday.

The clues hidden in Mac code suggest Apple’s lengthy relationship with Intel could be on the rocks.

What will Apple’s ARM iMac look like?

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Might a new ARM iMac look like this?
Imagine an iMac that looked like this.
Photo: Cult of Mac

The iMac is far overdue for a redesign. The current “tapered edge” design dates back to 2012, and was itself mostly a slimming-down of the original aluminum iMac from 2007. Viewed from the front, the iMac looks the same today as it did 13 years ago. You could say that the iMac doesn’t need to change its look, and that’s a valid point. But it’s showing its age in other areas too, and that’s more of a problem. Could we soon see an ARM iMac? If so, what might it look like?

We react to the departure of Jony Ive, this week on The CultCast

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CultCast 394
The Jony Ive era has come to a close.

This week on The CultCast: We knew it was coming, but now it’s official. Jony Ive is leaving Apple. Plus: The 16-inch MacBook Pro could arrive sooner than you think; Apple just poached one of the world’s premiere ARM CPU architects; and we’ll tell you about the huge Apple scam going around that you need to watch out for!

Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain..

Apple plans to ditch Intel processors on the Mac

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intel
Intel and Apple have formalized a deal that has the iPhone maker producing its own smartphone modem.
Photo: Thomas Hawk/Flickr

The next Mac you buy may not have Intel inside.

Apple is pushing forward with plans to ditch Intel’s processors in favor of its own chips, according to a new report that claims the transition away from Intel CPUs will likely take multiple steps.

Intel fixes Spectre flaw in latest CPUs

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Intel-Kaby-Lake
Intel will task GPUs with antivirus scanning.
Photo: Intel

Intel has completed its Spectre fixes for its latest range of processors.

Patches for Skylake, Kaby Lake, and Coffee Lake chipsets are now available to computer and motherboard manufacturers. Apple has already rolled out macOS and OS X updates to fix the problem.

iPhone and iPad are susceptible to widespread CPU flaw, too [Update]

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Apple A5 chip
Apple's A series chips could also be vulnerable to a nasty flaw.
Photo: Apple

A nasty CPU flaw that leaves computer users’ most sensitive data at risk is also present in iPhone and iPad processors, Apple confirmed Thursday.

The “Spectre” bug has been discovered in the mobile ARM processors that power iOS devices, as well as Apple TV — but there’s probably no need to panic.

Apple developing custom Mac chip, but it won’t replace Intel

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2016 MacBook Pro
The new MacBook Pro already uses a secondary ARM chip.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is developing a custom ARM chip for future Macs, but it won’t replace the Intel processors that have been powering its computers since 2005, according to a new report.

Instead, the chip is expected to work alongside a machine’s primary CPU, handling “low-power mode functionality.”