What is Apple Silicon and how will it affect the future of the Mac?

Being more of an announcement of plans, there was no public release with this one, but it was still the biggest news of the day.

Apple will be developing their own ARM-based chips, rather than using Intel processors for their Mac computers.

We can expect to see the first systems by the end of the year, with a full transition period of around two-years. Apple made it clear support and building Intel Macs will continue for now, with new Intel Macs in the pipeline.

Apple Silicon marks a huge point in Apple’s history, taking the success of processing power in the iPhone and iPad, and brings it to the Mac. This is done through optimisation with hardware and software both managed by Apple. We can expect Macs with higher performance and lower power consumption leading to better battery life and thermals, allowing Apple to make thinner and quieter laptops than ever. No more will Apple be waiting on Intel to develop faster and smaller processors. The transition period could be messy, but Apple are doing everything in their power to ensure the process is smooth, with all their own apps (including pro apps, such as Logic and Final Cut) immediately ready for the switch and they’re working with companies such as Microsoft and Adobe to ensure popular software such as Office and Creative Cloud are optimized day-one. Xcode, Universal 2 and Rosetta 2 will ensure third-party apps work across Intel and Apple Silicon.

Find details here on all the other big announcements at WWDC 2020.