DigiTimes: Arm-Based 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air to Ship By End of 2020

Apple will release its first Arm-based 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air by the end of 2020, according to a new DigiTimes report today.

Arm 13 MBP Feature 2
Taiwan's supply chain will begin shipping backlit units (BLUs) and other components for the next-generation MacBooks in the third quarter of the year, which could be interpreted as meaning anytime between now and September.

As Apple is set to release 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, powered by Apple Silicon, by the end of this year, total shipments of MacBook lineup are expected to reach 16-17 million units in 2020 compared to 14.5-15.5 million units shipped a year earlier, the sources estimated.

At WWDC in June, Apple officially announced that its Mac computers will be transitioned from Intel x86 to homegrown Apple Silicon chips. Apple said it plans to deliver the first ‌‌Apple Silicon‌‌ Mac by the end of the year and complete the transition in about two years.

DigiTimes' latest prediction pegs the launch of ‌Apple Silicon‌ Macs a little earlier than analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has said he expects an Arm-based ‌MacBook Air‌ either in the fourth quarter or in the first quarter of next year. Kuo also believes that an Arm-based 13-inch MacBook Pro will arrive by the end of the year.

Apple will reportedly rely heavily on TSMC for the Arm-based silicon destined for its Macs. The semiconductor foundry is expected to ramp up its wafer sales in the second half of 2021, according to a separate ‌DigiTimes‌ report today.

TSMC will fabricate Apple's custom chips for the Mac using 5nm process technology, with production still in small volume during the first half of 2021, the sources noted, but the output will expand substantially later next year.

ASMedia is said to be another supplier for Apple's Arm-based Macs, and will also see orders for the devices start contributing substantially to company revenue in the second half of 2021. ASMedia reportedly will provide USB controllers for the new Macs.

Today's report also claims that parts for a new "more affordable" 10.8-inch iPad with a "high performance chip" will start shipping in the latter half of this year. This prediction aligns a little more favorably with Kuo's latest thoughts on Apple's ‌iPad‌ roadmap.

Likewise, Kuo believes Apple is working on a new 10.8-inch ‌iPad‌ that's set to be released in the second half of 2020. However, it's unclear if Apple plans to introduce a larger ‌iPad‌ or if the increase in size will be implemented through a bezel reduction, and other rumors have suggested that this updated ‌iPad‌ could actually be an iPad Air, so we're waiting to see what Apple has in store for the low-cost ‌iPad‌ in the future.

According to a leaker that has provided accurate information about Apple's plans in the past, Apple's next-generation low-cost ‌iPad‌ will feature an A12 chip inside, an upgrade from the A10 Fusion chip in the seventh-generation model.

Related Roundups: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro 13"
Related Forums: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro

Top Rated Comments

kobaltz Avatar
35 months ago

I'm really curious how they will differentiate between the Air and Pro lines with Apple Silicon. So far every Apple chip is pretty much just "1 better" than the last, with the X and Z series adding more GPU power.

Are they going to have different lines like i3/i5/i7/i9 with different capabilities? Or just names + core counts? And then there is TDP. Will they release this information now that all CPU's are in-house?
Air products will cost an ARM
Pro products will cost an ARM and a leg
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jclardy Avatar
35 months ago
I'm really curious how they will differentiate between the Air and Pro lines with Apple Silicon. So far every Apple chip is pretty much just "1 better" than the last, with the X and Z series adding more GPU power.

Are they going to have different lines like i3/i5/i7/i9 with different capabilities? Or just names + core counts? And then there is TDP. Will they release this information now that all CPU's are in-house?
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Caliber26 Avatar
35 months ago
Gird your loins, folks. This is gonna be an expensive fall/winter season. New phones. New iPads. New Macs. Possibly new AirPods. And the new AirTags.









just kidding, no AirTags ?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PBG4 Dude Avatar
35 months ago

I salute you brave (guinea pigs) souls that will be among of the first to get a ARM based Mac. I’m sure it will be smooth sailing..
I’d be more worried about premature obsolescence over product quality.

Take the original iPad, for example. Shipped with iOS 3.2, and was only supported for 1 iOS update. Lasts iOS for the original iPad was 4.5.2. The iPad 2, released 1 year later, had iOS updates through iOS 7. This was due to the iPad 1 only having 256MB RAM. The iPad 2 had 512MB.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
headlessmike Avatar
35 months ago

I’d be more worried about premature obsolescence over product quality.

Take the original iPad, for example. Shipped with iOS 3.2, and was only supported for 1 iOS update. Lasts iOS for the original iPad was 4.5.2. The iPad 2, released 1 year later, had iOS updates through iOS 7. This was due to the iPad 1 only having 256MB RAM. The iPad 2 had 512MB.
The original iPad got two major updates, iOS 4 & 5, and the iPad 2 actually got iOS 9, but your point still stands.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghanwani Avatar
35 months ago
Ordinarily I would be excited but Apple tends to do weird things that make new products less desirable than the ones they replaced. Let’s see what surprises they have up their sleeve this time.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
iPhone 15 Pro Buttons CAD Leak

iPhone 15 Pro Leak Reveals Unified Volume Button and Mute Button

Monday March 20, 2023 8:33 am PDT by
As previously rumored, the next-generation iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a unified volume button and a mute button, according to leaked CAD images shared in a video on the Chinese version of TikTok and posted to Twitter by ShrimpApplePro. Instead of separate buttons for volume up and volume down, the iPhone 15 Pro models are expected to have a single elongated button for...
voice isolation

iOS 16.4 Adds Voice Isolation for Cellular Phone Calls

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:01 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 update that is set to be released to the public in the near future includes voice isolation for cellular calls, according to notes that Apple shared today. Apple says that Voice Isolation will prioritize your voice and block out the ambient noise around you, making for clearer phone calls where you can better hear the person you're chatting with and vice versa. Voice...
airpodsd 3 purple 4

iOS 16.4 Seemingly References New AirPods and AirPods Case

Tuesday March 21, 2023 11:43 am PDT by
The iOS 16.4 release candidate version that was provided to developers today appears to hint at a new set of AirPods that could be coming in the near future. According to @aaronp613, the beta features references to AirPods that have a model number of A3048 and an AirPods case with a model number of A2968. There have been no rumors that new AirPods are on the horizon, and it is early for...
maxresdefault

Nothing Launches $149 Ear (2) Wireless Earbuds to Compete With AirPods Pro 2

Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash. The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
iOS 16

Apple Seeds Release Candidate Versions of iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 to Developers [Update: Public RC Available]

Tuesday March 21, 2023 10:25 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after the launch of the fourth betas. The RCs mark the final version of the software that will be provided to the public in the near future. Registered developers are able to download the iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 updates...
apple park at night 1

Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer. Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...