Apple Transitioning Macs to Custom Chips With 'Incredible' Performance Starting Later This Year

Apple today confirmed its widely rumored plan to switch to custom processors for its Macs, promising "incredible" performance and features.

apple custom silicon mac
Building on its industry-leading A-series chips for iPhones and iPads, Apple wants Macs with its custom silicon to have the highest performance with lower power usage. Apple says the vast majority of Mac apps can be quickly updated to be "universal" with support for both Intel-based Macs and those with Apple's custom silicon.

Starting today, developers will be able to apply for a special Mac mini with an A12Z chip inside to help prepare their apps for Apple's custom silicon. This custom Mac mini will be running the macOS Big Sur beta and the latest version of Xcode.

Apple said that it expects its first Mac with custom silicon to launch by the end of 2020, and it expects to transition its entire lineup within the next two years.

Popular Stories

sonny iphone 16 pro colors

All Four iPhone 16 Pro Colors Revealed in New Image

Friday August 16, 2024 4:14 am PDT by
Leaker Sonny Dickson is back today with a new dummy unit image showing all four iPhone 16 Pro color variants, including the rose gold or "bronze" unit that replaces Blue Titanium in the existing iPhone 15 Pro models. The iPhone 16 Pro models are expected to come in black, white or silver, gray or "Natural Titanium," and a rose or rose gold color replacing Blue Titanium, according to Apple...
iPhone 16 Pro Right Side Feature

The iPhone 16 is Getting a New Button: Here's What It Can Do

Tuesday August 13, 2024 4:01 pm PDT by
Multiple rumors have suggested that the iPhone 16 models are going to have an all-new button that's designed to make it easier to capture photos when the devices are held in landscape mode. Apple calls the button the Capture Button internally, and it is going to be one of the most advanced buttons that's been introduced to date with support for multiple gestures and the ability to respond to ...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Launch Is Just One Month Out – Here's Everything We Know

Saturday August 10, 2024 5:00 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series in the fall, and a possible September 10 announcement date has been floated this year, which means we are just one month away from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

When Is the iPhone 16 Coming Out?

Wednesday August 14, 2024 6:20 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 16 series is expected to debut in September 2024. This release follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. While the exact date has yet to be officially confirmed, the day of Tuesday, September 10 has been rumored as a possible announcement date, and September has traditionally been the month when Apple unveils its latest smartphone innovations. ...
maxresdefault

Apple Aiming to Launch Tabletop Robotic Home Device as Soon as 2026 With Pricing Around $1,000

Wednesday August 14, 2024 11:30 am PDT by
Apple is moving forward with its project to develop a tabletop robotic device, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The device would feature a large iPad-like display mounted on a "thin robotic arm" that would allow the display to tilt and up and down and rotate a full 360º, and it would serve as a "smart home command center," a...
M4 Mac mini Silver Ortho Cooler

These New Macs Are Coming in 2024

Thursday August 15, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
It's almost September, but Apple still has multiple new product launches planned for 2024. New iPhone 16 models and Apple Watches are coming in September, and we're also going to get at least three Mac updates with M4 chips this year, according to rumors. Here's what's on the horizon. MacBook Pro Apple plans to refresh both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, adding M4 chips. The ...
T Mobile Generic Feature Pink 1

United States Fines T-Mobile $60 Million for Failing to Prevent Unauthorized Access to Sensitive Customer Data

Thursday August 15, 2024 1:32 pm PDT by
T-Mobile was fined $60 million by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS) for negligence surrounding data breaches, reports Reuters. CFIUS penalized T-Mobile for failing to prevent or disclose unauthorized access to sensitive customer data. When T-Mobile merged with Sprint, it signed a national security agreement with CFIUS, which is what led to the fine earlier this year....

Top Rated Comments

Martius Avatar
54 months ago
Well, I was right about 2 weeks ago ?

For the first time in my life, just let me enjoy it please.

Have a nice WWDC!


I think we will see a Mac Mini special dev edition with ARM processor this year. It's a really big change and the only way to make it happen is to give developers a test device. Selling a laptop / iMac as test device is non-sense (all-in-one is not good for testing purposes), Mac Pro is too expensive. So Mac Mini is the choice IMO.
Score: 77 Votes (Like | Disagree)
plexdk Avatar
54 months ago
You guys will be fine - Us who were in the PowerPC to Intel transition feared the same thing, but survived :p
Score: 49 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kinless Avatar
54 months ago
I like how during the Virtualization feature demo, they only mention Linux and not Windows. As a full stack web developer, I need all environments, so it makes me nervous. Need more info before deciding if I'm going to make the jump to their silicon or begrudgingly transition my primary machine to a PC. Here's hoping...
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macbwizard Avatar
54 months ago
They didn't really share any benchmarks or comparisons beyond that vague graph.
Score: 43 Votes (Like | Disagree)
venom600 Avatar
54 months ago
Well, this is my last Mac. It's been a long time coming, but this is the final straw for me.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redheeler Avatar
54 months ago
It took Apple less than four years to obsolete the last G5s after the switch to Intel. So another full-on architecture change. For this of us with 2019 MBPs or Mac Pros this’ll be fun.

And it also means goodby Hackintosh users or unsupported Macs. Been fun having you.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)