In April 2020, Bloomberg reported that Apple was on track to start selling Macs with its own processors in 2021, using chips built by TSMC on a 5-nanometre process. The report turned out to be right about the direction and the factory, and a little cautious on timing. Apple announced the switch in June 2020 and shipped the first Macs with its own M1 chip in November 2020. The original news report and our notes from April 2020 follow, with an update on what happened.
Key takeaways
- The April 2020 report said Apple was developing multiple Mac processors under the codename Kalamata, all to be made by TSMC on 5 nm.
- Apple announced its move from Intel to its own Apple silicon at WWDC on 22 June 2020.
- The M1, launched on 10 November 2020, was built on TSMC's 5 nm process with 16 billion transistors, according to Apple.
- Apple silicon later replaced Intel across the whole Mac line, ending with the Mac Pro in 2023.
What the report said in April 2020
This news report from Bloomberg cited sources close to Apple who said that Apple was on track to introduce Macs running in-house CPUs and GPUs in 2021. The chips the company was developing were codenamed Kalamata.
According to the report, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Apple's partner for iPhone and iPad processors, would build the new Mac chips. The people, who asked not to be identified discussing private product plans, said the components would be based on a 5-nanometre production technique, the same one Apple would use in the next iPhones and iPad Pros. Apple, Intel and TSMC all declined to comment.
Our view at the time
Apple developing multiple Mac chips was a clue that Apple might be thinking not just about a single new Mac laptop based on in-house silicon but about an entire line. It was not clear whether these would be added to the Intel-based lineup or whether Apple would begin replacing its current Macs with computers built around the new chips. The report did say that one of the chips Apple was developing would be "much faster" than those used in the iPhone or iPad, though it would not yet be enough to replace the fastest Intel chips in the MacBook Pro or Mac Pro. Like the iPhone and iPad chips, these Mac chips would be built on a 5-nanometre production technique, and they would be made by TSMC.
What actually happened
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 23 April 2020 | Bloomberg reports Apple's plan for Mac chips in 2021 |
| 22 June 2020 | Apple announces the Mac transition to Apple silicon at WWDC, with a target of about two years |
| 10 November 2020 | M1 launches in the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro and Mac mini |
| October 2021 | M1 Pro and M1 Max bring Apple silicon to the larger MacBook Pro |
| March 2022 | M1 Ultra launches in the Mac Studio |
| June 2023 | Mac Pro moves to the M2 Ultra, completing the transition |
So the report's timing was conservative. The first Apple silicon Macs arrived in late 2020 rather than 2021. Its other point, that the first chips would not match Apple's fastest Intel-based professional machines, also held up. Apple started with its lower-end laptops and the Mac mini, and the high-end machines followed over the next two and a half years.
Why the switch mattered for the chip industry
- Design control: Apple could tune CPU, GPU, Neural Engine and memory together for its own software, rather than design around a general-purpose Intel part.
- Unified memory: the M1 put the CPU and GPU on a shared pool of memory in the same package, which cut data copying and power.
- Process lead: through TSMC, Apple had early access to 5 nm in 2020, while Intel's own leading-edge process was delayed.
- Arm on the desktop: the M1 showed that an Arm-based design could lead in performance per watt for laptops, which encouraged others to bring Arm chips to Windows PCs.
- Impact on Intel: Intel lost a well-known PC customer, although Macs were a small share of its total volume.
FAQ
What was Kalamata?
Kalamata was the codename for Apple's Mac processor programme reported by Bloomberg in April 2020. Apple has not used the name publicly.
When did Apple release its first Mac chip?
Apple announced the M1 on 10 November 2020, and the first M1 Macs went on sale later that month.
Who makes Apple's Mac chips?
Apple designs them and TSMC manufactures them. The M1 used TSMC's 5 nm process.
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