Apple Macs with silicon chips with Arm processors unveiled today

Apple is expected to unveil the first Mac computers powered by its own custom Arm-based processor at its ‘One More Thing’ event tonight.

The event will be livestreamed from the Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California from 18:00 GMT (13:00 ET) on Tuesday, November 10.

This marks the first time in the Mac’s 36-year history that the line will be powered by an Apple-designed processor, which is said to offer better performance, higher bandwidth and consume less power than the Intel-based machines currently in use.

Apple is expected to start shipping the first Arm Macs before the end of the year, with all of the devices boasting the new system within two years.

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Apple has officially announced its upcoming November 10 event that is set to reveal the tech giant’s first Arm-based Macs. Called ‘One More Thing,’ the livestream kicks off at 1pm ET and is expected to highlight the firm’s transition from Intel chips to Apple Silicon

‘One More Thing’ follows earlier events for iPad and Apple Watch in September, followed by an iPhone event in October to announce the iPhone 12 range.

The tech giant is expected to focus on the Mac and macOS Big Sur – the latest version of the Mac operating system due for release before the end of the year.

Apple first announced the Arm chip at its June Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), calling it a ‘historical’ change to its Mac lineup. 

The new processor is set to include a range of capabilities such as HDR display support, more storage, higher bandwidth and more. 

The launch of macOS Big Sur is also expected to be featured at the event tonight – it was first unveiled in June at WWDC and has been available for beta testers.

Apple is likely to confirm the official release date for the latest version of the laptop and desktop operating system at the event. 

Other rumours for the event include the release of AirTags – designed to be attached to any object, making it trackable in Apple’s Find My software – but AirTags have been rumoured at each of the previous two events and not appeared. 

The company may also update the AppleTV range, which hasn’t seen a refresh since 2017 – with new controllers that could rival games consoles. 

Apple hasn’t announced which Mac will be the first to get the new custom chip – but it is expected it will bee in a consumer focused device – rather than the Pro range.

Reports suggest Apple is expected to announce three new MacBooks at the event tonight – a MacBook Air, a 13 inch MacBook Pro and a 16 inch MacBook Pro – but no details have been revealed over whether they will contain Intel or Apple chips. 

According to Macworld, it is possible Apple may opt to revive ‘plain MacBook’ brand for the first Arm-based Mac – focusing on its consumer appeal.

However, Apple leaker, L0vetodream, predicted that Apple will unveil two new 13 inch laptops with the custom Arm-based chips inside.

There are also rumours that Apple will put the chip in its Mac Mini as the first Apple Silicon Mac – made available exclusively to developers – was a Mac Mini. 

Pro apps will also see an update to support Apple Silicon in macOS Big Sur at the event, according to rumours, which suggests it may appear in pro devices.

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, said in June: ‘The vast majority of developers can get their apps up and running in a matter of days.’ 

The tech giant first announced the Arm chip at its June Worldwide Developers Conference, calling it a 'historical' change to its Mac lineup. The new processor will also include a range of capabilities such as HDR display support, more storage, higher bandwidth and more

The tech giant first announced the Arm chip at its June Worldwide Developers Conference, calling it a ‘historical’ change to its Mac lineup. The new processor will also include a range of capabilities such as HDR display support, more storage, higher bandwidth and more

Rumors of Apple ditching the Intel processor in its Mac computers first surfaced a few days before its WWDC in June, which would combat a number of major security flaws uncovered in the Intel chips.

Apple has long developed its own processors for its iPhones and iPads, but this will be the first time it has done so for its Macs and Macbooks.

If it ends up doing so, the new Mac processors will be based on the same technology used in its flagship handheld devices.

The November 10 event will be third launch of services and products Apple has held in the past three months.

Last month, the firm unveiled its highly-anticipated iPhone 12 line-up that also included its first 5G supported smartphone.

Apple is set to start shipping the first Arm Macs before the end of the year, with all of the devices boasting the new system within two years

Apple is set to start shipping the first Arm Macs before the end of the year, with all of the devices boasting the new system within two years

The handset also includes a ceramic shield that the firm says is ‘tougher than any smartphone glass.’

The new addition is ‘virtually impervious to heat and electricity’ and makes it more resistant if dropped.

Along with the iPhone 12, Apple announced three other smartphones including the iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone Pro Max and its all-new iPhone mini with a price tag of $699.

The tech giant also unleashed its fastest camera into the new lineup.

The dual-lens camera system boasts a 12-megapixel ultra-wide and wide lenses, along with a seven-element lens that improves low-light performance by 27 percent.

WHAT IS APPLE’S NEW ARM PROCESSOR?

Apple is switching from Intel to its own custom-made ARM chips.

The switch to its own silicon-based chips will allow apps made for iOS and iPad to run natively in MacOS for the first time.

It says the transition will also increase performance and consumes less power than the Intel chips it currently uses. It may also make it easier for developers to optimize apps across its ecosystem.

At WWDC, Apple officially announced the transition, saying that it will start the transition by the end of 2020. The process could take about two years.