Introduction
Since its inception in 1976, Apple Inc. has become one of the biggest and most successful businesses in the world. As of 2019, Apple was the biggest technology company by market cap, with over $1 trillion in market capitalization. Thanks to its cutting edge products, Apple has revolutionized the world of personal computing and mobile devices, helping revolutionize the way we communicate and process information. Since the late 1990s, Apple has been at the forefront of the PC industry, consistently releasing market defining products like the iPod, iPhone, iPad, MacBook, and Apple Watch. However, with the increasing competition in the PC and mobile industry, Apple has taken a major step to bolster its position as a leading hardware company: switching its lineup of Mac computers to ARM-based CPUs.
What is ARM Architecture?
ARM stands for Advanced RISC Machine and it is the industry-standard architecture for low power, low cost microprocessors. This is the technology used in most modern mobile devices and it is also found in many embedded devices such as TVs, cars, and exercise trackers, as well most Chromebooks. Unlike traditional computer x86-based CPUs, ARM CPUs are designed to be energy efficient and optimized for low power consumption and higher battery life.
The ARM architecture is based on reduced instruction set computers or RISC. A reduced instruction set computer (RISC) is a type of computer architecture that utilizes a simpler instruction set than the x86 architecture. By reducing the number of instructions, more instructions per clock cycle can be processed, which reduces power and energy consumption while still increasing overall performance.
Background
For many years, Apple has relied on Intel x86-based processors for its lineup of Mac computers. In 2020, however, Apple announced that it would begin shifting from Intel to ARM-based CPUs for its machines. The move was part of a larger effort to bring more of its hardware and software design in-house and away from relying on 3rd party hardware providers, such as Intel.
The move also solidifies Apple’s position as a leading hardware company. By transitioning to ARM-based CPUs, Apple is able to reduce production and energy costs while boosting its performance and battery life. This shift will also allow Apple to gain control over the development of its own CPUs, enabling Apple to be faster to market with new products and faster to develop more power efficient products.
Moving Forward
Apple’s move to ARM-based processors is part of an overall effort to remain competitive in the PC and mobile market.
In 2020, Apple unveiled its first three ARM-based Mac computers: the MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the Mac mini. All three machines feature Apple’s new M1 chip (Apple’s version of the ARM CPU), which was designed and manufactured in-house. The M1 chip is the first ARM-based processor from Apple and the first step in the company’s long-term transition away from Intel-based CPUs.
Since the release of these machines, Apple has seen positive reception from the tech community. The M1 chip, in particular, has been praised for its performance, battery life, and its low power consumption. This is further bolstered by the numerous software updates Apple has released over the past few months, including support for the M1 chip on Windows.
By transitioning its Mac lineup to ARM-based CPUs, Apple has solidified its position as a leading hardware company. Through improved performance, longer battery life, and lower power consumption, Apple can now offer its customers a more powerful and efficient computing experience. Furthermore, since Apple designs and manufactures its own chips, it is able to keep its costs down while also ensuring that its devices are always up-to-date with the latest technology. Though it is still early in the transition, Apple’s move to ARM-based CPUs has already proven to be a success and it looks like Apple is well on its way to becoming an even more powerful hardware company.
