Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a generally good track record of supply chain-based predictions, claims in an investor note that the first ARM-based Macs will be a new version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro and a 24-inch version of a previously rumored iMac redesign. He goes so far as to suggest these Macs will show up in the fall, or earlier than the 2021 time frame from a Bloomberg rumor, although he warns the releases could slip to the first quarter of 2021.
Kuo also said that the new Macs could be between 50 percent to 100 percent faster than their Intel-based counterparts, although he didn’t provide specifics. The Bloomberg story had the first ARM machine packing a 12-core processor.
Kuo is optimistic about demand prospects for the MacBook line. The shift to Apple ARM chips will offer a competitive advantage in performance and battery life, and the gradual transition to mini-LED displays will encourage further demand. Kuo believes the first MacBook featuring a mini-LED display will now launch in the first half of 2021.
Apple’s WWDC event the worldwide developer conference kicks off today at 10 AM Pacific time.
