Apple is expected to officially launch its first computers supplied with silicon pieces made by Arm Arm at its “One More Thing” event on Tuesday. The company promises that the new chips will bring improved performance with less power consumption, and the replacement means that Apple computers will support native iOS apps, thanks to Apple A-series mobile pieces and 64-bit Arm-sharing tablet devices.
What Is The ‘One More Thing’?
Apple Macs are about to receive a brain transplant. On November 10, Apple is expected to announce its next generation of computers. And unlike desktops and laptops sold 14 years ago, these new computers will not be powered by a chip made by Intel. Instead, Apple will use the same one as chips that enable the iPhone and iPad.
The fact that Apple-based computers are likely to launch Tuesday is not surprising; Apple said at WWDC in June it was expected to ship the first Mac with a CPU designed for Apple by the end of the year. But naming the event after Steve Jobs’s iconic phrase shows that Apple thinks this will be an important time for the company – and hopefully these computers will be worth the wait.
Time Of The Event
There is always an opportunity for Apple to negotiate with other brands. The company events that took place in September and October did not focus on a single product line; the September event featured the Apple Watch and iPad, while the October event focused on the new iPhone and HomePod mini. Rumors, as usual, indicate that Apple is working hard on many other products that may or may not see the light of day.
The event starts at 1PM on Tuesday, so we won’t have to wait long to learn what Apple will announce. Here’s a rundown of what to look for.
The First Laptop Of It’s Kind
While Apple has publicly promised to ship one Apple-powered silicon computer by the end of the year, the company apparently plans to launch more than one, according to Bloomberg. Apple is reportedly boosting production of a new 13-inch MacBook Air, a 13-inch MacBook Pro, and a 16-inch MacBook Pro, and will be showcasing “at least” two 13-inch laptops on Tuesday. However, if you were hoping for a bigger design to fit the new interior design for laptops, that’s not on the cards, according to Bloomberg.
Processors on new laptops will be “based” on the A14 chip available on the iPhone 12 list and on the new iPad Air, reports Bloomberg. To help developers jump to the top of their apps for new chips, Apple has been providing the A12Z Mac mini Developer Transition Kit, a variant of the A12 with an 8-core GPU available on the latest iPad Benefits released in March. Maybe Apple will take the same approach to the A14-based chip on future laptops.
We found out that the A14 was able to update those iOS devices, and maybe Apple will show off some good chip demo on new laptops at the event to give us an idea of what its custom silicon will be able to do on computers, too. It was hard to say how fast the new chips would be when Apple first discussed them at WWDC, but it looks like the company will go into more detail about the performance of processors on Tuesday.
It also looks like a safe bet that Apple will talk more about Rosetta 2, which can automatically translate other existing Intel apps, and how developers can make their existing iOS and iPadOS apps work traditional on Apple’s Silicon-based Macs.
If you’re hoping for Apple to launch a Mac Mac desktop with Apple silicon on Tuesday, however, you may be out of luck, as a Bloomberg report did not indicate that a new desktop will be announced at the event. Apparently Apple has some silicon-based Macs in the pipeline, including a redesigned Mac and a new Mac Pro.
macOS Big Sur Expectations
If this is a Mac event as expected, it seems likely that Apple will also offer a release date for MacOS Big Sur, the next major MacOS update. Big Sur brings great visual optimization to macOS, with things like iOS style icons for Apple apps and a flexible menu bar that integrates with your wallpaper. There is a control center dedicated to helping you manage settings such as Wi-Fi, light display, and volume, all in one place. And it’s not just visual stuff that got paid – Big Sur has the sounds of a new system, including the return of Mac’s chime startup chime.
Many Mac apps are getting updates too. Safari in Big Sur has a customizable preview screen, tab preview, and a privacy report feature that shows you which browser browsers you are blocking. Messages eventually receive message results, as well as features you may already use in iOS 14, such as pinned responses and online conversations. Maps have many new features, too, including cycling directions and the EV route.
Other Products
While we expect Tuesday’s event to focus mainly on Macs, Apple could certainly unveil non-Mac products
Apple has long been rumored to be developing new high-end headphones, above the ear, so perhaps the company will finally unveil them on Tuesday. Headphones are rumored to have flexible ear pockets and headbands, audio cancellations, Siri controls and built-in touch controls. Headphones have recently had some developmental problems, however, according to an October 26 Bloomberg report.
The headphones were apparently ready for production “weeks ago,” but that record was suppressed because the headband was too tight. Apple has also reduced the size of touch pads on the sides of the headphones, and the headphones may no longer have an adjustable headband, according to Bloomberg.
We’ve been hearing rumors about Apple-Tile trackers for a while – product indicators appeared in the beta code for iOS 13 last June. Trackers, which can be called AirTags, are rumored to be small round disks that could allow you to track things like your wallet or wallet via the App.
