TSMC to make ARM-based Mac chips for Apple

Posted on Friday, July 17 2020 @ 23:12 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
TSMC
Last month one of the big news items was the confirmation that Apple will indeed switch its Mac computer lineup to ARM. For years, it was rumored that Apple was working on ARM-based chips for its computers. At first, a lot of people were skeptic as it was hard to imagine Apple would dump x86 in favor of ARM but it seems the Cupertino-based company is confident that it can deliver a compelling computing solution.

The first ARM-based Mac computers will ship before the end of the year and Apple intends to switch its entire Mac lineup to ARM over the next two years.

But who will make these chips? TSMC seems like the natural choice and now there's confirmation at DigiTimes that the Taiwanese foundry is expected to see orders from Apple. The site says the ARM-based Mac chips will contribute "substantially" to TSMC's revenue starting in the second half of 2021:
TSMC is expected to see orders for Apple's Macs based on its Arm-based silicon ramp up and contribute substantially to the foundry's wafer sales starting the second half of 2021, according to industry sources.
Recent reports indicate MacBook sales are on track to hit 16-17 million units this year. Then there's also the iMac, Mac Pro and Mac mini lineup. It's believed the first ARM-based Mac computers from Apple will be laptops.


About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.



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