Apple chipmaker TSMC says that while we’re expecting to see the first Apple Silicon Macs before the end of this year, there will be a big boost in production from the second half of 2021.
Apple itself has said that it expects to complete the transition from Intel to ARM-based Macs within two years, but hasn’t given any indication on which models to expect when …
Noted analyst Ming Chi Kuo is expecting the first Apple Silicon Macs to be the 13-inch MacBook Pro and a redesigned 24-inch iMac. He later said that a MacBook Air may also make the end of year cut, though that might slip into early 2021.
Assuming the first Apple Silicon Macs land toward the end of the year, that would give the company until the end of 2022 to launch ARM-based versions of the complete range, including the Mac Pro.
Digitimes reports that TSMC is expecting strong performance from the third quarter of this year.
TSMC has reported strong results for second-quarter 2020, thanks to continued robust demand for 5G infrastructure deployments and HPC-related products that was able to offset weaknesses in demand for other applications.
Now the foundry house has raise its outlook for 2020, expecting sales growth of more than 20% for the year. Sources from the supply chain estimate that TSMC’s wafer start shipments will see a double-digit percentage point gain in third-quarter 2020. The foundry house reportedly is also making Arm-based processors for Apple’s next-generation Macs to be launched by year-end 2020p.
However, when it comes to Apple Silicon Macs specifically, the site says the chipmaker is expecting to see a big boost in orders from the middle of next year.
TSMC to see orders increase for Arm-based Macs in 2H21: 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.
Kuo recently predicted that ARM-based 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models would launch in 2021, which seems a safe bet.
In regard to the MacBook Pro, many expected Apple to revise the 13.3-inch design this year with a new design that would reduce screen bezels and therefore increase size to about 14-inches, as seen in the current 16-inch MacBook Pro. That did not happen however.
Kuo’s report indicates that the redesign is indeed in the pipeline, but we’ll have to wait at least until the middle of next year. It also suggests an update to the 16-inch’s industrial design is coming.
Apple’s former head of Mac development recently argued that higher-end Windows PCs will also have to switch from Intel to ARM chips in order to keep up with the performance improvements expected from upcoming Macs.
Photo: TSMC
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