'It's a game changer': Apple says it'll start using its own chips, which will let you run iPhone and iPad apps on your Mac
- Apple on Monday unveiled a new processor that the company says will replace Intel chips in MacBooks, iMacs, and Mac Pros going forward.
- Apple's chip, called Apple Silicon, will make app architecture more consistent across Mac, iPhone, and iPad, the company said at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which took place virtually.
- Macs with Apple Silicon will be able to run iPad and iPhone apps directly on their computer.
- Apple touted Apple Silicon's CPU performance, saying it'll make Macs better at running programs like games and machine-learning tools, which require increased computing power.
At its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, Apple announced a new custom chip and said it'll move its Macs from Intel processors to its own chips in the next two years.
"It's a game changer," CEO Tim Cook said. "It truly is a historic day for the Mac."
The new chip, called Apple Silicon, is a more powerful desktop-sized version of processing chips that Apple had previously built for iPhones and iPads. Apple Silicon will run in the same environment as those chips, making it easier for developers to build apps that work across all Apple devices, the company said.
Macs with Apple Silicon will also be able to run iPhone and iPad apps, it added.
Apple touted Apple Silicon's CPU power and said the new chip would make Macs better at running demanding programs like games, machine-learning tools, and video-editing software.
Developers also won't have to race to build new apps that work with Silicon — Apple announced that the next generation of MacOS, Big Sur, will come fitted with Rosetta 2, a program that automatically translates Intel apps into Apple Silicon. In the meantime, Apple will start shipping beta kits to developers this month.
Cook said Apple's first computer outfitted with Silicon will ship by the end of 2020, and that other Macs will be transitioned to Silicon "in the next two years."