Apple May Launch 2 Macs Using In-House Silicon This Year, Kuo Says

Apple may release two Macs that are powered by its own in-house silicon later this year, noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims.

According to a research note (obtained by MacRumors), Kuo believes that Apple might release a 13.3-inch MacBook Pro, along with a new MacBook Air, later this year. He said he expects both models to feature the company's in-house chips instead of Intel's processors.

The analyst, known for making accurate claims about Apple's plans, said the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro with in-house silicon will still feature the same form factor as that of the current model running on an Intel processor. The major difference lies in the processor inside the device. If this is true, then this will be the first commercially available Mac to run on the Cupertino firm's own processor.

The analyst added that he expects Apple to release a new MacBook Air powered by the company's own silicon by the fourth quarter of 2020. Should the device be delayed and fail to arrive until December, the analyst believes that it will arrive in the first quarter of 2021.

Kuo expects these two models to be the first to feature Apple silicon. He added that the Mac maker will also produce 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models that will run on its own processors, and will release them during the second or third quarter next year.

“We predict that Apple will launch new MacBook models including the new 13.3-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ equipped with the ‌Apple Silicon‌ in 4Q20, the new ‌MacBook Air‌ equipped with the ‌Apple Silicon‌ in 4Q20 or 1Q21, and new 14- and 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ models equipped with the ‌Apple Silicon‌ and all-new form factor design in late 2Q21 or 3Q21,” the analyst said.

Previous reports indicated that Apple is already testing running macOS on devices powered by its own chips, notably an iPhone. Analysts from TrendForce previously said the use of in-house silicon will help the company lower the cost of MacBook production, which could hopefully lead to cheaper Macs for the masses.

MacRumors noted that Kuo didn't mention the Apple silicon-powered iMac he spoke about earlier. An iMac might come later this year, but it might not be the first to run on the in-house processor.