Intel Stock Slides After Report Apple Will Switch Macs To Custom Chips Next Year
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF/Cnet) -- Apple will start selling Macs that use in-house microprocessors in 2021, based on ones in upcoming iPhones and iPad Pros, Bloomberg reported Thursday. The company is apparently working on three of its own chips, suggesting a transition away from traditional supplier Intel.
The initial batch of custom chips won't be on the same level as the Intel ones used in high-end Apple computers, so they're likely to debut in a new type of laptop, the report noted. These processors could have eight high-performance cores and at least four energy-efficient cores, respectively codenamed Firestorm and Icestorm.
It isn't the first we've heard about Apple moving to a homemade processor. Rumors have been swirling since 2018 and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reportedly said in February that it's a critical element of the company's strategy, along with a 5G iPhone and iPads with midsize panel tech.
Neither Apple nor Intel immediately responded to requests for comment.
After the Bloomberg report was published, Intel gave a disappointing profit forecast and saw a decline late in trading, closing the day down 1.8 percent.
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