Doubling down on his prediction that Apple will ditch Intel in its MacBooks and Macs by 2021, noted industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reiterated that the Cupertino company is on track to deliver new ARM-based MacBook and iMac models in either the fourth quarter of 2020 or the first quarter of 2021.
Feel free to sit down, because this next piece of information may shock you: According to Kuo, the new ARM-based MacBook Pro will be similar in both design and form factor to the existing Intel 13.3-inch MacBook Pro.
All kidding aside, the famed analyst believes that Apple will permanently discontinue production of its current Intel 13.3-inch MacBook Pro once the ARM-based version is released.
Kuo also states that within the next 12 to 18 months, the tech giant plans to transition all its Macs to exclusively use Apple-developed ARM processors, which would give the company end-to-end control over the entire production of its computing products.
iMac and me
As for the ARM-based iMac, Kuo says its arrival will also finally deliver an all-new form factor for its desktop computer – a product which hasn’t seen a significant design update for close to a decade.
Kuo says the new iMac will feature a 24-inch display and will follow a planned refresh of the existing Intel-based iMac, which is expected to launch in the third quarter of 2020.
Additionally, Kuo believes that the Apple will mass-produce an unspecified ARM-based MacBook model with a revised form factor during the second half of 2021, following another MacBook model with a mini-LED display during 2021’s first half.
[Source: MacRumors]