Report: Apple Designing New Mac Chips In-House

Future MacBooks could be powered by a combination of Intel processors and chips that Apple makes itself, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

The new processor arrangement would use Apple's chips to handle basic functions requiring little power, such as apps that take advantage of the Mac's "App Nap" feature for background updates while the computer is in sleep mode. Intel would still supply the computer's main processor.

Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that the Apple chip would be a variant of the one that powers the Touch Bar in the new MacBook Pro (pictured above). That chip, called the Apple T1, has built-in security features like fast user switching and biometric authentication for online purchases.

Those capabilities are thanks to technology from ARM, whose chip designs are found in a vast array of electronic devices, from Blu-ray players to smartphones. Using an ARM-based chip to power the main functions of a laptop or desktop would be a first for Apple, though the company has been making its own processors for iPhones and iPads for several years.

As Bloomberg points out, if Apple does introduce its own processors for the Mac's low-power mode it will likely be with little fanfare, since they would be improving the battery saving capabilities of a feature that is already designed to improve battery life, not powering a major new addition like the Touch Bar. An Apple spokesperson declined to comment.

Recommended by Our Editors

Taking the Bar Exam? MacBook Pro With Touch Bar May Not Be Welcome

Intel is working on its own ARM-based chips too, and rumors surfaced last year that Apple and Intel were in talks to include them in Apple products.