Why is Apple Switching to ARM?

Apple has long been known for its innovative hardware and the seamless integration across its device ecosystem. As of late, the company is making a significant move towards unifying its devices under a single CPU architecture, specifically ARM. This transition, already underway, signals a substantial shift in the future of Apple's hardware and how it competes in the tech industry. Let's delve into the reasons behind this move and its long-term implications.

Presenting a Unified Architecture

One of the key reasons for Apple's ARM transition is to unify the hardware architecture across all of its devices. This step will bring about numerous short-term advantages, particularly in terms of reduced development and support costs. For instance, the integration of the A12Z Bionic processor, showcased at WWDC2020, has been evaluated against an Intel Core i7-8557U processor. The A12Z Bionic processor, despite being a 14nm mid-range CPU, delivers superior performance.

Market Trends and Sales Figures

In 2017, Apple boasted over 260 million iOS devices and only 18.5 million desktop/laptop Intel-powered devices. Given their overwhelming reliance on the A-series chip, it makes little sense to continue supporting a separate architecture for a product line that constitutes only a small fraction of their sales. This trend has only strengthened the argument for a unified architecture.

Rationale Behind the Timing

The timing for this transition is strategically planned by Apple. During the WWDC2020 event, Apple highlighted the exponential growth in processor power over 10 generations of design. This improvement places the A-series chips within sight of Intel's leading CPU, making this an optimal time for the transition. The proliferation of new features in Apple's custom computing, such as advanced photo processing, virtual reality, and machine learning, further reinforces the benefits of this move. These capabilities, inherent in the System-on-Chip (SOC) design, would be challenging to recreate using separate components in an Intel environment.

Potential Long-term Advantages

Looking towards the long term, the switch to ARM presents compelling reasons to leave Intel behind. Power consumption and thermal management issues with Intel chips have been significant challenges for decades. As transistor sizes continue to shrink, we approach the fundamental limits of the x86 design philosophy. Apple's ARM transition aims to address these limitations.

Moreover, Apple has been incorporating numerous custom computing features into its ARM designs that are not found in Intel chips. These include specialized chips for high-performance tasks, such as photo processing, virtual reality, and machine learning. Moving the Mac to A-series chips will provide the native abilities of iOS devices, enhancing the user experience significantly.

Strategic Shift and Future Planning

The timing for this transition is also influenced by broader industry trends. Windows has traditionally dominated the operating system landscape but may soon become less relevant. An OS is increasingly commoditized, making cross-platform app development easier than ever. Supporting BootCamp may become less critical in the future. Instead, tech vendors will need to add value through the control of the entire hardware-software stack.

For Apple, this shift represents an opportunity to control the entire tech stack, from hardware to software. Their software expertise is driving the evolution of hardware more than ever. Apple is set to focus on consumer devices and, potentially, its own multicore CPU plans. The industry is consolidating, with high intellectual and financial barriers to entry. Apple could position itself to take the lead from Intel and AMD over the next couple of decades.

It is clear that Apple’s decision to switch to ARM is not taken lightly. They have thoroughly researched and are convinced that Intel’s path is not the future for computing. Either this decision is driven by their belief in their own hardware capabilities surpassing those of Intel, or they are positioning themselves as a bona fide CPU manufacturer for both desktop and mobile use.

Conclusion

The ARM transition is a strategic move by Apple that aims to enhance its competitiveness and user experience. By unifying its devices under a single CPU architecture, Apple is positioning itself for the future, addressing long-standing challenges in power consumption and thermal management, and leveraging the native capabilities of its SOC design. As Apple embraces ARM, it sets the stage for innovations that could reshape the tech industry over the coming years.