Apple's First ARM-Powered Mac Machines Tipped to Launch Next Month

Apple has been tipped to host another launch event soon – on November 17. A third launch in a span of three months could see the Cupertino company finally launching its very own line of processors, ditching Intel and going completely solo. The product that headlines the event could be Apple's first Mac powered by the Apple Silicon chip. Apple had confirmed the news that it will be transitioning from the Intel chips that currently power all of its Mac machines to Apple Silicon at the WWDC 2020, its first all-online developer's conference in June. But it doesn't stop just there. Apple is also tipped to launch the rumoured AirPods Studio over-ear headphones early next year.

Apple's November event expectations

Tipster John Prosser speculates that the launch of Apple Silicon could take place as early as November 17. The new leak is in line with Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook promising at WWDC 2020 that the first Mac powered by Apple Silicon would launch before the end of the year. To what it could be, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had predicted that the first machines to run on the new ARM chip could be the 13.3-inch MacBook Pro and the new iMac. Kuo had also said that Apple hopes to run all its new macOS products on Apple Silicon by 2021. Some unreleased MacBook model numbers have also been reportedly leaked in Apple's filing with the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), hinting at an upcoming launch. Kuo had later said an ARM-powered MacBook Air would be due next year.

Apple's tipped early 2021 launches

Meanwhile, Prosser claims that Apple will confirm both the events exactly a week before their scheduled dates; to recap, the Apple Silicon could launch on November 17, 2020, and the AirPods Studio and the AirTags four months later on March 17, 2021.

He had also tipped a few of the AirPods Studio's coveted features in a tweet last month, along with an alleged high-quality render. He had claimed that the AirPods Studio, codenamed B515, will be designed in high-quality leather and metal, have magnetic earcups that automatically detects left and right ears (reversible with no L/R marking), and have a USB Type-C port. A 3.5mm headphone jack is not to be expected on any Apple device anymore. Lending more weight to the rumours, a recent report had suggested that the AirPods Studio headphones would also get neck and head detection, custom equaliser settings, and the all-important active noise cancellation.

The AirPods Studio were earlier expected to launch along with iPhone 12 at Apple's October 14 mega launch where it introduced the iPhone 12 series and the HomePod mini, until its production hit a snag, according to Prosser. What we know so far about the rumoured AirTags is that they will be much like a keychain with a Bluetooth tracker. They look a tad bigger than a bottle cap in alleged renders.

The new iPhone 12 series has been launched with four models and the pre-order dates and availability of all of them in India have now been announced.

WWDC 2020 had a lot of exciting announcements from Apple, but which are the best iOS 14 features for India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.