How Apple’s Decision to Move Away from Intel Paid Off This Year

When Apple decided to ditch Intel processors last year, nobody could imagine just how well the company would power its Macs. But in April 2021, CEO Tim Cook revealed that the M1 chip helped fuel the 70.1% growth in Apple’s Mac revenue, which hit $9.1 billion during that quarter (via CNBC).

The first M1 Apple chip was launched in the 2020 MacBook Air, which was not only more powerful than Intel’s chip, but also offered longer battery life and enabled a fanless design. Throughout 2021, Apple has seen growth in its Mac revenue, which was up 16% year over year in fiscal Q3.

Apple also launched the all-new M1 iMac this year, which offered a redesigned super-thin metal body, followed by a 14-inch MacBook Pro, which launched in October and runs on Apple’s latest M1 Pro and M1 Max processors.

“The chip is so good at managing power that it may even be used in Apple’s augmented reality headset. A report from top Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in November said Apple’s upcoming AR glasses, which he said will launch at the end of 2022, will be just as powerful as its Macs.”

Reports have suggested we will see yet another new MacBook Air, updates to the most powerful iMac Pro and Mac Pro, and more in 2022