The public is expecting that Apple will be releasing an updated MacBook Pro later this year. Per the latest reports, it appears that the Cupertino-based tech firm is indeed planning to launch at least three new Macs in 2018, and one of those could be the pro-level laptop. Moreover, it is expected that the new Macbooks will receive custom processors made by Apple itself, suggesting that the company is trying to be less dependent on major chipset makers such as Intel and AMD.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is set to launch at least three more Macs in the later part of 2018, which will run the custom processors. It is likely that one of these computers will be the next MacBook Pro update, given that the chips are said to be used in refreshed MacBook laptops and a new iMac desktop. Although, the exact use of the custom processors for each Mac is still uncertain.
At this point, Apple is believed to be developing co-processors for the upcoming MacBooks, as the company may still have a long way to go before it could launch its very own core chips. To note, Apple has already begun to create custom co-processors for its recent computers such as the 2016 MacBook Pro, in which a T1 co-processor is assigned to manage the tasks surrounding the Touch Bar.
Meanwhile, the latest iMac Pro desktop has the T2 co-processor that is in charge of hardware-level security measures and power efficiency, Tech Radar reported. These co-processors, while custom-made by Apple, are not entirely manufactured as they have been developed through a license partnership with ARM.
The Verge believes that the use of Apple's custom processors in the MacBook Pro 2018 and other Mac computers is another step closer to its complete independence on chipset manufacturers. This can be a huge advantage as Apple will no longer have to wait for other companies to develop a brand-new processor for the upcoming MacBooks. Apple will also have the freedom to integrate its hardware and software features without any restrictions imposed by other companies. Furthermore, Apple might be getting near to producing its custom main processor inside the future MacBook Pro and iMac.
