The first iMac with an Apple Silicon ARM processor is rumored to arrive early next year, the first of a wave of new Mac desktops with Apple's custom designed processors The new iMacs will feature the desktop-class A14T chip and a new Apple GPU and are expected to arrive in early 2021

We've been eagerly awaiting news of an Apple silicon-powered desktop since Apple announced in June that it was breaking away from Intel and moving entirely to a proprietary architecture similar to that used in the iPad and iPhone

According to Chinese-language newspaper The China Times (via MacRumors), Apple is preparing its first desktop processor, the A14T chip (development codename "Mt Jade"), with in-house developed GPU code named "Lifuka" It is being produced together with

Both chips are manufactured using TSMC's 5-nanometer process, which promises higher computing performance and better overall power efficiency, the kind of professional-grade performance that has led both professional and casual users to adopt Apple products suitable for the company's products

The use of in-house designed hardware will give Apple greater control over how software runs on the new Mac, allowing for particularly tight integration between the various Apple computing products, from the desktop iMac to the pocket-sized iPhone will be possible Native support for iPhone and iPad apps on the Mac will also be greatly improved as all these disparate products switch to a similar processing architecture

The new processing hardware will be included in the iMac, which is expected to be announced in the first half of 2021 This new hardware is expected to debut in the larger iMac's 27-inch size, as the iMac was the flagship of Apple's desktop line, but even the details of that speculation are unknown, as is the possibility of a redesign of the iMac

Although specific details have not been shared by Apple, an Apple event focusing on the Mac and Apple's silicon hardware is rumored to be held on November 17 At that same event, Apple is expected to unveil a new MacBook Pro with Apple silicon, expected to be released by the end of the year

Apple has released a Developer Transition Kit Mac mini running on the Apple Silicon A12Z processor, and Apple developers can already get their first not-for-sale Apple Silicon Mac These kits are limited to a select few and are not likely to be sold at regular retail outlets

However, the arrival of the first ARM-based iMac does not mean that current Intel-based models will not be updated next year; Apple has promised to fully transition to Apple Silicon by the end of 2022, so some Intel iMacs reasonable to expect that they will be announced along with new models that still have Apple built in