Apple is all set to launch the iMac Pro desktop
computer before the end of the year and a couple of developers have given
important insights on what to expect from Apple's next big launch before we say
goodbye to 2017. Sure, HomePod will not be coming before at least early 2018.
Apple is rumoured to be using custom ARM chips for
more features inside upcoming Macs. Developer Jonathan Levin has combed through
BridgeOS 2.0 code that should come with the upcoming iMac Pro, and it looks
like Apple will be using a downgraded version of the iPhone 7's A10 Fusion SoC
as a coprocessor on the iMac Pro. This would be the first time that a Mac has
used an A series chipset designed by Apple.
Another developer, Steve Troughton-Smith has noted
that the A10 Fusion chip will handle macOS' boot and security processes,
allowing Apple to "experiment with tighter control" of macOS without
frustrating users and developers alike.
More importantly, Guilherme Rambo has found
references to always-on "Hey Siri" support, which means you might not
have to click an icon to invoke Siri to ask her about the weather. In fact,
Troughton-Smith suggests that the chip never sleeps, meaning that it runs even
when the iMac Pro is completely shut off.
Twitter/Guilherme Rambo
Similarly, a Bloomberg report from earlier this year
suggested that Apple was developing a new ARM-based chip for the MacBook Pro.
The chip would be responsible for handling low-power tasks that currently rely
on Intel's processor.
Apple currently ships a custom ARM chip called the
'T1' in its latest MacBook Pro models that feature Touch ID and the Touch Bar.
It remains to be seen how the A10 Fusion chip
destined for the yet-to-be-launched iMac Pro will differ from other coprocessor
technology Apple has used till now.
