Apple’s chip design group is reportedly developing new silicon that will power Apple’s first smart glasses, as well as more powerful Macs, and artificial intelligence servers.
This development is according to Bloomberg’s noted Apple leaker Mark Gruman, who cited people with knowledge of the matter as the source.
Apple’s high profile wearable of course is its Vision Pro headset. Last month it was reported that Apple is developing two new Vision Pro headset models, one headset which is lighter and cheaper, and another that tethers to a Mac for low-latency applications.
Apple silicon
The Vision Pro headset was launched in the US in February 2024 for a hefty purchase price of $3,500 (£2,654), with later launches in Europe and elsewhere.
But amidst slow sales of the expensive unit, Apple made sharp cuts to its production in October 2024.
Now according to the Bloomberg report, Apple’s silicon design group is working on new chips that will serve as the brains for future devices, including its first smart glasses, more powerful Macs and artificial intelligence servers.
The move indicates that Apple is actually developing a competitor product to the popular and much cheaper Ray-Ban Meta spectacles (prices start at £379) offered by Meta Platforms.
The Ray-Ban Meta glasses have proved to be more portable than the Vision Pro headset, and allow users to easily capture video, take pictures, play audio, make phone calls and interact with an AI voice assistant whilst on the move.
Meanwhile the Bloomberg report noted that Apple’s silicon team has become a critical piece of Apple’s product development engine in recent years, especially after it began replacing Intel processors with inhouse Mac chips in 2020.
Other semiconductors in development will enable future Macs as well as AI servers that can power the Apple Intelligence platform, the Bloomberg report stated.
In September 2023 Apple had signed a new long-term agreement with British chip designer ARM Holdings, that extends beyond 2040.
A representative for Apple reportedly declined to comment on the Bloomberg report.
Smart glasses, Mac, AI servers
The Bloomberg report stated that Apple’s glasses processor is based on chips used in the Apple Watch that require less energy than the components in products like the iPhone, iPad and Mac.
The chip has reportedly been customised to remove some parts in order to further improve power efficiency. The processor is also being designed to control the multiple cameras that are planned for the glasses.
According to Bloomberg, Apple aims to begin mass production of the processor by the end of next year or in 2027, with a glasses launch following sometime in 2029. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) will reportedly produce the silicon.
Meanwhile the report stated that Apple is working on several new Mac chips, including processors that will likely be known as the M6 (Komodo) and M7 (Borneo) – although this is hardly surprising that Apple is developing new silicon offerings here.
However the report that Apple is also developing AI server chips is significant, as it would be the first processors Apple has made expressly for an AI purpose.