Apple Shakes Up the Market

Kai Kaufman '21

December 2020

It’s that time of the year again, when we begin to discuss the plethora of innovations that Apple inevitably comes out with every year. Not even a global pandemic could stop Apple from hosting not one, two, or three, but four pre-recorded and live-streamed events. There were several announcements unique to each event, so let’s dive into the discussion.

In June, Apple hosted their annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). At the conference, Apple announced major updates to their iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS operating systems. iOS is the mobile operating system that runs on all iPhones; iPadOS is a version of iOS fine-tuned for the expanded capabilities of the modern iPads; and watchOS is the version that runs on Apple Watches. Apple brought several new features to iOS, such as improvements to iMessage’s conversation system (you can now reply to a specific message, or “mention” someone else in a group chat), a built-in Translation app, and after far too long, the ability to change the default browser app. iPadOS got proper support for handwriting with the Apple Pencil (which is more than just a glorified stylus), while watchOS got the ability to detect when you’re washing your hands. Perhaps the most interesting and significant announcement at WWDC, though, was that Apple’s line of Mac computers would be transitioning from processors made by Intel to custom “Apple Silicon.” In short, the so-called Apple Silicon is based on an architecture that allows for massive gains in power efficiency, while not compromising performance. We’ll discuss this in depth later.

A few months later, in September, Apple introduced new Apple Watches and iPads. The new watches come with more advanced sensors, as previously mentioned, along with improved displays. Apple introduced a whole load of new health features, one being the ability to measure blood oxygen levels and heart activity. The new iPads came with improved processors, software improvements (as previously mentioned), and greater support for various input methods (including the Apple Pencil and an external keyboard.) Overall, this event was not particularly exciting, but it still brought plenty of excellent technology to the table.

Just a month later, in October, Apple hosted yet another event, this time introducing the new iPhone 12 series. These new iPhones come with the next generation of Apple’s mobile processors called the A14 chip, massive improvements to the display and camera, better water resistance and drop resistance, as well as support for 5G networks. The new phones additionally come with support for wireless charging, thanks to the “MagSafe” magnetic connector system. MagSafe isn’t new by any means - it’s been around since 2006, and was originally used by Apple for its laptop computers. It was abandoned in 2016, though, which makes its return a bit more interesting than it would have been otherwise. The new phones certainly aren’t cheap - they’ll set you back several hundreds of dollars, which isn’t new - but they’re by far the most advanced iPhones to date.

Apple’s latest and most significant event took place just a month ago in November. At this event, Apple shared more information about the new “Apple silicon” processors for Mac computers. Since 2006, Macs have used processors made by Intel, using the x86 “architecture.” In short, a processor architecture defines the set of “instructions” that can be used by computer programs to accomplish some task. Apple’s new processors are based on an ARM architecture, which boasts greater power efficiency while not necessarily compromising performance. ARM processors have been used in the iPhone since its inception, but they have never been used in a Mac computer before. Over the past several years, Apple has steadily improved its in-house ARM processors, incorporating a plethora of custom technology for its devices. The “Neural Engine” that they boast about, for example, is built into their custom processors. By transitioning Macs to custom-made processors, Apple can have even greater control over what goes into their devices, in what is essentially vertical integration. The new “M1” processors, according to Apple, are the fastest laptop processors in the world, capable of doing the same demanding tasks with a fraction of the power consumption. Battery life has seen a dramatic improvement, and by some accounts, low-end M1 computers can outperform some of the most powerful x86 Macs on the market today. It’s a truly astonishing feat of engineering, and Apple seems to be on track to become one of the most prolific developers of computer processors.

Perhaps the greatest testament to the M1 processor is its performance in emulation. Since programs built for x86 processors cannot natively run on ARM processors - they don’t speak the same language - Apple had to develop the equivalent of Google Translate for software. This is a very difficult task, because it requires emulating every single known quirk and possible behavior. Emulation typically results in a significant negative performance impact, since the computer is essentially doing double the work. Astonishingly, some software built for x86 was reported to run even faster than usual, despite being emulated and translated on the fly. While Apple’s solution still has issues of its own, the fact that it works reliably and quickly is incredible.

Despite the global pandemic, Apple has managed to release a diverse collection of products this year, and seems to be on track to continue shaking up the mobile and laptop markets. There are already reports of plans to develop even more powerful processors, which would not bode well for Intel. It's truly incredible to witness the continuous generational improvements in Apple's products, and it doesn't seem like they plan on stopping anytime soon.