Apple rumored to be ditching Intel in future Macs

Apple has used three different processor brands for its Mac line ever since the first Macintosh debuted in 1984. They first used Motorola's 68000, then switched to Power PC chips, and finally made the transition to Intel processors in 2005. However, it's rumored that Apple may be working on its own chip that will see the company ditch Intel in the coming years.

According to Bloomberg, several sources have said that Apple is beginning to grow confident enough to one day use a variant of the company's mobile chip designs in future Mac desktops and laptops, meaning that we could see Apple's own A-series chips — like the A6X — inside of a MacBook Pro at some point.

However, Apple is still committed to Intel, and even though they wouldn't ditch the chip maker for at least a few more years, the sources say that it's inevitable that Apple will eventually use their own chips in Macs. This also could mean that Apple will ditch the x86 architecture all-together and use ARM-based chip designs in Mac products, which would essentially cut down on power consumption and save on battery life.

Then again, as the gap between mobile and desktop is quickly closing, and products begin to shrink, it would make sense that Apple would look to using its own chips inside its computers, and it would bring the company one step closer to relying only on themselves for major components, and we don't think Apple would hesitate to do that if it could.

[via Bloomberg]