Apple is actively working on new specialized chips that will form the basis of future devices — from the first smart glasses to powerful Macs and artificial intelligence servers. This is reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
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According to sources, the company has made progress in developing a chip for smart glasses. This step indicates that Apple is increasing its work on such a device, which will compete with the popular Ray-Ban glasses offered by Meta Platforms Inc.
In recent years, the silicon chip development team has become the most important part of Apple's product development mechanism, especially after it began replacing Intel Corp. processors with its own Mac chips in 2020. Other semiconductors under development will enable future Mac computers, as well as artificial intelligence servers that could form the basis of the Apple Intelligence platform.
It is reported that the company plans to mass-produce the processor by the end of next year or in 2027. This indicates that the glasses are most likely to be released on the market in about two years.
According to reports, Apple is currently exploring non-AR glasses that use cameras to scan the environment and rely on AI to help users. This would make the device similar to Meta's product, although Apple is still figuring out exactly which approach it wants to take. The iPhone maker also needs to significantly improve its own artificial intelligence technology before the company can release an AI-focused device.
The company is also expanding its bets. Apple is working on adding cameras to its AirPods and smartwatches, seeking to turn these products into AI products. The company is developing a chip called Nevis for camera-equipped Apple Watches and a component called Glennie for similarly equipped AirPods. Apple intends to prepare these chips by around 2027.
In addition to semiconductors for small devices, Apple is working on several new Mac chips, including processors that will most likely be known as M6 (Komodo) and M7 (Borneo). Another, more advanced Mac chip called Sotra is also under development. The company plans to release the M5 processor for iPad Pro and MacBook Pro as early as the end of this year.
Apple is paying special attention to the development of server infrastructure for Apple Intelligence — the AI platform. The first dedicated server processors will appear as part of the Baltra project, which is scheduled to be completed by 2027. They will have several times more cores than current M-series chips.
In addition, the company is preparing new C2 and C3 modems for the iPhone, as well as touch systems for non-invasive glucose measurement — a feature that may be integrated into future Apple Watch models.