The rumored MacBook ARM is a complex project and will not appear until 2021. However, new rumors suggest that an ARM-based MacBook could appear as early as this year.

The source of the surprise is the tweeter @l0vetodream, who simply posted "ARM Mac this year." This is shocking because Apple has not publicly announced the rumored processor change, nor has it told developers how to recode their apps to support the new CPU.

Apple's rumored move could cause the company to move away from Intel chips in its desktop and laptop Macs to Apple chips based on technology from Japanese technology company ARM. This is a much more complicated issue than simply replacing the microchips.

Third-party applications would have to be rewritten and modified, which would take time. For example, a MacBook Air would not be very attractive if it could not run Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop.

According to a Notebookcheck post, Apple will make the rumored 12-inch MacBook ARM run apps designed for Intel chips (running on x86 architecture), similar to how Chromebooks run Android apps We speculate that this could be accomplished by using an emulation layer.

Unfortunately, emulation would create another potential problem of poor performance; according to the Guardian, the Microsoft Surface Pro X has such a problem and "apps that are not ARM-native run as if they were handbrake It acts as if you are stepping on the handbrake," according to the Guardian. Nevertheless, this may be Apple's way of trying to make the completely forgotten 12-inch MacBook important again.

These ARM chips are similar to the A-series chips Apple uses in its iPhones and iPads, which allow for longer battery life. Rumor has it that this will allow Apple to make thinner MacBooks than ever before. Apple's new CPU is rumored to be announced as early as June 22 at WWDC 2020, so we may have official news soon.