Apple is planning to drop its long-standing chip supplier Intel and develop its own processors from 2020, a report has found.
While the project is “still in the early developmental stages”, Kalamata has been approved by Apple executives and is expected to “result in a multi-step transition”, the news site says.
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According to The Verge, the changeover is expected to begin with Apple’s less power-intensive computers, such as the 12ins MacBook.
However, Intel’s processors will “almost certainly remain” in Apple’s range-topping devices, including the iMac Pro and upcoming Mac Pro, until the tech giant can manufacturer its own chips that are powerful enough for “professional Mac users”.
The Cupertino-based company already produces its own A-series processors in-house for portable devices such as the iPhone and iPad range, using architecture licensed from British firm ARM, The Guardian reports.
Apple’s line-up of desktop and laptop computers has been powered by Intel chips since 2005, the newspaper adds, following an 11-year partnership with IBM and its PowerPC hardware.
Meanwhile, Michael McConnell, an analyst a Keybanc, told Fortune the move away from Apple should be “manageable” for Intel.
Apple’s Mac computers accounted for less than 6% of Intel’s expected $65bn (£45bn) sales revenue this year, which is around $4bn (£2.8bn).