Apple Inc. is advancing its chip design, focusing on new processors that will power future devices, including its first smart glasses, more powerful Macs, and artificial intelligence (AI) servers. Progress in smart glasses chip development indicates Apple's intent to compete with Meta Platforms Inc.'s Ray-Ban glasses. The silicon design team has become crucial for product development, especially since Apple began replacing Intel processors with its own Mac chips in 2020.
The team is also working on chips for future Mac devices and AI servers supporting the Apple Intelligence platform. These AI server chips will be Apple's first dedicated processors for handling remote Apple Intelligence requests, a task currently managed by high-end Mac chips like the M2 Ultra. This AI server project, codenamed Baltra, is expected to be completed by 2027 and involves components co-developed with Broadcom.
The smart glasses processor, based on the Apple Watch chip, consumes less power than those in iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Mass production of this processor is planned for late next year or 2027, with TSMC as the manufacturing partner. If successful, the glasses could be released in the next two years.
