Insider # 11.04: Mac with ARM processors, Redmi K30i, 150MP mobile camera from Xiaomi (Topic)

In the next release of insiders, first, let's talk about the prospects for the appearance of ARM processors in Apple Mac notebooks. Then we will discuss the external data of the Redmi K30i smartphone and the development of a camera for mobile devices with a resolution of 150 megapixels by Xiaomi engineers.

Apple Laptops with Smartphone Chipsets Coming Next Year

New information has emerged indicating that US-based Apple will unveil its Mac devices in 2021 with the same ARM processors as the iPhone.

This move of the company is associated with the desire to use their own chipsets in their products. So they plan to get away from the addiction associated with the use of Intel products.

The last time such global changes in the policy of the American manufacturer took place in 2006, when the transition from PowerPC to Intel x86 was carried out. It is possible that the coronavirus pandemic may make adjustments to the company's plans.

The introduction of proprietary processors into the iPhone and iPad allowed iOS to gain some competitive advantage by balancing hardware and software precisely by the company's engineers.

Also, the correctness of the chosen strategy was confirmed by the appearance of the $ 399 iPhone SE on the market. This smartphone received a flagship chip of its own design, so it is relatively inexpensive. This would be unrealistic if an Intel or any other third party processor were installed.

Therefore, experts have long predicted the application of a new principle in relation to tablets and laptops of "Yabloko".

The details of this plan are now available. The Americans planned to deploy a new strategy this year. The first ARM-based Mac was slated to arrive by September 2020. However, the economic downturn due to the coronavirus has made its own adjustments.

There are several chipsets used in Mac, at least three models are known. Most likely, they will be based on the Apple A14, which will be installed in the next generation iPhone.

There is information that these processors will be combined into a group called Kalamata. For their production, they will begin to use the capacities of TSMC, where they already produce iPhone and iPad chips. The new products are based on a 5nm process technology.

The source of this information claims that these processors will be more powerful than those used in the company's smartphones. This is probably due to the fact that in laptops, you can install larger batteries and use active cooling.

Also network informants talked about the kernels used in new platforms. These are energy efficient Icestorms and powerful Firestorms that are well suited for resource-intensive tasks. The first chips are expected to have at least eight Firestorm cores and at least four Icestorm cores.

However, the new chips will still not be able to show performance similar to that of high-performance Intel processors. Now similar ones are installed in the flagship versions of MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac Pro. Most likely, Apple will start installing its own chips in the 12-inch MacBook, which was previously discontinued.

It will be positioned as a mobile and energy efficient device.

Another question is related to software. The company has been working on it for several years. Apple is working on macOS tools to enable iOS and iPadOS apps to run on Mac.

Major changes take time. Therefore, Intel chipsets will be installed in Apple devices for some time.

Redmi K30i received a different appearance than the flagship

Recently, images of the Redmi K30i smartphone, the younger version of the Redmi K30 5G, appeared on the network.

From the front, the devices seem to be absolutely identical. The main differences between the models are in the form factor of their rear cameras.

Redmi 30i is equipped with a triple main module, while the older version has four cameras. The resolution of the main sensor is 48 Mp instead of 64 Mp.

The simpler version has one front sensor, while Redmi K30 5G has two. It is also known that the core of the K30i's hardware is the MediaTek processor. Qualcomm is already running in the K30.

It is assumed that the cost of new items will be $ 250, which means the appearance on the market of the most affordable smartphone with a 5G modem.

Redmi K30 5G is currently on sale in China for $ 282.

Xiaomi develops 150 megapixel camera

A year ago, Xiaomi and Samsung created a 108MP camera for mobile devices. It was first used in Xiaomi Mi Note 10 / CC9 Pro, and recently it became known that these companies are developing a new sensor - a 150-megapixel one.

An unnamed source reports that work began not so long ago, but it is progressing at a rapid pace. There are no technical data yet. We only know that Nonacell technology is used. It involves combining 9 pixels into one. This is necessary in order to obtain high-quality 16-megapixel photos at night.

Before that, there were rumors that Samsung was developing cameras with a resolution of 250 and 600 megapixels. They are planned to be used in drones, self-driving cars, IoT gadgets.

The Topic of Article: Insider # 11.04: Mac with ARM processors, Redmi K30i, 150MP mobile camera from Xiaomi.
Author: Jake Pinkman