CNBC today posted an in-depth report and video providing an inside look at Apple’s chipmaking efforts. The video provides a rare look at Attle’s chip testing labs in California. The report includes commentary by Apple’s chipmaking head Johny Srouji and hardware engineering chief John Ternus.
Apple first debuted homegrown semiconductors in the iPhone 4 in 2010. As of this year, all new Mac computers are powered by Apple’s own silicon, ending the company’s 15-plus years of reliance on Intel.
“One of the most, if not the most, profound change at Apple, certainly in our products over the last 20 years, is how we now do so many of those technologies in-house,” said John Ternus, who runs hardware engineering at Apple. “And top of the list, of course, is our silicon.”
Apple launched its first custom chip, the A4, used in the iPhone 4 and the original iPad.
Apple’s silicon team has since grown, and the company employs thousands of engineers working in labs around the globe, including in Israel, Germany, Austria, the U.K., and Japan. The company’s U.S. facilities are located in Silicon Valley, San Diego, and Austin, Texas.
Unlike other chipmakers, Apple does not fabricate chips for other companies.
“Because we’re not really selling chips outside, we focus on the product,” Srouji said. “That gives us freedom to optimize, and the scalable architecture lets us reuse pieces between different products.”
(Image credit: CNBC)