Pegatron may build Apple’s rumored hybrid MacBook powered by a custom ARM processor

pegatron ARM MacBook

Contract manufacturer Pegatron has been allegedly tipped to land orders from Apple to produce its rumored hybrid ARM-based MacBook model, according to industry sources mentioned today in a report by Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes.

Pegatron declined to comment on what it called market speculations.

A hybrid notebook

Code-named “Star” and bearing a series number “N84,” the device was previously described by 9to5Mac as a hybrid computer outfitted with a touchscreen, LTE cellular connectivity, a SIM card slot, GPS, compass and more. It’s allegedly water-resistant and uses the Extensive Firmware Interface or EFI, which is the boot system used in Macs.

iOS devices currently rely on iBoot.

A low-cost iPhone, perhaps?

However, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman and many other publications have posited that the ARM-based MacBook, or perhaps this particular “N84” device, might actually be a low-cost LCD iPhone that looks like an iPhone X and coming later this year.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg reported that Apple hoped to ditch Intel for custom Mac chips based on iPhone and iPad processors starting some time in 2020. Apple executives had reportedly approved the project, code-named “Kalamata,” as part of the company’s broader strategy to make all Apple devices work even more seamlessly together.

ARM-based Macs may start with an entry-level MacBook before eventually Apple develops ARM chips that would be suitable for more powerful notebooks such as the MacBook Pro series. Desktop Macs are not expected to make a jump to ARM technology anytime soon.

What are your thoughts on a hybrid MacBook with an ARM chip?

Let us know in the comments down below.