Apple's M2 MacBook Air Contains No Intel Components
It seems that Apple has finally managed to rid itself of Intel components with the launch of the M2 MacBook Air.
Intel makes a whole host of different components used in computers, so while the M1 Macs no longer use an Intel CPU, there is an Intel component used called a USB Retimer which is required for the USB-C and Thunderbolt ports. However, as MacRumors reports(Opens in a new window), this isn't present in the M2 Air.
A teardown of the new MacBook Air(Opens in a new window) carried out by iFixit revealed Apple replaced the Intel-made USB Retimer with a custom-made alternative. In so doing the M2 Air is Intel-free, and now that Apple has an alternative, we should expect all future MacBook models to use the custom-made component, too.
Apple's move away from Intel has happened very quickly, with the first M1 processor being introduced in 2020 before swiftly being adopted across the entire range of Macs. For Intel, it means the income it receives from the sale of Apple's products is quickly diminishing, and with this latest component change, could soon disappear completely.
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