I'm gaming out what Apple silicone looks like 5-10 years down the line. Generally I'm a big user of Apple products but they have definitely been getting expensive recently largely from Apple's push in vertical integration of semiconductors. Each generation of M series chip has lasted 1-2 years making the rate at which Apple is improving astonishing but also means their costs are rising quickly. It's common knowledge that semiconductors get more expensive to manufacture as their architectural complexity increases. This is understood as the cost of being at the bleeding edge of the industry and is representative through many avenues including R&D. Exact numbers are difficult to grasp because Apple has been constantly in a state of new chip development for the past 3-4 years. With the trend that generally people will be buying “big ticket” electronics like laptops and phones with less frequency moving forward, there will be a point where it is no longer viable for Apple to improve its semiconductor or has to find more sales. Regardless, at the current rate a decision point seems likely on changes for Apple silicon. In the case they want to find more sales, where does Apple expect the sales to come from? Will Apple open M chips to products outside of their lineup? Will Apple restart manufacturing of older chips?
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