The first ARM-powered MacBook could be here earlier than expected, with Bloomberg suggesting a November launch

A Bloomberg report that focused on upcoming 5G iPhones featured an interesting tidbit about Apple's upcoming ARM-powered MacBooks. According to the report, Apple will host a second event this year in November to formally unveil its first ARM MacBooks. This indicates that Apple's transition from Intel's x86 platform might take place a bit earlier than expected, with ARM MacBooks in users' hands as early as the end of this year. 

Previous rumors indicate that Apple's in-house MacBook chip will feature a 12-core processor, built on the 5nm node. It'll be interesting to see how the 12-core ARM-based chip stacks up to Apple's current Intel-based offerings. Initial tests with the limited edition A12Z-based Mac Mini indicate that a 12-core Apple Silicon processor could easily hold its own when running native apps. 

However, when Rosetta interpretation comes into the picture, performance drops by as much as 50 percent. In initial days, before developers port x86 apps over to ARM, "good enough" Rosetta performance will likely make or break the ARM MacBook's value proposition.