Does Google have a reply for Apple’s all-in-one ecosystem?

Yesterday Apple announced its first wave of Mac computers powered by arm-based silicon. There was a key message in the unspecified M1 SoC performance claims and dubious graphs that would likely upset the status quo. With the abolition of Intel for its internal silicon, Apple now has uniform control over hardware and software for its mobile products and now also for its PCs. This is a huge change that is likely to have a significant impact on Apple’s industry-leading ecosystem in the years to come.

A switch in the CPU architecture is not so well suited for cross-platform software and software that is now running under emulation. However, Apple is given the option to customize its future processors to match software needs, which could boost performance for some workloads across the board. Likewise, Apple’s entire ecosystem can benefit from machine learning and secure enclave processing improvements that will drive future applications. It’s also a great game for inter-device biometric security and of course digital payments too. Whether Apple will tighten its grip remains to be seen. But it’s still a change.

Apple’s move to custom PC silicon could be the industry’s biggest move in over a decade. However, Apple is only at the beginning, not the end. The competitors have enough time to react. If Google is to keep up with its own computing ambitions, it must do so soon.

Connected: The best Chromebooks you can buy

Missing mobile data

A blatant omission in Apple’s M1 announcement was the 4G or 5G network for work on the go. This is in stark contrast to Microsoft’s marketing of the always-connected PC, where 4G networks are a central platform function.

Apple recently bought Intel’s modem business, so future chipsets may have a built-in modem. But right now, Apple is bogged down with third-party external modems if it is to go that route. This undermines the integrated character of the M1. Qualcomm’s PC platforms such as Snapdragon 8cx offer an advantage over Microsoft’s Windows on Arm platform in this regard. There’s nothing stopping Google from using these platforms for its Chromebooks as well. After all, there are already LTE-capable products such as the Samsung Chromebook Plus.

Still, connected PCs aren’t a complete game changer at the moment. Most people enjoy working on WiFi. The still rather high prices for multi-gigabyte data plans make working with a SIM card quite expensive. In the years to come, however, 5G-enabled PCs could become a boon for computing services like Google Workspace. Google would do well to tap this potential sooner rather than later.

Custom hardware isn’t everything

While control over hardware and software has its advantages, other manufacturers can already do whatever Apple can. Google certainly doesn’t need Emulating Apple by venturing the costly route of making your own SoCs. Arm-based PC chipsets from MediaTek and Qualcomm already offer support for hardware video decoding and encoding, high-definition HDR displays, secure processing and security features, and machine learning that rivals Apple’s capabilities. Although some of these platforms could certainly need a bit more processing power to fill the gap with high-end laptops and Apple’s M1.

What is really important is the operating system and application APIs that developers can use to easily take advantage of these features. You don’t have to own the hardware platform to do this, but you have to work closely with the providers. Under Android, Google already has the Android NN framework with which machine learning can be used on various chipset platforms as well as on biometric and other security APIs. Chrome OS applications require similar developer tools to keep up with Apple.

Google does not need to create chips, it just ensures excellent functional support for third-party platforms

As an operating system developer, it is Google’s responsibility to work closely with various platform developers to ensure the support of the functions that the company deems essential. Microsoft has so far only partnered with Qualcomm for Windows on Arm. As a result, MediaTek claims to be waiting for Mali GPU DirectX drivers to support Windows. Google already offers Chromebook chip suppliers a broader network and should continue to do so.

It is certainly possible to bring these ideas to the laptop market, most likely through Chrome OS. However, Google may need to deviate from its browser-based approach to better take advantage of native machine learning, security, and other blocks of processing on the device. Unfortunately, for Google, not everything should be done over the web. Especially when it comes to sensitive data that ideally should never leave your device. Fortunately, Google has an application ecosystem in Android to build on.

Early Chromebooks were powered by arm-based processors, but performance was poor in those days. This is not a problem with modern processors, and the arm architecture has the advantage that Android apps can run without emulation. Chrome OS could fit into the Android app library with the right APIs. However, the ecosystem still desperately needs better support for large screen applications. Perhaps this is where Google’s plans for the Fuchsia operating system, which is still in development, come into play?

Prices people, prices

My biggest criticism of Windows on Arm devices so far has been the sky-high prices. The same applies to the new Macbooks from Apple. $ 999 or more is way too expensive for an ecosystem that relies on emulation and has performance and potentially other legacy application issues. Qualcomm itself has even recognized that “the cost of ASP on the road was not justified” for current Snapdragon-powered laptops. Ultimately, consumers shouldn’t pay premium prices to partake in an unfinished ecosystem transition.

There is a huge niche in the market for more mainstream products with AI, enterprise security and 4G / 5G capabilities. Chromebooks have traditionally filled this market segment quite well. With the support of Android apps and the constant connectivity for Google’s services, this could be a winning combination. The price quotation is of course correct.

Early, affordable Chromebooks were powered by arm processors. Poor doesn’t have to be expensive.

If third-party manufacturers are reluctant to close the gap, Google can use an internal Chromebook. An arm-controlled Pixel Slate or Pixelbook Go with AI and wireless data capabilities and priced under $ 700 is hard to resist. Apple is certainly price sensitive and Google could be the company bringing much-needed competition.

We’ll have to wait for the next product announcements from Google to see exactly how the company responds. We’re also waiting to see if chipmakers can improve their game to keep up with Apple’s performance lead. It also begs the question of whether Chrome OS’s web-based approach is the right approach to rival Apple for on-device security applications and machine learning applications.

However, Google has already partially unified the Android and Chromebook ecosystems with cross-platform app support and Google Assistant. The next step is to take advantage of the latest computing platforms that offer enhanced machine learning, networking, and security capabilities in the laptop form factor. Don’t forget to provide developers with the tools they need to build next-generation applications for these devices.