Apple Silicon refers to the range of system-on-a-chip (SoC) and system-in-package (SiP) processors designed and manufactured by Apple Inc.
The term was first used to describe Apple’s transition from Intel processors to their own custom-designed chips for Mac computers. The first Apple Silicon chip was M1, released in November 2020, which combines various components such as the CPU, GPU, Neural Engine, Secure Enclave, memory, and more into one single chip.
The main benefit of using Apple Silicon over Intel processors is that Apple has control over the design and architecture of their chips, which can lead to greater optimization, efficiency, and performance for their devices. It also allows for more seamless integration between their hardware and software.