Apple is believed to be working on adding a number of new features to the upcoming iMac Pro, including what could support the "Hey Siri" command triggered by a 3D version of the iPhone 7's A10 Fusion chip.
It has been revealed that Apple intends to use the iPhone 7's CPU as a co-processor to power a range of tasks in an approach similar to that on its smartphone, thus ensuring that the Xeon processor won't "kick in" on less-demanding processes.
“It appears that the iMac Pro’s ARM coprocessor is arm64. It appears to handle the macOS boot and security process as expected. The iMac Pro allows Apple to experiment with tighter control without losing the rest of the user experience,” commented Steve Troughton-Smith.
This means that waking up the digital assistant will no longer require anything more than a voice command, similar to how Cortana currently works on Windows 10 devices. “Hey Siri” support already exists on the iPhone.
Apple putting ARM coprocessors in its computers isn't entirely new, and it was initially expected that the company would take a similar approach for the MacBook Pro. The latest model of the laptop comes with a coprocessor called the T1 that handles low-power tasks, but this would be the first time the company has switched to its own A-series chips for a similar approach.
The new iMac Pro is expected to be released sometime before the end of the year, and as 9to5mac notes, Apple is still experimenting with A chips that could go from the iPhone to the Mac, so more information will be provided when the device is ready to launch, which is soon.
