Virtualization Technology in macOS after November 2020

 

Why does new apple laptops do not support Virtualization?

It is annoying to see new apple laptops (such as M1) not supporting virtualization technology such as Oracle VirtualBox, VMware Fusion, Parallels, etc. Why is this so?

“The application written for macOS (Intel) cannot run on macOS (Apple Silicon)”

In the year 2020, Apple announced its transition from Intel chips to Apple Silicon processors. The latter is based on ARM designs, which Apples had already used in iPhone and iPads. Apple claims it has developed the most energy-efficient chips in the world, that consume less power while providing better performance. Apple laptops after Nov, 2020 are no more ‘intel based’ laptops.

Some claims that Apple was dissatisfied with Intel’s rate of innovation and improvement which slowed down in the recent years. Secondly, Apple could have also switched to AMD processors, but this would also leave its problem of relying on a third-party whose objectives may not match Apple’s. Thus, by bringing the processor designs in-house, Apple leverage the coordination between its hardware and software teams.

What is ARM in Apples’ chips?

All of Apple’s A-series chips (and the M1 in newer Macs) use the ARM architecture, designed by Arm Holdings. ARM stands for Advanced RISC Machine. ARM chips are known for their low power consumption, making them ideal for phones, tablets, and smart home devices. The ARM chips also allow the development of thinner and lighter devices without sacrificing the performance. The incredible efficiency is aptly demonstrated in the M1 MacBook Air, which does not even need an internal fan. 

"The battery life for Silicon based laptops are far more better than the Intel based laptops"

Why doesn’t ARM support virtualization?

Simply stated, an Apple Silicon Chip is not an Intel chip. They are totally different and do not execute the same hardware instructions. The analogy can be compared to that of the vehicles running on gasoline and diesel. Though, they both run vehicles, they are completely different engines for completely different fuels.