Apple recently released a new line of computers built with their own chips, and the world is ecstatic about them. Apple has managed to make a set of computers that are objectively better in nearly every way compared to their previous line of computers. The result is some incredible hardware, great reviews, and incredible benchmarks. However, there’s something that no one is talking about that makes the M1 chip an integral part of Apple’s future. This is going to lead them to make even more money than they do now — and I’m not referring to Apple’s virtual and augmented reality efforts.
It has to do with a process called binning.
What is binning?
When a company like Apple makes their own chips, some don’t come out right. Making computer chips is a difficult process, involving a lot of materials, a lot of planning, and a lot of people. Being a physical science however, things go wrong that just can’t be controlled. When making these chips, even the smallest, nanoscopic flaws in the materials, can produce bad chips. Here’s the thing: These “bad chips” often still work, just not as designed. Thus, chip manufacturers can actually still sell these as “lower quality” models. It’s the difference between an Intel i7 processor and an Intel i5 processor: Both work just fine, one just isn’t quite as powerful as the other.
