Apple M1 Macs are kick-starting a new Arm-based PC era. Arm's CEO is optimistic The UK-based chip designer, which dominates smartphones, now is trying to fix lackluster PC performance. Listen - 05:19 For years, computer makers have tried to sell PCs built on Arm processors, a power-efficient family that powers smartphones. Compared with models running on x86 chips from Intel and AMD, though, Arm-based PCs have suffered from performance and software compatibility shortcomings. Now Apple's M1 processors, the Apple-designed member of the Arm family that powers new MacBooks, are changing views of Arm PCs. The M1 chips offer not just good battery life, like Qualcomm's Arm chips in some Windows laptops, but also good performance. At the same time, x86 PCs have improved only gradually.