Apple recently announced the M2 Pro and M2 Max SoCs alongside the MacBook Pro 14 and MacBook Pro 16 featuring them. The initial expectation was that M2 Pro and M2 Max would be fabbed on TSMC’s 3 nm node, but that was anyway unlikely considering that TSMC started N3 lines just recently. Now, we are getting to know that the upcoming MacBook Air will launch in the second half of 2023 featuring a 3 nm M3 chip.
According to DigiTimes“the supply chain is more focused on the more affordable MacBook Air, which is expected to be updated in the second half of 2023 and may be equipped with a 3nm processor“. The publication does not mention any other specifics.
The Apple M3 SoC will join the likes of the A17 Bionic in the iPhone 15 Pro and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoCs also set to debut later this year. If Apple’s launch pattern is anything to go by, the M3 MacBook Air will launch in late 2023 while MacBook Pros featuring the M3 Pro and M3 Max will see the light of the day early 2024.
While the M3-powered MacBook Air 13 and MacBook Air 15 are very likely in H2 2023, it helps to have a pinch of salt handy. earlier DigiTimes predicted that the now-announced M2 Pro and M2 Max-powered MacBook Pros would be delayed well into 2023, but that has not been the case.
Display analyst Ross Young predicted last year that a MacBook Air 15 would launch in early 2023, possibly without mini-LED backlighting and ProMotion. But if the new DigiTimes report is anything to go by, we might have to wait a few more months before we can get our hands on the 13 and 15-inch MacBook Airs with M3.
It is also possible that M3-powered Macs could get a lot more expensive. Foundry costs have been going uphill the past few generations, and it is expected that a TSMC N3E wafer alone would cost US$20,000 — 2x the price of a 2018 7 nm wafer.
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Although a cell and molecular biologist by training, I have been drawn towards computers from a very young age ever since I got my first PC in 1998. My passion for technology grew quite exponentially with the times, and it has been an incredible experience from being a much solicited source for tech advice and troubleshooting among family and friends to join Notebookcheck in 2017 as a professional tech journalist. Now, I am a Lead Editor at Notebookcheck covering news and reviews encompassing a wide gamut of the technology landscape for Indian and global audiences. When I am not hunting for the next big story or taking complex measurements for reviews, you can find me unwinding to a nice read, listening to some soulful music, or trying out a new game.
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