After months of speculations and leaks suggesting that Apple’s highly anticipated M3 chips wouldn’t make their debut until 2024, there’s a sudden shift in the narrative. According to renowned Apple leaker Mark Gurman from Bloomberg, Apple’s next-generation processors might actually be arriving this year in new MacBook and iMac models.
In his recent Power On newsletter, Gurman revealed that Apple has big plans for this fall, including the expected launch of new Apple Watch and iPhone models in September. Interestingly, Gurman’s sources also indicated that another product launch is scheduled for October, and he believes this event will feature Mac hardware equipped with the M3 chip.
It’s worth noting that Apple introduced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models in January, followed by the release of 15-inch MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro models in June. Gurman suggests that the next iMac, 13-inch MacBook Air, and 13-inch MacBook Pro are likely to be the first devices to benefit from the impressive generational performance leap offered by the M3 chip. If true, this would position Apple’s M3 as a strong competitor against the best processors from Intel and AMD.
However, previous leaks have raised concerns about the M3 chip’s potential delay. Gurman’s claims do not address the issues previously suggested by leaks, which pointed to manufacturing partner TSMC facing yield problems that hindered meeting Apple’s 2023 order for the new processors. In fact, Gurman himself mentioned in an earlier newsletter that the higher-end M3 Pro chips would not be available in 2023.
The ongoing production challenges faced by TSMC are widely known, as the global chip shortage continues to impact silicon manufacturers. Speculation within the industry suggests that these shortages could persist into 2024, making it reasonable to assume that meeting the demand for M3 chips in 2023 might pose difficulties for Apple and TSMC.
While Gurman acknowledges that Apple’s release schedule aligns with a potential October product launch, it does not guarantee the arrival of M3 hardware. It is plausible that Apple initially intended to unveil the M3 Macs at its WWDC 2023 event, but delays forced the company to push the launch to later in the year.
Certainly, many are hoping to see the M3-equipped MacBook Air before the year comes to a close, especially since Intel’s next-generation laptop processors pose a formidable challenge to the MacBook’s current dominance. Only time will tell when Apple’s M3 chips will make their long-awaited appearance and whether they can live up to the expectations of Mac enthusiasts worldwide.
