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Until Apple makes an Air with four USB ports, I am stuck buying more horsepower than I need. Multi-port accessories don’t seem to have the juice to run things that need power, like DVD player or even an external backup drive. *sigh*
 
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One scenario could be to discontinue the M1 MBA and slot the M2 MBA 13 into the M1’s place price wise. Then introduce the M2 MBA 15 at about the same or just under price as a M2 MBP 13.

Another scenario could be to simply discontinue the M2 MBP 13 and replace it with the MBA 15. That would maintain the clear delineation between the mainstream Air line and heavy duty professional line of Pro 14 and 16.

Unless there is a plan to replace the M2 MBP 13 with a new redesigned model they could push a bit more upmarket.

So…
- M1 MacBook Air 13
- M2 MacBook Air 13
- M2 MacBook Air 15
- (New) M2 MacBook Pro 13
- MacBook Pro 14
- MacBook Pro 16

Or…
- M2 MacBook Air 13
- M2 MacBook Air 15
- MacBook Pro 14
- MacBook Pro 16

I think the second scenario is better. It’s simpler, clearer and covers all bases because the M series Airs are now easily capable of a reasonable degree of pro use as well most any mainstream use.

Or they could call the new 15 just Macbook rather than Air.

But Tim Cook is not about simplicity. He is about all sorts of price points. So scenario 1 is the more likely one.
 
I wish they would have just waited until M3 was available instead of pushing this out with M2 then updating it with M3 when it becomes available. Its just gonna generate a lot of loud complaints online in the fall 'hey, I bought a 15 inch MacBook 5 months ago and only if I had waited, I would have gotten a better processor' or 'Can return my M2 MB 15 inch I bought 5 months ago get the new one with M3?', or 'Apple sucks, how can I upgrade my M2 to M3?'

Thou taketh these rumors as fact at thy own expense
 
In his newsletter today, Gurman said the new MacBooks coming at WWDC "probably won't" feature Apple's next-generation M3 chip

It's less than two months until the event, and it's a "probably won't have M3 chip" 😆

I mean, he's not even trying to pretend he doesn't know anything anymore.

Whatever Apple's decision is - M2 or M3 or Z4 - it's already been made months and months ago, it's just that Gurman has no idea, hence the need to speculate and add words like "probably".
 
The idea that M1 and even M2 is dated and obsolete is perfect nonsense only fanatics and posers will subscribe to. The roads are full of perfectly good older model cars and trucks that do whats needed of them with perfectly satisfied owners. The fact they’re no longer the newest, latest models doesn’t invalidate their value and usefulness.

Calling M1 and M2 outdated when the general competition hasn’t even caught with 1 released two years ago is absurd.

If you need a computer right now then you can get a perfectly satisfiable device now.
 
That is circular reasoning. Buy a computer for the tasks you want it for and you will be much happier.
thanks for such original advice. 3nm chips such as the M3 are 20-30% more energy efficient than 5nm chips (the M2). I buy a laptop for portability so I can use it on the go. Thus, battery life IS the most important thing for me. Hence why I'm waiting for the M3.
 
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thanks for such original advice. 3nm chips such as the M3 are 20-30% more energy efficient than 5nm chips (the M2). I buy a laptop for portability so I can use it on the go. Thus, battery life IS the most important thing for me. Hence why I'm waiting for the M3.
Apple is likely to still weight improvements to computer performance rather than just longer battery life. It’s how it’s been with the AS platform laptops.
 
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My now 9-month old M2 MBA is already notably faster than the M1 MBA I used to own, which was much faster than previous Intel MBs I had. Even if you switch to a pre-M3 model it will be an enormous improvement over what you currently use.
I don't give a hoot about the M3's processing power. Processing power is NOT why I'm waiting. I'm waiting because the M3 is a next-gen 3nm chip and the M2 is an old-gen 5nm chip. 3nm chips are 20-30% more energy efficient than 5nm chips, which means much longer battery life. The energy efficiency is the big advantage of 3nm over 5nm. And battery life is the most important thing in a laptop for me.

If the M2 were already 3nm, I wouldn't be waiting until the M3 to buy the 15" MBA, which I've hoped Apple would make for over a decade now.

M4 and M5 chips will also be 3nm, which is why I'm not going to wait for them as they will feature the same underlying chip technology as the M3.
 
If they are going to announce an updated 13.6” MBA, what else could they do but add an M3 processor? It’s too early for any external design changes. This whole story about them bringing out new machines with M2 processors seems fishy.
This is an odd rumour. Puts a freeze on a MBA purchase for me for the next 2 months.
 
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I am a bit confused. If there is no M3, why to update the 13" MBA then ?
I could see as consistent options not updating the 13" MBA and adding an 15" MBA with similar chips, or releasing the M3 and moving all models to it (hence, updating the 13").
 
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I am a bit confused. If there is no M3, why to update the 13" MBA then ?
I could see as consistent options not updating the 13" MBA and adding an 15" MBA with similar chips, or releasing the M3 and moving all models to it (hence, updating the 13").
Most of this rumor has realized that the 15” MBA will be M2 based because some speculation had the M3 being available way sooner than it could be. Still a lot we’re hopeful.
 
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Sounds like a solid plan for Apple, especially if the M3 processor isn't ready for prime time. I can understand this! My next upgrade to MacBook whatever will have to have an M3 or later processor.
 
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I'll hang onto my current Intel MBP and wait to get to the 15in MBA when the M3 comes to it. 3nm process is vastly superior to the M2's 5nm.

EDIT: Updating this to explain why I'm waiting for M3 15MBA instead of the M2 15MBA (because apparently, most commentators don't know why the M3 will be vastly superior to the M2).

My wait has nothing to do with the speed advantages of the M3 over the M2, which will be negligible for the tasks I use a laptop for. I'm waiting because the M3 is a next-gen 3nm chip and the M2 is an old-gen 5nm chip. The biggest advantage of 3nm over 5nm is the 3nm chip is 20-30% more energy efficient. So a M3 15MBA will have 20-30% better battery life than an M2 15MBA.

That is why I'm waiting – not for any speed bumps.

It's also why I am NOT waiting for the M4 or M5 15MBA, because both the M4 and M5 chips will be 3nm, too – just like the M3. That means the M3, M4, and M5 chips will all have the relatively same battery life. But their battery life will be 20-30% more than the M2.
Without reading your updates, I felt you were making the right decision. I mean, if your current MacBook Pro wasn't working well, you would have already upgraded it! This speaks volumes for Apple in that older technology can still pack a punch for many, many years.

I am like you, it has to be M3 and mostly for the reasons you explained later. Already the M2 variants can address up to 96gb memory coupled with 8TB drive so I am hoping that the M3 can address even more memory, along with more core. It's nice to have options, right?
 
If they are going to announce an updated 13.6” MBA, what else could they do but add an M3 processor? It’s too early for any external design changes. This whole story about them bringing out new machines with M2 processors seems fishy.
512 GB SSD standard? ;) Airjet cooling chip? Numpad in trackpad? Blue color without fingerprints? Display? Speakers?
 
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My wait has nothing to do with the speed advantages of the M3 over the M2, which will be negligible for the tasks I use a laptop for. I'm waiting because the M3 is a next-gen 3nm chip and the M2 is an old-gen 5nm chip. The biggest advantage of 3nm over 5nm is the 3nm chip is 20-30% more energy efficient. So a M3 15MBA will have 20-30% better battery life than an M2 15MBA.
Not sure if you are aware that chip is not the only part that sucks power and that display can be also significant. So it will be less then 20-30%. Besides that Chip will be more powerful so will probably suck similar power as M2.
 
I still don't understand the 15" MBA not having M3.

If it doesn't, that means it will be a generation behind the 13" MBA and MBP when they are inevitably updated with M3 later this year. Or are we supposed to believe the 15" MBA will be announced at WWDC with M2 and then will be updated to M3 in the fall? Or the 13" MBA and MBP won't get updates until 2024?

And what about the Mac Pro? Is it really just going to be a Mac Studio in a big, empty chassis?

At this point I just want WWDC to happen so this can start making sense.

Where the Mac Pro fits into Apple's current hardware paradigm is an open question, but I don't think the question of launching a M2 MacBook Air right now is really a hard one to solve. The people who buy MacBook Airs are not people focused on chips processes. They're people who want a more affordable Apple laptop, and who previously haven't been able to get a bigger screen without a significant price and weight cost. I assume at some point the product will get refreshed with the 13" in a "normal" cadence and it'll just be a historical weirdness bit that it launched with an M2 super late after the 13", like how the shift to unibody laptops took a while and there was weirdness like the metal MacBook that lasted a generation before being turned into a Pro.
 
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