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Kuo: M3 Chip Still Months Away, Entering Mass Production in Second Half of 2023
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But the A17 is a new core and is being produced on a new process, so that doesn't make much sense. If both the A17 and M3 are using the new process, they will both more than likely use the same cores.
Which cores are used in the M-series has more to do with timing... The M1 and the A14 used the same cores and process and were released about the same time. The M2 was released last summer in "mid cycle", so they used the current generation (A15) cores on that same process. If the M3 doesn't debut until the the Fall/Winter, it'll more than likely use the same cores as the A17.
Apple has limited the latest generation cores to the higher end iPhone Pros, starting last year. So they should know by now where production on the 3nm process can be directed towards.
The M1 was based on the A14 and the at-the-time bleeding edge 5nm process, and it launched two months after the A14. So there is precedent for Apple to use the latest A-series core and fab process in the M-series.
Like all product, do a hands on, play various you tube videos or other content does the larger MBA suffice nicely? Good speakers or display as demoed. Try it for a week next that will tell you if it’s for you versus older similar laptops such as the 14” M1 pro MBP still available as new from 3rd party retailer.Man, I was really hoping the 15" MBA would get the M3
Like all product, do a hands on, play various you tube videos or other content does the larger MBA suffice nicely? Good speakers or display as demoed. Try it for a week next that will tell you if it’s for you versus older similar laptops such as the 14” M1 pro MBP still available as new from 3rd party retailer.
Doing basic tasks (browsing/video/office apps) will yield no discernible benefit.
The main reason to really yearn for M3 chips, esp. on something fanless like the MBA, is the efficiency improvements - both battery and sustained performance will see significant improvement.
In the case of a machine like the 15" MBA I'd certainly wait as it seems likely an update to the M3 could be 6-9 months after... whenever the 13" is updated the 15" will certainly be, and that machine will be a year old by the time the 15" is available.
But are the volume buttons on a 3nm process or not? I don’t want any stop-gap buttons! 🤨I gotta say, these "the M3 chip totally started production, pinky swear, oh no wait, I meant it's starting production months from now" rumors are still more exciting than hearing about the iPhone 15's maybe-haptic-maybe-not volume buttons.
The only thought that comes up, is the fact that Apple might not optimize it for just that. They may prefer to use the energy efficiency to improve performance so they can market it as improved over past SoCs. Also we are reminded again this whole lovely topic is a wish list for a rumor. But I hope its real for the fans.
It looks likely that the M3 will debit in the 24" iMac this fall. Then potentially the 13" Laptops.
I would expect an M3 iPad Pro to launch in early 2024 with the OLED screens are ready
Then M3 Mac Mini, M3 Pro/Max Macbook Pros, and maybe Mac Studios (depending on if they introduce M2 Macbook Studios this year).
I would expect an M3 iPad Pro to launch in early 2024 with the OLED screens are ready
Then M3 Mac Mini, M3 Pro/Max Macbook Pros, and maybe Mac Studios (depending on if they introduce M2 Macbook Studios this year).
It'll definitely be both... by default, it looks like the single core scores are going to see a better than 20% improvement and there will likely be a couple more. But there will almost certainly be a bigger improvement in battery life compared to the jump from M1 -> M2.
16 years you still haven't grown tired of Macrumors complete ignorance on supply chain. heads up to you for continuing explaining it.
More evidence that M3 is in production. CEO of TSMC said as much in the earnings call yesterday (bold is my emphasis):
Next, let me talk about our N3 and N3E status. Our 3-nanometer technology is the first in the semiconductor industry to high-volume production with good yield. As our customers' demand for N3 exceeds our ability to supply, we expect N3 to be fully utilized in 2023 supported by both HPC and smartphone applications.
See also https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/could-we-see-m3-before-a17.2382874/post-32115157
Next, let me talk about our N3 and N3E status. Our 3-nanometer technology is the first in the semiconductor industry to high-volume production with good yield. As our customers' demand for N3 exceeds our ability to supply, we expect N3 to be fully utilized in 2023 supported by both HPC and smartphone applications.
See also https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/could-we-see-m3-before-a17.2382874/post-32115157
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As good as I am confident it will be, I would not consider a base M3 to be an SoC for "High Performance Computing" applications. But perhaps TSMC considers any PC SoC to be an HPC SoC.
Perhaps ... maybe this is also evidence that M3 Pro Max Ultra are in production which is expected with the debut of the Mac Pro.
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It’s not integer math. Things can be smaller than 1nm without being zero.
They may start using Angstroms which are one tenth the size of nanometers. Alternately they may use a different way to talk about process sizes. The current processes don’t really correspond to a specific nanometer length. It is a conventionalized way of talking about feature density and not entirely constant between different Fabs.
And others - like me, have said you won't see them this year. I've got a better track record that Kuo or Gurman that this site likes to quote all the time.
M3 Ultra / M3 Extreme, with hardware ray-tracing; absolutely needed for the introduction of the ASi Mac Pro...
Thats just another excuse for delay, it’s likely be introduced at WWDC just because you brought that up.
Apple's next-generation M3 chip will enter mass production in the second half of 2023, according to info shared today by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a tweet, Kuo said M3 chip production will begin "slightly ahead" of the M3 Pro and M3 Max. Apple should use the M3 chip for future models of the 13-inch MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, 24-inch iMac, and Mac mini, while the higher-end M3 Pro and M3 Max chips are destined for the next 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, which Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects to be released in the first half of 2024.
The M3 chip is expected to be manufactured based on Apple chipmaking partner TSMC's latest 3nm process, compared to 5nm for the M2 chip. As a 3nm chip, the M3 should offer significant performance and power efficiency improvements.
As for the long-rumored 15-inch MacBook Air, Kuo said the laptop will be equipped with the M2 chip. Back in June 2022, Kuo predicted that the 15-inch model would also be available with the M2 Pro chip, but he no longer expects this.
The key takeaway from Kuo's latest information is that the first Macs with the M3 chip are likely still months away from launching. This makes sense given that the next Mac Pro desktop tower is rumored to feature the M2 Ultra chip, and it is likely that Apple would finish its rollout of the M2 series of chips before announcing the M3 chip.
Article Link: Kuo: M3 Chip Still Months Away, Entering Mass Production in Second Half of 2023
My gut feeling is the M3 will be a small boost in performance overM1 and M2 but most of it's benefit is in running cooler and increase battery life. By running cooler it should retrofit into most the existing Mac computers saving money. Apple big leap was moving to System On A Chip with the M1, but performance benefit will be small moving forward and barely noticable for the typical Apple user.
You really think Apple is so cheap to not redesign what’s necessary to make computer run its best? Like it was mentioned they will instead optimize any new SoC to gain performance even at some cost to energy usage.