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Kuo: 'M3 Series MacBook Pro' to Be Focus of Apple's October 30 Event

smulji said:
I'd be inclined to agree had Apple not introduced the 15" M2 MBA in June (only 4 months ago) and the Vision Pro will also have an M2 SoC. In addition to that, currently yield of TSMC's N3B node is not that high. I don't think there's enough yield to satisfy iPhone 15 Pro, M3 Pro / Max MBP and M3 iMac demand
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It doesn't look like the MBAs are being updated at this time, the M3 would go in the iMac & 13" Pro, and the M3 Pro/ Max would go into the 14/16 inch MacBook Pro, and possibly the iMac similar to the Mac mini. Is N3B confirmed as the basis of the M3? Kuo makes it sound like these are being marched out despite tight supply. All the more reason to debut the M3 in lower volume macs, and leave the big selling Airs for next year. Wrt the Vision Pro, I don't think people will focus on what chip it's using, the new user experience is the key thing about that product, not how much processing power it has. Just seems even more awkward to me to imply the existence of an M3 by launching the Pro/Max variants, without talking about it at all.

bradman83 said:
I would also add, updating the 13" MBP and iMac to M3 first (plus the 14/16" to Pro/Max) makes sense. The Pro should have a performance distinction over the Air other than just having a fan. A desktop like an iMac is generally more powerful than a laptop, so it too should be more performant. The Air's selling point is lightness and affordability, not power, so the 13/15" Air will likely stay on M2 until the spring while the other Macs get updated.

Curious if they'll update the Mini...
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Yes that makes sense to me, the 13" Pro is defined by having that little more processing power over the Air, so giving it priority access for a new chip is a logical thing to do. If the MBA is by far Apple's best selling computer, launching the M3 in lower volume Macs also helps if supply is tight at first.

HobeSoundDarryl said:
Now, describe that Vpro with M2 launch next year after the halo around M3 has faded down for 3-5 months since the November launch.
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See above, what chip the vision pro uses is a bit of an irrelevance as long as it's powerful enough to run the new visionOS smoothly. This isn't a content creation device so more processing power isn't going to be a selling point.
 
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qpid360 said:
Damn, I just bought an M2 Max a couple weeks ago because I didn’t expect they’d be updating it in less than a year. What’s the best options here? I also already traded in my original laptop, so I can’t even go back to that temporarily.
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My return date is the 27th (Max/32GB/1TB).

If it was within the return date, I'd swap it out probably. But I don't expect any functional difference with a slightly better chip, so I'm staying put.
 
Has apple ever held an event with just one type of device? If not, I hope that means there’s still hope for the iPad mini. It hasn’t been refreshed in a while, and the OLED one isn’t rumored to come until 2025. We need an interim one.
 
smulji said:
There is no explicit confirmation but based on TSMC's roadmap, mass production of N3E technology doesn't occur until Nov / Dec of this year.
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Don't even want to think about people's reaction if it turns out to be A16 based 😳

krell100 said:
So we'll have a situation where the laptop (M3) will be more powerful than the Mac Pro (M2). Weird.
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In single core, yes, though that was also the case for the $999 M1 MacBook Air vs the $2,399 16" MacBook Pro & the Intel Mac Pro.
 
Falhófnir said:
See above, what chip the vision pro uses is a bit of an irrelevance as long as it's powerful enough to run the new visionOS smoothly. This isn't a content creation device so more processing power isn't going to be a selling point.
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How nicely that all works out! Of course, why is everyone all juiced up with excitement about M3? Because today, M2 and M1 Macs run every single Mac app available just fine. It's all "good enough" too. So why bother with M3 if good enough is enough?

That's the "latest & greatest" effect. M3 launches will lead to soon putting down even "slow/weak/inferior" M2 whether true or not. That's how "latest & greatest" works.

3-5 or so months from now, if Vpro rolls out with "last years" or "2 year old" brains for it's "too high" price and all the spin about how it is magical/amazing/incredible/best ever, etc... the ridicule will fly fast & furious... whether your point is true or false. "If it's going to have "old chips", the price should be lower" seems likely to fly too.

But, let's go with your idea: M3 is not entirely about more processing power. Apparently 3nm will be far more energy efficient. If it can be clocked down to "good enough" M2 processing power, that should jack up the power sipping even more... which seems highly desirable to counter one of the weakest issues with Vpro now: 2 hour battery life. Does upgrading to M3 add an hour or two if it runs at only M2 "good enough" processing power? We don't know. But even if it really doesn't need any more power, it could certainly use more capacity on battery. 3nm should deliver that.
 
Will once again foolishly hope some sort of 12" makes a return. Gimme that iPad portability with macOS.

Itching to ditch my Intel MBP.
 
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dborja said:
No flames please - just wishful thinking: M3 wedge MBAir and I'd be in. 😜
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Personal wants/opinions should NEVER be flamed. Your opinion is your opinion. Your wishes are your wishes.

How about:
  • wedged iMac shapes so there is more space inside for better-than-base chips? A fat-bottomed wedge shape could also eliminate the chin as seemingly wanted by many too: one big screen from head-on view.
  • using some new space to layer in a few m.2 slots so people can add additional capacity when needed INSIDE, like we used to be able to easily slot in additional RAM?
  • an iMac ultra-wide so that Apple-only-minded people can discover the big productivity boost of much more horizontal R.E.? Personally, I could never come back from 40" ultra-wide (like 2 iMac screens in one bezel).
  • a slotted card approach for the Mac guts, so that when it is inevitably vintaged, one could buy new Mac guts, slot it in and keep using the perfectly-good screen?
  • a resurrection of TDM, so that it can become a monitor for a future Mac when the tech guts are no longer updated, like Apple included in early 201X iMacs?
  • at least one more video input so that those needing full Windows instead of only ARM Windows could optionally buy a Mac Mini-like PC and use the same monitor... or plug any other video source in to also use the same screen.
  • No notch and no island: one solid rectangle for computing. Hide the camera in a iPad Mini-like THIN bezel or copy Samsung and put a detachable, superior camera on top. Make that camera optional, so those happy with continuity camera could use it instead of paying for another camera they don't need.
No flames please- just wishing thinking. I have towards 0% expectation of any of that but THAT's an iMac I'd like to see as a consumer. And then give us about TWO Snow Leopard years to pound through macOS fixing bugs and refining it all, so that it all "just works" again. I miss "just works."
 
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will be interesting - wanted to switch to a desktop + a MBA 15 instead of a MacBookPro.
Lets see, whether I can stick to that plan.
 
Rafterman said:
My return date is the 27th (Max/32GB/1TB).

If it was within the return date, I'd swap it out probably. But I don't expect any functional difference with a slightly better chip, so I'm staying put.
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My return date is the 2-Nov for the 16” MPB so I will definitely swap it. Will probably go to the store on Sunday and request a Gift Card so the money is available straight away for ordering one of the new ones (considering they present one new)
 
Well crap. I ordered an M2 14" custom (32gb/1TB) at the beginning October through my University (as a staff member). They haven't been able to give me an update on my order, so now what? If I do receive it this week, do I get to trade it in with AppleCare? Will that take another few weeks processing because of the increased RAM and SSD?
 
caspian915 said:
Well crap. I ordered an M2 14" custom (32gb/1TB) at the beginning October through my University (as a staff member). They haven't been able to give me an update on my order, so now what? If I do receive it this week, do I get to trade it in with AppleCare? Will that take another few weeks processing because of the increased RAM and SSD?
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I have the same MacBook Pro as you lol
Also, you have 30 days to return it after receiving it. Should be plenty of time.
 
Mr. 123 said:
I really hope they release a M3 Air so the M2 version is discounted, as my 2015 Air is finally about to give up. In my country the M2 is so expensive at the moment.
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Well Apple being Apple, while your scenario could play out, the other is keeping the relatively new M2 Air at the same price and roll out the "new improved" M3 Air at an even higher price.
 
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I only care about the M3 Pro/Max so that M2 Pro/Max MBP prices can come down. Want to upgrade to a 14-inch M2 Max with 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD.
 
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