New MacBook Air With 3nm M3 Chip Rumored to Launch in Second Half of 2023

[imamacperson]

Hopefully it will be based on TB4 (PCIe4 - 2GB/lane) and not TB3 (PCIe3 - 1GB/lane) like the current M2 MBA.
The current MBA is nice with a great design and keyboard but TB4 would bring it much closer to the "power and speed" of the MBP. For me speed is becoming less of a requirement when I purchase a new Mac. Everything is really fast nowadays.

 

[Mega ST]

Almost every day those predictions seem to get moved back and forth just for the fun? Just for the headline?
A bit tiring I have to say while waiting for this release myself.

 

[anshuvorty]

Who cares if M3 gets released. I have M1 and it's cool. What is M2 doing that M1 can't? Nothing.

Not true:

• with the M2, you get access to more RAM on the laptops and Mac mini (disregarding the Mac Studio)
  • on the MacBook Air - you can configure it up to 24 GB
  • on the 14-inch MacBook Pro - you can configure it up to 64 GB
  • on the 16-inch MacBook Pro - you can configure it up to 96 GB
  • on the Mac mini - you can configure it up to 32 GB
• with the M2, you also get access to more displays:
  • on the MacBook Air - 1 additional display up to 6K at 60Hz
  • on the 13-inch MacBook Pro - 1 additional display
  • on the 14-inch MacBook Pro - w/ M2 Pro: 2 additional displays; w/ M2 Max: 4 additional displays
  • on the 16-inch MacBook Pro - w/ M2 Pro: 2 additional displays; w/ M2 Max: 4 additional displays
  • on the Mac mini - w/ M2: 2 displays; w/ M2 Pro: 3 displays

 

[theorist9]

Headline should instead have been:

"Same source that said no MBP's would be released in Q1 2023 now says new MBP's will be released in 2H 2023."

 

[Matt Leaf]

if the M3 lands first up in a 15", that will be pretty cool. 3nm will be a more significant jump than M1 - > M2, we'll probably see 30-40% performance increases for less power usage - I'd expect we might see '24 hr' battery life as a metric thrown around for the first time. that will be a pretty phenomenal thing, especially at 15" and with the 16" starting at such high prices. and typically also we see next gen chips encroach on last gens next tier up performance, so we might even see M3 encroach on M2 Pro. I'd just hope if they do a 15" that we get more than 2 Thunderbolt ports, but this might be wishful thinking, and likely all sharing the same controller anyway.

 

[lewchenko]

"Affordable"... yeah, well, the MacBook Air M1 they're still selling is somewhat "affordable". The rest of the lineup is just crazy. I mean, even my uni are starting to get worried about the pricing.
We get lowered prices from the likes of Dell and HP and crazy prices hikes from Apple. Sooner or later, Apple will price themselves out of the game. At least here in Europe where prices are much higher.

Affordable only at the base level spec too. Once you add decent memory (so the machine lasts a few years) - another $200, and then put in atleast 512GB of storage (another $200) , any of their machines start to look very expensive.

 

[BlueGhost]

Affordable only at the base level spec too. Once you add decent memory (so the machine lasts a few years) - another $200, and then put in atleast 512GB of storage (another $200) , any of their machines start to look very expensive.

Well, Microsoft Surface, Lenovo... seem to be about the same price (or a bit more) for comparable specifications.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio - 14.4" - Core i7 11370H - 32 GB RAM - 2 TB SSD - English - AIK-00026 - Laptops - CDW.com

Buy a Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio - 14.4" - Core i7 11370H - 32 GB RAM - 2 TB SSD - English at CDW.com

www.cdw.com

 

[KennyJr]

For years I've been chasing through Apple product after Apple product, each time getting improved capability for what I do. But now all my devices do exactly what I want them to do. There's nothing left to chase after. 3nm technology will allow the device to run faster and allow for more capability to fill the gained device area - but for what. As I see it, future improvement of current style products will provide gain only for the power users. But for the rest of us - it's time for new products. Can't wait to see what the coming AR/VR headset will do for us.

 

[Leon Ze Professional]

I don’t think Apple will wait that long. I think Apple is expected to release them within the next 6 months. Possibly this Summer. My fingers are crossed.

View attachment 2144499

I think if Apple are going to release the M2 15 inch Macbook Air. That should occur no later than a Spring Event if one is to occur.

Otherwise, the 15 inch Macbook Air will be released at the same time as the 13 inch model on M3 chips.

 

[ph001bi]

Apple plans to release a new MacBook Air in the second half of 2023, and it may be equipped with a 3nm chip, according to a report today from Taiwanese publication DigiTimes. This chip would likely be Apple's next-generation M3 chip, which would offer faster performance and improved power efficiency compared to Apple's current 5nm chips.

"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 report says, citing industry sources. The report does not provide any additional details about the MacBook Air or a more specific launch timeframe.

Apple's chipmaking partner TSMC kicked off mass production of 3nm chips in late December. The M3 chip in the next MacBook Air could be one of Apple's first 3nm chips alongside the A17 Bionic chip in iPhone 15 Pro models later this year.

Earlier this week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro will also be updated with 3nm M3 Pro and M3 Max chips in 2024. This would be a familiar pattern for Apple, as the M1 and M2 chips debuted in the MacBook Air, followed by Pro and Max versions of those chips in the MacBook Pro later.

There's a few caveats to consider with this report. First, these are the same DigiTimes authors who claimed that the just-announced 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips would be "delayed" beyond early 2023, which was incorrect. Second, display industry analyst Ross Young last month claimed that a 15-inch MacBook Air would be released in the first half of 2023. If today's report is accurate, then perhaps both 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs with 3nm chips will launch in the second half of 2023 instead.

The current MacBook Air with the M2 chip was released in July and features an all-new design with a notch in the display, MagSafe charging, a 1080p camera, and more. Apple also continues to sell a MacBook Air with the M1 chip.

Article Link: New MacBook Air With 3nm M3 Chip Rumored to Launch in Second Half of 2023

Can we stop with the Digitimes fantasies already? They never ever get it right. Aren’t there any other publications, ideally not being a paywall, you can use? Worst case scenario put their articles in a “fiction” area of the site so that we know what to expect.

 

[MayaUser]

on the 14-inch MacBook Pro - you can configure it up to 64 GB

up to 96

 

[MayaUser]

Who cares if M3 gets released. I have M1 and it's cool. What is M2 doing that M1 can't? Nothing. Same with M3. Apple is Microsoft. Every year come out with a new and faster processor and get people excited enough to buy a new computer.

It reminds me of when a 1.8ghz processor was released 3 months after a 1.6ghz and then a 2.0ghz was released 6 months after the 1.8ghz. Like who cares? Thats why Jobs took advantage of the market and turned Apple into what it was. He INNOVATED.

M2 have hardware encoders compared to M1 that has nothing. So you cared about M1 but you dont care about M3 that will be a clear evolution coming from M1?
That means you dont care about moving forward so in some kind you contradict yourself

 

[James Godfrey]

If this is at all true, I fully expect the 15” MBA not to launch until October/November at the earliest, it wouldn’t be wise for Apple to launch the 15” with M2 in mid 2023, then refresh it a few months later.

 

[VaruLV]

Impatiently waiting for a 15” MacBook Air (Midnight). So stoked and I cannot wait! I don’t what to do but It will be an instant buy for me without any hesitation.

I wonder if Apple will do anything to improve Midnights paint job durability?

 

[bgillander]

Not true:

• with the M2, you get access to more RAM on the laptops and Mac mini (disregarding the Mac Studio)
  • on the MacBook Air - you can configure it up to 24 GB
  • on the 14-inch MacBook Pro - you can configure it up to 64 GB
  • on the 16-inch MacBook Pro - you can configure it up to 96 GB
  • on the Mac mini - you can configure it up to 32 GB
• with the M2, you also get access to more displays:
  • on the MacBook Air - 1 additional display up to 6K at 60Hz
  • on the 13-inch MacBook Pro - 1 additional display
  • on the 14-inch MacBook Pro - w/ M2 Pro: 2 additional displays; w/ M2 Max: 4 additional displays
  • on the 16-inch MacBook Pro - w/ M2 Pro: 2 additional displays; w/ M2 Max: 4 additional displays
  • on the Mac mini - w/ M2: 2 displays; w/ M2 Pro: 3 displays

The 14 inch MB Pro M2 Max looks like it can be configured to 96 GB.

I thought the M2 Air was limited to the exact same 1 external monitor as the M1 Air? And the MB Pro with M2 Pro supports 2 just like the M1 Pro. I guess the M2 Pro mini has 3, but there is no M1 Pro mini to compare against, so isn’t it just the MB Pro M2 Max that goes up to 4 vs the M1 Pro Max supporting only 3 where there is any difference in display numbers? I could see arguing that the HDMI 2.1 is better, but that list makes it sound like there is a bigger difference in display counts than there actually is, since most of those are the same as the M1. Or am I reading Apple’s tech specs wrong?

 

[Pezimak]

This is a rumour I’d claim is inaccurate, because they iMac still has the base M1 chip in it. Hence I think you’ll find the iMac will be updated to M3 this year, then again it may be at the same time as they update the MacBook Air.

 

[macduke]

What doesn’t make sense to me in this context is the rumor about the 15” MBA having the M3 Pro as an option, much like the Mac Mini now has the M2 Pro as an option. If the MBA is coming out this autumn and the MBP later in the winter, then why would they wait so long to put the M2 Pro into the MBP, especially if the Max is just that die duplicated and connected in the middle?

Makes me wonder if 3nm will be so efficient that M3 Pro will be the higher tier for the MBA, but maybe the MacBook Pro will start with the M3 Max chip and offer the M3 Ultra? Also this naming is getting confusing if we’re putting “Pro” chips into more entry level Apple hardware now. Will the next MacBook Pro be renamed to MacBook Studio? And is that why the Mac Pro is taking so long and would it be named the Mac Ultra or something? They had rumored problems with the M2 Ultra fusing into whatever that top tier chip would be called, so maybe they’re waiting for the M3? Would be a huge chip until they can shrink the die more.

 

[Pezimak]

This is Digitimes.

You know, the ones that claimed MacBook Pros had been delayed again just last week.

The ones that have never got any predictions right.

They write clickbait BS.

Koh and Gurman (think that’s his name?) both claimed the current iPad Mini wasn’t going to launch till the following year, on the same day Apple actually launched it! And they also stated the Apple Watch Series 7 would have a total redesign and flat sides too.
So don’t take what any of these analysts claim as gospel.

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

I have been reading MR near daily since early 2000s (was Sami Fathi even born yet or walking?). Why MR continues to report on DigiTimes is beyond me.

 

[Lone Deranger]

The biggest hope I have for the M3 series is that it will finally have dedicated hardware for ray tracing. Apple Silicon is freaking amazing and I love the general performance of my MBP's. But as a 3D/CG artist I would love to see them get a bit closer performance wise to some of the fancier nVidia cards.

 

[wanha]

I think there will be M fatigue with these naming (M1,M2,...), release dates, and the manufacturing issues that have thrown a wrench in Apple's project life cycle. There is alot of overlap happening with chip releases and if you are not upto speed with the specs and names, confusion will def set in when we hit M4/M5..if maybe the M3 is still around or will that be discontinued..coz you cannot have M1 - M3/M4 etc in all these devices in your products with each yearly update. If they release m3 this year, its going to be catch for those with M1 products to get them up to speed with similar spec bump press release for those devices and its going to continue like a vicious circle for all these products.

When we were at iPhone 4, people laughed at the idea of there being an iPhone 14 but just look at us now.

Most consumers don’t know what chip is in their Mac or pc. It really only matters to those who do.

 

[wanha]

I have been reading MR near daily since early 2000s (was Sami Fathi even born yet or walking?). Why MR continues to report on DigiTimes is beyond me.

If you think about their business model, you can probably figure out the why

 

[lewchenko]

I wonder if Apple will do anything to improve Midnights paint job durability?

And finger print stickiness. At release I remember a few sites saying the colour to go for was starlight which had none of these issues.

 

[aTomek]

Whats the point of Air 15''? If I want big and clunky macbook I can buy Macbook Pro 15''. The idea of mobility "Air" is in its size.

 

[MichaelAdam]

I want a new MBAir with a Mchip pro like on new Mac mini … be M2 or M3 … bring it on!