Multiple sources have indicated that Apple had planned to launch the upcoming 15-inch MacBook Air in a number of variants, leading to a confusing set of rumors.
As the launch nears, however, a leaker with a reasonable track record says that Apple has now abandoned plans for the M3 version …
The 15-inch MacBook Air
Reports of a 15-inch MacBook Air date back over a year now. We’d previously called for a 16-inch version, and I noted at the time that a 15-inch model could be the perfect Mac for many users.
One report indicated it could be arriving this month, while others have suggested that WWDC seems a more likely bet.
M3 version abandoned, says leaker
9to5Mac sources initially suggested that the 15-inch MacBook Air would arrive with an M3 chip, but that plan appears to have been scrapped.
Leaker yeux1122 agrees that this was the case, he says that Apple has now decided not to proceed with the M3 model for the launch of the machine.
This is Taiwan supply chain source: The new MacBook Air 15-inch model will be equipped with an M2 chip, not an M3, as originally planned.
This is not only the issue of TSMC’s mass production, but also Apple was not in a hurry due to a combination of factors such as market conditions and inventory adjustment.
They say that the manufacturing schedule remains unchanged and that the machine is set to launch “around June.”
Yeux1122 has a pretty good track record, correctly stating that the price of the base model iPhone 14 would be kept at the same $799 level as the iPhone 13, and not increased by $100 as others were suggesting. They also got most details right on the iPhone SE 3 (a $30 price difference aside).
Bloomberg also recently reported that Apple is now testing the new MacBook Air with third-party apps from the App Store to confirm compatibility. The machine being tested has an eight-core processor with four high-performance cores and four efficiency cores, with performance “on par with M2 Macs.”
9to5Mac’s Take
It’s certainly credible that Apple has decided to keep things simple for now, and that an M3 variant will launch at a later date.
Either way, the machine is going to prove hugely popular, and it’s a safe bet that most buyers won’t be deterred by the use of an M2 chip inside – the primary appeal of the upcoming machine is a large screen in a cheaper and lighter form than the MacBook Pro.
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