Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has bad news for Apple fans hoping to see a lineup of M3-powered Macs this year. According to Kuo, Apple is no longer planning to release any new MacBook models equipped with M3 series chips “before the end of this year.”
Kuo’s report contradicts a number of reports from other sources. It’s widely been assumed that Apple was planning new M3-powered Macs for as soon as October. The M3 series of chips is first expected to debut in updated versions of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and 24-inch iMac.
Prior to today’s report from Kuo, the expectation was that the first M3 Macs would be announced in October, with more powerful M3 Pro, M3 Ultra, and M3 Max variants coming sometime in 2024.
One thing worth pointing out: Kuo specifically references “MacBook models” in his tweet. This could mean that Apple has new M3-powered desktop Macs – such as the iMac – on track for this year.
One possibility is that Apple simply isn’t going to be able to make enough M3 chips for its laptops, which are much higher-volume products than its desktop Macs. We’ve already heard that TSMC, Apple’s chip fabrication partner, is struggling to keep up with demand from its customers for 3nm chips.
A supply chain report last month revealed that Apple has purchased TSMC’s entire output of 3nm chips through at least this year.
The M3 chip is expected to be a major update for Apple Silicon, serving as Apple’s first ever 3nm processor. It will be based on the A17 Bionic chip, which will debut next week inside the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
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