Apple is yet to announce the M3 chip, but speculation and excitement has been ramping up. Here’s what we currently know.
Apple M2 chipset range was a solid improvement upon the excellent first generation, featuring inside the MacBook Air (2022). However, it wasn’t a step-change and we’re expecting a bigger leap with the M3. Let’s dive into the details.
What is the Apple M3?
The Apple M3 chip is set to be the next mobile computing series from the Cupertino-based behemoths.
Back in 2020, Apple Silicon burst onto the scene with the M1 and we’ve seen some stellar Mac products using the technology ever since. In 2023, Apple’s latest M2 Pro and M2 Max provided an iterative boost to what went before, still providing great battery life, and strong performance – even when not plugged in. Before the year is out, an even more powerful Apple M2 Ultra should emerge too.
For the Apple M3 chip, its launch details are less clear – including which device it will debut on. However, some intriguing information on how we expect it to perform has emerged.
Release date and price
As per Mark Gurman and his Apple-focused Power On newsletter, the new Apple M3 chips should arrive late in 2023 or early 2024. Gurman explains that Apple is hard at work on the M3-sporting version of the iMac and MacBook Air. Along with a new 13-inch MacBook Air, a 15-inch model has also been touted.
There’s no information floating around regarding the pricing of new Macs that will feature the fancy new chip but we can look to Apple past form for some guidance. Macs tend to either keep the cost the same as the previous generation or introduce a bit of a higher price – particularly when there’s a bigger change in hardware like the M3 chip bump is likely to be.
Specs
The upcoming M3 chips are expected to run on a 3-nanometer process, with the aim of bringing about even better efficiency than Apple Silicon offers already. That’s better performance and better battery life.
According to The Information, the new chips in the M3 generation will feature up to four dies and this would enable up to a 40-core CPU. This is quite the change from even the higher performing processor in its current line, the M2 Max – topping out at a 12-core CPU.
There’s no details on what features this might bring but such a big potential change in performance typically leads to some cool and exciting new tricks. Maybe, we’ll finally get FaceID on a MacBook.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.