Recap: We are now firmly entrenched in 2023, and the Apple rumor mill has entered overdrive. In January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman shared insider information regarding Cupertino's Mac plans which 9to5Mac recently added to.
According to the publication's sources, Apple is working on new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models that will be powered by its own M3 chip. The laptops will only be configurable with the standard eight-core M3 chip, not more powerful Pro variants with higher core counts or faster clock speeds.
Elsewhere, sources are confident that Apple will skip the M2 for its iMac line and move directly to upgraded models featuring the M3. A new entry-level MacBook Pro, codenamed J504, is also said to be in the works.
Apple's M3 will arrive on a 3nm manufacturing process compared to the advanced 5nm node used by the M2 family. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Apple's supplier for the M3, previously said its 3nm tech will deliver up to a 15 percent speed improvement and up to 30 percent better power efficiency at the same speed compared to its 5nm N5 technology.
When will you be able to get your hands on M3-equipped Macs, you ask? That's the $64,000 question.
Earlier rumblings suggested the new MacBook Air could be unveiled in the spring, perhaps at Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference. Last year, Apple used the event to serve as the launching pad for updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models based on its then-new M2 chip. It would not be too terribly surprising to see Apple repeat the performance and have the M3 break cover at this year's WWDC.
Others believe new hardware could arrive even sooner. Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSSC) CEO Ross Young recently affirmed his belief that a 15-inch MacBook Air will launch one month ahead of WWDC, in April. Perhaps pre-orders will open in April ahead of a June shipping window? Only time will tell.
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