Apple Likely To Launch New M3-Powered Macs In October: What To Expect

The Cupertino-based tech giant Apple is reportedly planning to launch new Macs with M3 chipsets in October this year. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the October event will follow Apple’s iPhone 15 series announcement in September and it will focus on the latest M3-powered Macs.

After launching the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models in January, and more recently new 15-inch MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro models in June 2023, Apple is expected to announce the new iMac, 13-inch MacBook Air, and 13-inch MacBook Pro powered by the latest M3 chip.

As per the report, the M3 chip is expected to be built on chipmaking partner TSMC’s 3nm process, resulting in significant performance and power efficiency improvements over the 5nm-based M2 chip that Apple’s most recent Mac models are based on.

TSMC kicked off mass production of 3nm chips in late December, MacRumors reported. Gurman also claimed that the iPhone maker is actively developing a sixth-generation iPad Air. However, it’s unclear exactly when the next model will be released.

According to Gurman, there won’t be significant updates to the iPad lineup this year. While an iPad Air with improved specifications could still be released, it is uncertain whether it will happen later this year or in 2024.

“For those wondering about the iPad — another product that typically gets refreshed in October — I wouldn’t expect any major upgrades until the M3 iPad Pros with OLED screens arrive next year,” Gurman said. He added that “an iPad Air model that boosts its specifications is also in development,” but did not provide any further details.

The Cupertino-based company last updated the iPad Air in March 2022 with the M1 chip, an upgraded 12MP front camera with Center Stage support, a faster USB-C port, 5G support for cellular models, and new colour options.