Apple hasn’t even announced the next-generation M3 chip and the rumor mills are delivering information on M3 Pro, M3 Max, and M3 Ultra chips.
Mark Gurman from Bloomberg claims that the higher-end M3 series chips would feature more CPU and GPU cores than their predecessor variants, the M2 Pro, M2 Max, and M2 Ultra chips.
Each M-series Apple Silicon for Macs has four variants; the first-generation Apple Silicon for Mac includes M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max, and M1 Ultra, and the second-generation Apple Silicon for Mac includes M2, M2 Pro, M2 Max, and M2 Ultra. The latest M2 series chips deliver up to 20% faster performance than their predecessors.
Recently, it was reported that the M3 chip, along with the A17 Bionic chip for the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will be built on an advanced 3nm process which will significantly boost the processors’ performance and power efficiency.
M3 Macs to arrive in late 2023 and the high-end M3 Pro, Max and Ultra in 2024
Compiling his previous and latest predictions in his new newsletter, Gurman listed the expected CPU and GPU cores in the upcoming M3 series chips for Macs.
| Variant | M2 series (cores) | M3 series (cores) | |
| First chip | 8-CPU cores (4 performance and 4 efficiency cores) 10-GPU cores | 8-CPU cores (four performance and four efficiency cores) 10 GPU cores. | |
| Pro | 10 to 12-CPU cores (Up to 8 performance and 4 efficiency cores) 16 to 19-GPU cores | 12 to 14-CPU cores (Up to 8 performance and 6 efficiency cores) 18 to 20-GPU cores | |
| Max | 12-CPU cores (8 performance and 4 efficiency cores) 30 to 38 GPU cores | 16-CPU cores (12 performance and 4 efficiency cores) 32 to 40 GPU cores | |
| Ultra | 24 CPU cores (16 performance and 8 efficiency cores) 60 to 76 GPU cores | 32 CPU cores (24 performance and 8 efficiency cores) 64 to 80 GPU cores |
He also shared which future Mac and iPad models would feature which chip.
| Chips | Devices | Launch time |
| M3 | 13-inch MacBook Pro 13-inch MacBook Air 15-inch MacBook Air Mac mini iMac iPad Pro | October 2023 |
| M3 Pro | 14-inch MacBook Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro Mac mini | 2024 |
| M3 Max | 14-inch MacBook Pro 16-inch MacBook Pro Mac Studio | 2024 |
| M3 Ultra | Mac Studio Mac Pro (if the computer is continued) | End of 2023 |
Based on industry reports, it can be said that M3 series chips will be even faster than M2 series chips because they will be built on a 3nm fabrication process, and feature more CPU and GPU core.
