A 3nm chip may be used in Apple’s upcoming MacBook Air, which is expected to be released in the second half of 2023, according to a new report from the Taiwanese website DigiTimes. This processor is expected to be Apple’s upcoming M3 chip, which would provide higher performance and better power efficiency than the tech giant’s existing 5nm processors.
Apple to launch a new MacBook Air in the second half of this year
According to the publication, which cites industry sources, “the supply chain is more focused on the more cheap MacBook Air, which is scheduled to be updated in the second half of 2023 and may be outfitted with a 3nm chip.” The report doesn’t offer any further information on the MacBook Air or a more precise release date.
In late December, TSMC, Apple’s chip manufacturing partner, started mass-producing 3nm chips. Along with the A17 Bionic chip in the iPhone 15 Pro models later this year, the M3 chip in the next-generation MacBook Air may be one of Apple’s first 3nm CPUs.
TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated earlier this week that the 3nm M3 Pro and M3 Max CPUs will also be updated for the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models in 2024. This would follow a trend that Apple is accustomed to, as the M1 and M2 chips first appeared in the MacBook Air and eventually appeared in the MacBook Pro in their Pro and Max iterations.
With this report, there are a few things to keep in mind. First off, these are the same authors from DigiTimes who incorrectly stated that the recently announced 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max CPUs will be “delayed” past early 2023.
Second, a 15-inch MacBook Air is expected to be released in the first half of 2023, according to a statement made by display industry analyst Ross Young last month. According to today’s source, the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Airs with 3nm CPUs might instead debut in the second half of 2023.
