According to reports, the initial batch of M3 chips is expected to make it’s way later this year!
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg has reported that Apple is currently testing a chipset called M3 that boasts a 12-core processor and an 18-core GPU. Gurman obtained information from a source who provided him with App Store developer logs which showed the M3 chip running on a yet-to-be-announced MacBook Pro with macOS 14. Gurman speculates that the M3 variant being tested is the basic M3 Pro that Apple intends to launch sometime in the coming year.
It is anticipated that the M3 series will make use of TSMC’s upcoming 3nm node technology, which is notably more advanced than the current 5nm node. This shift is believed to account for the increase in core density. It is worth noting that the M1 Pro and M2 Pro have eight- and 10-core processors, as well as 14 and 16-core GPUs. In comparison, the M3 Pro is said to feature 50% more CPU cores than its first-generation predecessor. According to Gurman’s report, Apple’s latest silicon features a balanced distribution of high-performance and efficiency cores. Additionally, the chip has been observed with a remarkable 36GB of RAM, which surpasses the M2 Pro’s default 16GB and can even be upgraded to a maximum of 32 GB.
Before unveiling the M3 Pro, Apple must first launch the standard M3 processor. According to Gurman, Macs equipped with M3 chips will likely be available by the end of this year or early next year. While waiting for that, Apple is anticipated to introduce the highly speculated 15-inch MacBook Air at WWDC 2023, which is scheduled for next month.