In the latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says that Apple is working internally on the M3 chip for the MacBook Air and iMac. The chip will be made using a more efficient 3nm process.
Gurman says it’s unclear when Apple will choose to launch the new MacBook Air and iMac, but Gurman predicts the M3 chip will be available later this year or early next year.
Gurman first mentioned the M3 chip in June last year. He noted at the time that Apple was working internally on the M3 chip for the 13″ / 15″ MacBook Air and the new iMac. Gurman said at the time that the M3 chip would be available this year, but he has now revised the chip’s launch date.
Apple’s MacBook Pro lineup, announced earlier this month, includes the new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips and also adds the M2 Pro chip to the Mac Mini. These chips are based on the second-generation 5nm process, which is still an updated version of the standard 5nm process Apple uses to make its M1 chips.
The 3nm process can increase speed by up to 15 percent and reduce power consumption by 30 percent compared to the 5nm process. TSMC began mass production of 3nm chips last year, but the technology won’t reach the manufacturer’s new factory in Arizona until 2026.
