M3 MacBooks may launch "between spring and summer"

The next step forward for Apple Silicon and the company’s popular laptops is on the horizon. The latest rumour suggests it won’t be coming this year but, instead, early next.

Apple M3 chips are coming and we’re expecting them to make a splash, being the first Mac processors to sport a 3nm process rather than a 5nm one. But, when? There had been some rumours suggesting a launch sometime in 2023 but, now, a new report suggests they’ll be coming “between spring and summer” of 2024 at the earliest.

The report comes from expert Apple reporter Mark Gurman, within his weekly Apple-focused Power On newsletter. Gurman states that both new MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch models with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips as well as 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with M3 chips have all reached a stand called “DVT”. DVT stands for design validation testing and suggests the new M3 devices are closing in on mass production.

In terms of a timeline, Gurman says this means the Pro models should come around spring 2024 while the Air devices will be set to debut “between spring and summer of next year at the earliest”. That’s a switch up from the norm, which often sees Apple debut both new MacBook laptops and iPads in October. Gurman has previously touted this could happen but states this has clearly changed. However, iPads do still appear to be inbound.

But what does it all mean? Well, we’re expecting the M3 chips to be the first 3nm Mac chips and, as such, the change should bring even more performance and efficiency gains to the already impressive chip lineup. It could even mean a boost to features, with the new technology likely enabling more innovation in that area. There remains no word on if a redesign comes in order too, with the big design change with came with the M2 chips seeming unlikely to change even with a big chip update.