MacBook Air 2023 could be faster and sleeker with new M3 chip
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A MacBook Air with M3 chip will be released by Apple in the second half of 2023, if we are to believe a new rumor.
As MacRumors (opens in new tab) marked, this comes from DigiTimes (opens in new tab) (not our favorite reliable source, it must be said – and we’ll get to that later), who claims the MacBook Air arriving later this year will use a 3nm chip (meaning it will be an M3, lower than the 5nm process used with the M2 SoC).
DigiTimes tells us, “The supply chain is more focused on the cheaper MacBook Air, which is expected to be updated in the second half of 2023 and may be equipped with a 3nm processor.”
Note that there is a degree of vagueness here in that the assertion is the portable one ability have a 3nm (M3) chip. Sure, we heard similar rumors last year that the M2 Pro and Max could be built at 3nm, but they turned out to be false, with Apple keeping the drop-in process for the M3 (which will no doubt go this route).
Another thing to note here, as MacRumors points out, is that earlier this week a more reliable Apple leaker, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, put forward the claim that the MacBook Pro 14-inch and 16-inch will be refreshed at 3nm M3 Pro and M3 Max chips are coming in 2024 — but Kuo didn’t mention the MacBook Air would get the M3.
Analysis: MacBook Air 15-inch with M3 to cause a little buyer’s remorse?
There are a number of questions with this rumor. First, there’s no mention of what the specs of the MacBook Air might be, and whether there’ll be a new MacBook Air 15-inch (which has been rumored for a while) alongside a 13-inch model in the second half of 2023 coming. on that point it remains conjecture, although the rumor mill has previously theorized an earlier launch for a 15-inch incarnation of the Air (namely the first half of this year, so perhaps at WWDC).
Second, we need to ramp up caution and skepticism here, as DigiTimes are known to be, shall we say, less than accurate – particularly around Apple rumors in our experience. Indeed, the publication emerged with a story that the new MacBook Pros would not be released in early 2023, just a few days before these models actually launched; so that’s a pretty big faux pas in recent history there.
If a MacBook Air 15-inch version does indeed go up further this year, it could potentially spark regret among some buyers who decide to pull the trigger on a new MacBook Pro now. There’s no shortage of people wanting a MacBook Air with a bigger screen to take advantage of more screen real estate in an Apple notebook that will be much cheaper than a MacBook Pro, but still need to be solidly powerful with new M3 silicon inside .
Indeed, that drop to 3nm should usher in some pretty impressive performance and efficiency improvements, perhaps meaning much better battery life – or a slimmer power pack inside, for a smaller and more portable Air (to perhaps in any case to offset some of the weight gain from making the Air bigger with a 15 inch spin). The 13-inch version could indeed be very ‘airy’.
Still, we remain dubious about this, as it looks like an M3 launch later this year would move pretty fast for Apple (with the more potent M2 flavors just emerging). What’s more, other rumors didn’t point to a MacBook Air with M3; and as mentioned above, Kuo is currently only talking about the next Pro refreshes for the M3 SoC (next year).
That doesn’t mean DigiTimes can’t be right on this one, though, but we’ll reserve judgment for now, as we’re sure to hear more from the vine elsewhere soon enough if this is how things really pan out.