9to5Mac rumor: "New 13- and 15-inch MacBook Air models will both use M3 chips"

[theorist9]

"According to 9to5Mac’s sources, the new 13-inch MacBook Air (codenamed J513) is already in the works with an [8-core] M3 chip. It will be announced along with a brand-new 15-inch version (codenamed J515), which will also have the M3 chip..."

They also say Apple will continue to offer the 13" (Touchbar) MBP. Either it's selling really well to consumers, or there are some large enterprise clients that like it...

"9to5Mac has learned that, just like last year, Apple also plans to refresh the 13-inch MacBook Pro with its latest Apple Silicon chip. Codenamed J504, the new entry-level MacBook Pro will also get the same 8-core M3 chip as the new MacBook Air."

Release date is unclear. 9to5 Mac speculated the incusion of the M3 chip means it will be pushed back to WWDC. However, Ross Young recently predicted the 15" Air would be released in April.

New 15-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Pro to feature M3 chip

We’ve been hearing rumors about a new MacBook Air for a while, but some details about it remain unclear. 9to5Mac...

9to5mac.com

 

[Cmaier]

Looks like apple is getting back on its intended CPU cadence. Hope they hold off on M3 Max MBP 16” for awhile. My wallet needs a break.

 

[theorist9]

Assuming the M3 is based on the A16: Was there an IPC improvement in going from A15 -> A16?

 

[B01L]

Assuming the M3 is based on the A16: Was there an IPC improvement in going from A15 -> A16?

I would hope the M3 family is based on the A17, for maximum performance gains; and maybe the GPU cores utilize Apple-ified IMG PowerVR Photon hardware ray-tracing technologies...?

 

[Cmaier]

I would hope the M3 family is based on the A17, for maximum performance gains; and maybe the GPU cores utilize Apple-ified IMG PowerVR Photon hardware ray-tracing technologies...?

Sounds like the a17 is based on the m3, not vice versa.

 

[theorist9]

Sounds like the a17 is based on the m3, not vice versa.

Is the idea that, since both the M3 and A17 will be Apple's first on a 3 nm process, they should share architectural elements, but in this case the M3 is coming out first?

So:
A14 ⇒ M1 (Firestorm/Icestorm)
A15 ⇒ M2 (Avalanche/Blizzard)
M3 ⇒ A17

It would be nice to see the Mac leapfrogging the iPhone. Certainly the Mac needs the performance improvements attendant with architectural advances more than the iPhone. Should we expect to see this maintained going forward, or could it see-saw back-and-forth? Or will the M-series architecture become increasingly divergent from that of the A-series?

 

[Colstan]

Sounds like the a17 is based on the m3, not vice versa.

I'm curious, why do you think that? (Other than both being 3nm.)

Assuming the M3 is based on the A16: Was there an IPC improvement in going from A15 -> A16?

I think this is the more interesting question than whether the next MacBook Air (whatever the screen size) features an M3 or not. It's obvious that an M3 is coming. What isn't obvious is which A-series core it will be based upon and what improvements are included. I want to see what the A17 offers (and whether @Cmaier's hunch is correct) before I'll be able to put a timeline on upgrading to Apple Silicon from my 2018 Mac mini + eGPU combo.

If the M3 is based upon A16, and that remains relatively unchanged and doesn't bring much new to the table, then I may be waiting it out until the M4. Much of this depends on how much longer macOS supports Intel and how badly I need to upgrade in the coming years. If Apple releases two final versions of macOS for x86, plus the traditional two years of partial security updates, then I may be able to squeeze by until M4.

Personally, I'd be looking at an M(x) Pro Mac mini, or a base model M(x) Max Mac Studio with the optional additional GPU cores upgrade, at least based upon current models. I'm a stationary sod, so my choices currently fall within the mid-range headless desktops of the Mac product line.

 

[theorist9]

I'm curious, why do you think that? (Other than both being 3nm.)

I think this is the more interesting question than whether the next MacBook Air (whatever the screen size) features an M3 or not. It's obvious that an M3 is coming. What isn't obvious is which A-series core it will be based upon and what improvements are included. I want to see what the A17 offers (and whether @Cmaier's hunch is correct) before I'll be able to put a timeline on upgrading to Apple Silicon from my 2018 Mac mini + eGPU combo.

If the M3 is based upon A16, and that remains relatively unchanged and doesn't bring much new to the table, then I may be waiting it out until the M4. Much of this depends on how much longer macOS supports Intel and how badly I need to upgrade in the coming years. If Apple releases two final versions of macOS for x86, plus the traditional two years of partial security updates, then I may be able to squeeze by until M4.

Personally, I'd be looking at an M(x) Pro Mac mini, or a base model M(x) Max Mac Studio with the optional additional GPU cores upgrade, at least based upon current models. I'm a stationary sod, so my choices currently fall within the mid-range headless desktops of the Mac product line.

I'd like to replace my 2019 27" iMac/128 GB DDR4 with a 32" AS iMac/128 GB LPDDR5x (or LPDDR6) . I'm guessing that, by then, you should be able to get that much RAM without having to buy an Ultra.

 

[exoticspice1]

I believe the most interesting thing about M3 will be the GPU. A16 got faster RAM but M2 already has that.

So Hardware based RT should come with M3. Otherwise what's the point of M3. A16 CPU improvements in performance was not good.

 

[Andropov]

So Hardware based RT should come with M3. Otherwise what's the point of M3. A16 CPU improvements in performance was not good.

A16 CPU performance improvements were not bad at all. The GPU, on the other hand, didn't change much.

 

[leman]

Assuming the M3 is based on the A16: Was there an IPC improvement in going from A15 -> A16?

No, just some tweaks to allow higher clocks and maybe some new niche features.

 

[exoticspice1]

A16 CPU performance improvements were not bad at all. The GPU, on the other hand, didn't change much.

The performance improvements were mainly from a clock increase. If A16 CPU clock was the same as A15 I doubt if it had any meaningful speed improvement.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I am ALL IN on a 15" MBA

Been wanting that machine for years and years

Now, in the ASi era, an MBA does all I need for power, but I need/want more screen

I think it will be big hit

 

[dada_dave]

I am ALL IN on a 15" MBA

Been wanting that machine for years and years

Now, in the ASi era, an MBA does all I need for power, but I need/want more screen

I think it will be big hit

Same I’m still debating my “perfect” setup, but that would be very attractive.

 

[Nycturne]

I wouldn’t be the target market, but absolutely want to see a 15” MBA. I know folks who I’d be pushing over to one of these as their next machine when their old MBPs finally kick the bucket.

 

[Clix Pix]

I have been very happy with my late 2021 (bought in December 2022) M1 16" MBP Max, so at least right now, definitely no plans to swap this in on an M2 or eventual M3 version. However, I have been mulling over what to do with my 2020 M1 13" MBP which I bought early-on in its first year, during the whole initial changeover to M1 and which has the TouchBar and no MagSafe connector. I hadn't realized how much I missed the MagSafe with its visual cues as to the charging /charged status of a machine until I had this back again with my current 16" MBP. I never have bothered with the stupid TouchBar on either my older 15" 2018 MBP or the M1 13" that was meant to move us into the next generation so the absence of that in future machines that I purchase and use will not be a problem at all.

Aside from that, now that I have this really well-equipped 16" MBP Max (4 TB storage, 64 GB RAM, etc.) which is connected most of the time to an external monitor for photo processing and image editing, I can easily, happily and comfortably go back to having a less powerful machine as the secondary one, the backup, the travel machine, the what ever-else-role it might play, so to speak, in this household. An MBA for this role makes the most sense to me and I think that is the direction in which I'm heading when I get around to finally making up my mind and taking specific action. I keep reminding myself that I need to trade in the 13" M1 MBP sooner rather than later to at least get some decent value from it....