Rumored 3nm M3 chip to power upcoming MacBook Air and iMac models

Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reports that Apple's M3 chip, which is the next generation, may be released either later in the current year or early in the next.

According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is working on a MacBook Air and iMac with an M3 chip built using a more efficient 3-nanometer fabrication process. The report's author, Mark Gurman, expects the M3 chip to arrive later this year or early next year, but it's not clear when the two upgraded devices might launch. Gurman had previously hinted at this in June of last year, noting that Apple was working on an M3-equipped 13-inch MacBook Air, 15-inch MacBook Air, and a new iMac. However, Apple included the new M2 Pro and M2 Max chips with the lineup of MacBook Pros it announced earlier this month, and also added an M2 Pro chip to the Mac Mini.

The upcoming M3 chip is expected to improve speed by up to 15 percent and reduce power consumption by 30 percent compared to the 5nm process. TSMC, the company that makes Apple's chips, began mass-producing 3nm chips at its Taiwan-based facilities last year, but this technology is not set to arrive at the manufacturer's new Arizona fab until 2026.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also said that Apple could launch new 3nm M3 Pro and M3 Max processors in the first half of 2024 for the MacBook Pro models. It is also rumored that Apple could release a touchscreen Mac in 2025.