Right now it seems that Apple is seeing more leaks than a Welsh greengrocer. Fresh from reports that the next iMac may sport Apple's next-gen M3 processor, another report says that the M3 chip will make its way into this year's MacBook Air and MacBook Pro – and those laptops could be unveiled as soon as this summer.
This time the report comes from 9to5Mac, whose sources claim that the new 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air will be M3 devices and that a refreshed M3 MacBook Pro is also in development.
According to 9to5Mac’s sources, the new 13-inch MacBook Air (codenamed J513) is already in the works with an M3 chip. It will be announced along with a brand-new 15-inch version (codenamed J515), which will also have the M3 chip.
So what will the M3 bring to the Mac party?
What the M3 chip is likely to deliver
The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro will reportedly get an 8-core M3 system on a chip. That's similar to the current M2 MacBook Air, which is available with 8-core CPUs and either 8-core or 10-core GPUs. Hopefully this time around there'll be more memory: both M2 MacBook Airs top out at 8GB of unified memory.
It's likely that we'll also see Pro and Max versions of the M3, albeit not in these first laptops. The M2 versions take the cores up to 10 or 12 GPU cores, 16, 19 or 30 GPU cores and 16 or 32GB of unified memory.
As ever with the MacBooks, the Air is likely to get the least powerful version of the M3 in order to differentiate it from, and encourage people to buy, the MacBook Pro models.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
As for the WWDC launch, that bit appears to be speculation: Apple did announce the M2 at WWDC last year, but as yet there's no firm indication that it intends to repeat that in 2023.
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
Netflix’s new no.1 series is the thriller I've been longing for – irrelevant of reviews
Finally! Some crime-thriller action to top Netflix's chart
By Mike Lowe Published
-
Ninja Luxe Café review: is this the most versatile coffee machine ever?
Ninja's first-ever coffee machine is finally here
By Lizzie Wilmot Published
-
Apple Intelligence's new features are imminent and actually really useful
Hey Siri, write a news story for T3 about Apple Intelligence... erm
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
I use Apple's best AirPods daily – and the price just dropped in 5-star deal
With nearly $100 off, this AirPods Pro 2 Black Friday deal is too good to miss
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
The iPad just dropped to its lowest-ever price – this is a 5-star Apple deal
You can get your hands on Apple's entry-level tablet for just over $250
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Apple should make a Fire TV Stick rival not its own TV, says expert
And we agree...
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Smarter Siri still planned for iPhone, but there's a catch
There's a brand new Siri coming to your iPhone, but you're going to have to wait a while longer
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
iPhone 17 Slim tipped to be the thinnest iPhone Apple’s ever made
Could make the iPhone 16 look massive
By Carrie Marshall Published
-
An Apple flatscreen TV could be back on the cards again
It might take a while though...
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Apple AirTag 2 upgrade will bring better range, improved privacy, and a stalker-proof speaker, says insider
Apple's useful little thing-finders are reportedly getting a big refresh in 2025
By Carrie Marshall Published