Upcoming M3 Chip Refresh: High-End MacBook Pro and Mac Mini Set to Debut in 2024

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the Mac mini and high-end MacBook Pro will not be part of the initial lineup of Macs featuring the M3 chip, which is expected to launch later this year. In his “Power On” newsletter, Gurman mentioned that while an M3 version of the Mac mini is indeed in the pipeline, it is not currently in active development. Therefore, it is unlikely to make its debut until late 2024 at the earliest and won’t be included in the first wave of M3 Macs to hit the market.

The Upcoming MacBook Pro and Mac Mini with M3 Chips

Similarly, the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models are not expected to be part of the initial M3 Macs to be released in October this year. These upcoming MacBook Pro variants are anticipated to utilize the M3 Pro and M3 Max chips and may be launched by mid-2024 at the latest.

Gurman also pointed out that Apple appears to have a different refresh cycle for the Mac mini compared to the high-end MacBook Pro. The M2 Mac mini was introduced more than two years after the M1 version, indicating that Apple doesn’t view the Mac mini as a device that requires yearly updates. On the other hand, the high-end MacBook Pro, being a more popular device, typically sees updates approximately every four or five quarters.

Last week, Gurman reported that the first Macs equipped with the M3 chip might be launched as early as October this year. The initial models featuring the M3 chip are likely to include the 13-inch MacBook Pro, 13-inch MacBook Air, and 24-inch iMac. The M3 chip is expected to be manufactured using TSMC’s advanced 3nm process, which is set to offer significant performance and power efficiency improvements compared to the current 5nm-based M2 chip used in existing devices.