Apple is working on the next several revisions of its M-series Apple silicon chips, with the “M3” series due in late 2023 and 2024. The M3 chips will be made faster and more efficiently than ever before thanks to improved TSMC semiconductor manufacturing technology.
Apple is still working on the M2, M2 Pro, M2 Max, and M1 Ultra chip lines, and the first M3 processor isn’t slated to arrive until late 2023. As with the M1 and M2 chip releases, the ordinary M3 will be released first, followed by the M3 Pro, M3 Max, and M3 Ultra.
The Apple M3 processor, like the M2, will include an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU, but the higher-end chips will have more noticeable performance increases.
The most powerful M3 chip, the Ultra, will include a 32-core GPU and up to an 80-core GPU, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. The current M-series chips are made with TSMC’s 5-nanometer technology, whereas the M3 chips will be made with the company’s newest 3-nanometer semiconductor technology.
A smaller node size means increased transistor density, which boosts efficiency and performance. 3nm CPUs could give up to 35% higher efficiency, allowing for longer battery life on M-series Macs.
Apple supplier TSMC is one of the few chip makers capable of producing 3nm devices, and rumours say that even TSMC’s yield rates are currently only above 55% due to the newness of the technology. Apple’s move to 3nm will be the first node update since the 5nm M1 chip was released in 2020, and it will deliver a larger performance boost than the M2.
So far, rumours claim that the first Macs with an M3 chip will be available in 2023. Apple intends to first release the standard M3 processor, which might appear in redesigned 13-inch MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and MacBook Air models by the end of the year. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, new Macs will be available in October.
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