Mike Wuerthele
The focus is tightening on Apple's September iPhone 15 event, with new M3 Macs expected to debut with perhaps less fanfare in October instead.
The summer is always replete with rumors about Apple's September event. At one point in the rumor cycle every year, the single event is generally rumored to update nearly every Apple product. The full scope of the event only gets made more clear with time, generally very close to the event.
In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman sheds some light on what he expects to see in September, and what will launch in October perhaps as only a press release.
"The structure of the event, I'm told, will match the iPhone 14 launch: A prerecorded video will be shown online, as well as at an event at the company's headquarters," Gurman writes. "There's also another launch occurring in October — likely for the first M3 Macs — but it's unclear if that will be positioned as a formal event."
A press release debut of new M3 Macs isn't unprecedented. The M2 MacBook Pro, and the M2 Mac mini models didn't have an event. And, historically, most Intel MacBook Pro and iMac spec bumps after a new chassis debuted hit the street after a press release.
Over the last ten years, Apple had October events in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2021. Full events in October didn't happen in 2015, 2017, 2019, nor in 2022.
The shift over from the M2 generation to the start of the M3 is expected to start in the Fall at some point. As usual for Apple, the M3 Pro, M3 Max, and M3 Ultra launches will be further down the road.
Apple tends to make the 13-inch MacBook Pro, the 13-inch MacBook Air, and the Mac mini the first models to ship in a chip generation, and they are still good candidates this time around. The M2 Mac mini was released in January 2023, so that may still wait a bit if Apple maintains a regular cadence.
The 24-inch iMac is also awaiting an upgrade, missing out on the M2 generation, though there's less of a chance of an M3 15-inch MacBook Air since the M2 hasn't been around that long.
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18 Comments
But I want it now!
I don't see why they'd release a MacBook Air this year anyways. They just released a new one not too long ago. If they release an M3 MBA in the fall they should have just waited to release the 15" MBA with M3 instead of M2. That makes no sense to me. Seems like a forced release in the end.
M3, based on the rumors, is a generational leap in power and efficiency. It could go down as a defining moment for Apple processors. I find it hard to believe they would announce it via a press release
I find it hard to believe they will launch M3 notebooks in the Fall. Especially the Air. It is too soon after the M2 launch. I’m betting Spring
Is this article suggesting Apple would release a 13” M3 MacBook Air, but leave the 15” MacBook Air at M2?
If so, I don’t get why Apple would do that.
They’re the same computer, just a bigger screen in one of ‘em.
And, most people ready to purchase the 15” Air would wait if they saw the M3 was in the 13”; they’d know the M3 is just around the corner for the 15”.
Silly.
With Mac sales sagging Apple could gain by getting M3 in the wild ASAP.