The Apple M3 processor will make its way to the MacBook Air line in March 2024, according to a trusted source of insider info. Both the 13-inch and 15-inch versions of the laptop will receive the chip upgrade.
The M3 made its debut in refreshed MacBook Pro and iMac models in October.
M3 MacBook Air is only months away
The first Apple silicon for Mac, the M1, launched back in 2020. It was replaced by the M2 in 2022. This was a fairly modest improvement over the original version, but the M3 that Apple announced in fall 2023 brings more of a boost. The performance cores in the new chips are up to 30% faster than M1, and the efficiency cores are up to 50% faster, according to the Mac-maker.
And the M3 chip will be included in the 2024 MacBook Air when it launches in March 2024, according to a report Wednesday from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.
This will almost certainly be the base M3 version. No current model of Apple’s consumer-oriented laptop has an M2 Pro or M2 Max, which are intended for professional-grade models. The smart money says that’ll continue with the new processor line.
Probably a processor bump only
No other details were revealed about the 2024 MacBook Air, so it’s likely the processor upgrade will be the only significant change to the notebook’s design. That would be typical of Apple — the M3 went into the new MacBook Pro models without a redesign.
And the 15-inch MacBook Air with an M2 chip is still practically new. This larger version launched for the first time in summer 2023. And the 13-inch model was a significant redesign when it hit the market in 2022.
Pricing?
Although Wednesday’s tip from Bloomberg says the upgraded consumer-oriented macOS notebooks will launch in March 2024, there’s no word on pricing. The current 13-inch version with M2 starts at $1,099, while the 15-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,299.
