In 2024, Apple’s most popular laptop will get an even more potent processor, meaning the present M1 will soon come to an end.
The biggest piece of Apple news for early 2024 is the discontinuation of the 9th generation iPad, the introduction of the larger M2 iPad Air, and perhaps a reorganization of the Apple Pencil lineup as well. However, more Macs are on the way, and they will feature M3 power this time. They won’t all be made available at once, though.
The next batch of Macs will be brand-new MacBook Airs, now designated J613 and J615 for the 13- and 15-inch models, respectively, according to Bloomberg’s well-connected Mark Gurman. Apple isn’t expected to fully redesign its thinnest notebook; both Airs are anticipated to have M3 processors on the inside but mostly unaltered exteriors. That’s not a terrible thing, as Gurman points out—it indicates that Apple’s best-selling laptop has a cutting-edge processor.
You probably don’t need to update if you currently own an M2; the new M3 MacBooks are primarily intended for users of M1 or Intel Macs, for whom they represent a major upgrade.
M3 MAC STUDIO AND MAC PRO ARE COMING… EVENTUALLY
There will only be three Mac computers available when the new MacBook Airs debut, which are the Mac mini, Mac Pro, and the Pro’s more recent and relatively less expensive sister, the Mac Studio. All three of these computers run versions of the M3 processor. Gurman states that M3 power is not expected to be available for either the Pro or the Studio until at least the end of 2024, if not 2025. When the M3 Mac mini will be released is unknown.
Remember that the Studio and Pro Macs use the highest spec versions of the M2 Max and M2 Ultra processors, which are already incredibly powerful processors, rather than the ordinary M processors. For instance, the Mac Pro’s Ultra features a 32-core Neutral Engine, 76 GPU cores, and 24 CPU cores. There isn’t an M3 Ultra yet, but one is undoubtedly in the works.