Apple’s current-gen 5nm chips were released yesterday. Both the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips use 5nm technology and are considerably more powerful than before. But as per a report by DigiTimes, Apple plans to show some love to the MacBook Air as well and launch a new one with a 3nm processor. It will obviously be less powerful than the two powerhouses Apple unveiled yesterday, but it will make the MacBook Air a more performance-focused machine.
Last year’s M2 MacBook Air came with significant improvements in performance but with a $200 increase in the price tag. The new MacBook Air would come with the new M3 processors, and after that, the releases of the M3 Pro and M3 Max would follow with a six-month gap.
What does the DigiTimes report say about the M3 MacBook Air?
The report claims that the release of the M3 MacBook Air with a 3nm process, possibly in the second half of 2023. It also claims that Apple is focusing more on launching the new budget-friendly version of MacBook Air than other processors. Apple did release the A16 Bionic chip in 2022, and this year’s iPhone 15 (at least the Pro Max models) would have the new A17 Bionic chip. So, Apple might focus on these two processors’ launches first and then focus on M3 Pro and M3 Max.
Image: Apple
We understand that improving the fabrication process to 3nm will bring both performance and efficiency improvements in the MacBook Air, But if we compare the cost of the M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Air, the difference is $200 for the base models. Even if Apple goes by that trend, the new M3 MacBook Air would bear a price tag of $1400, or even less if Apple truly wants to make it affordable.
Another angle to the story is that DigiTimes reports do not always make predictions accurately. Their predictions of M2 Pro and M2 max processors were a late 2023 launch, but the launch happened in January 2023. So, this prediction may also not be correct, and Apple could launch the new MacBook Air in June like it did last year.