Apple is preparing its most powerful MacBook Pro yet which will feature the M3 Max chip and is expected to debut sometime in 2024, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.
The M3 Max chip will have 16 main processing cores and 40 graphics cores, a significant upgrade from the M2 series; the laptop will also feature up to 48GB of RAM. Referred to as the “most powerful MacBook Pro yet” by Bloomberg, the laptop is currently in development with the codename J514.
Of the 16 processing cores in the M3 Max, 12 high-performance cores will be dedicated to demanding activities such as video editing; the remaining four efficiency cores will be used for less demanding tasks like web browsing.
Bloomberg also reports that Apple is testing variants of the M3, which may refer to chips for more affordable and less powerful devices, such as the MacBook Air or Mac mini. Apple is expected to begin transitioning to the M3 chip series this year, starting with entry-level Macs like the 13 and 15-inch MacBook Air, Mac mini, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and iMacs in October, says Bloomberg.
According to Bloomberg, the M3 chip will be produced using a 3nm process, marking the first time a Mac chip will be made using this technology. However, rumors suggest that Apple may also use this process for the A17 chip that will power the iPhone 15 series, set to debut in September.
The report signed by Gurman, one of the most reliable sources for unofficial information regarding Apple, assures that the new chip represents “the latest advance by the company’s in-house chip effort, known as Apple Silicon, and could help entice consumers back to a Mac lineup that has fallen on hard times”.
