Apple Suppliers Reportedly Gearing Up for New Macs Later This Year

Apple's supply chain is gearing up for the launch of new iPhone and Mac models later this year, according to a preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report.

"Semiconductor backend houses, such as leading OSAT ASE Technology Holdings (ASEH) and test interface specialist CHPT, are expected to see sales growths in the third quarter of 2023, as Apple's supply chain gears up preparations for the upcoming launch of new iPhones and Mac devices, according to industry sources," the preview reads.

Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the first Macs with the M3 chip could launch as early as October, so it would make sense for Apple's supply chain to be gearing up for the devices in the third quarter. Gurman said the first Macs with the M3 chip will likely be the 13-inch MacBook Pro, 13-inch MacBook Air, and 24-inch iMac, and the Mac mini and 15-inch MacBook Air should also be updated with the M3 chip eventually.

Apple has yet to announce the M3 chip, which is widely expected to be manufactured with TSMC's 3nm process for significant performance and power efficiency improvements compared to previous M-series chips built on TSMC's 5nm process.

The A17 Bionic chip for the upcoming iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max is also expected to be manufactured with TSMC's 3nm process, and iPad Pro models with the M3 chip and an OLED display are rumored to launch in the first half of 2024.