Kuo: First MacBooks With M3 Chip Unlikely to Launch This Year - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Kuo: First MacBooks With M3 Chip Unlikely to Launch This Year

Apple is unlikely to release any new MacBook models with the M3 chip this year, according to information shared today by supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

MacBook Air 15 Inch Feature Purple
"It seems that Apple will not launch new MacBook models (equipped with M3 series processors) before the end of this year," Kuo wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Earlier this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said an Apple event in October of this year could feature the first Macs with the M3 chip. He said Macs that were candidates for the M3 chip included the 13-inch MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and 24-inch iMac. Kuo only ruled out new MacBooks, so there is still potential for a new iMac this year.

The as-yet-unannounced M3 chip is widely expected to be fabricated with TSMC's 3nm process for significant performance and power efficiency improvements compared to the current 5nm-based M2 chip, which debuted in June 2022.

Related Roundup: MacBook Air
Buyer's Guide: MacBook Air (Neutral)
Related Forums: MacBook Pro, MacBook Air

Popular Stories

macbook air prime day 2

5 Reasons to Buy a MacBook Air Now Instead of Waiting

Tuesday July 28, 2026 7:53 am PDT by
Apple's next MacBook Air is several months away, but if you've been holding off on an upgrade, here's why now could actually be a good time to buy. The Current Air is the Best Value Mid-Tier Mac The M5 MacBook Air starts at $1,299 following Apple's recent $200 price hike, but Amazon is already knocking $100 off, bringing it down to $1,199. The base model's 16GB of RAM means it's no longer...
M4 MacBook Air 13 and 15 inch Feature

MacBook Air Experiencing 'Major' Shortage Despite $200 Price Increase

Sunday August 2, 2026 7:12 pm PDT by
Despite receiving a price increase in June, the MacBook Air is currently experiencing a "major" shortage, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Retail store sources say Apple is struggling to keep the laptop in stock and that shipments of new units are more constrained than they can ever recall," he said. In the U.S., the MacBook Air is facing a 2-6 week delivery estimate on Apple's...
iPhone 18 Pro Rumored Colors

Apple Cutting Back 2026 Hardware Shipments Due to Memory Shortage

Monday August 10, 2026 11:38 am PDT by
Apple is scaling back its hardware shipment plans in 2026 due to DRAM shortages, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said today. Kuo made the comment in a longer piece disputing a recent report suggesting TSMC has $1 billion of unpackaged processors waiting on memory chips that Apple has been unable to secure. Kuo said Apple plans processor production at least three months in advance based on the...

Top Rated Comments

39 months ago
Not surprised. M3 Macs this year meant one of two unlikely situations would occur:

1. 13" MBA is updated to M3, but 15" isn't, causing the larger MBA to be a generation of Apple Silicon behind its smaller counterpart.
2. Both MBAs are updated to M3, giving the M2 15" one of the shortest lifespans of any MacBook ever.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dwalls90 Avatar
39 months ago
Duh. Said everyone with a brain for the last year.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
39 months ago
It just makes logical sense. How can you introduce a new model MacBook with M2 just this past summer, then update a few months later? Apple is using an approach where products get some time to shine. The M3 iMac will be that product. Its also sustainable and I believe social anthropologists within the company and really explaining to the leadership that a lot of users are chasing feeds and speeds just for the sake of it.

Your YouTube video that you are trying to render faster is really not that important to humanity, seriously.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
39 months ago

Would Apple roll out M3 iMac BEFORE MBs? I have to think NO.
Why not?

Unlike the Macbooks, the iMac is very much (over)due for an update.

And the volume of iMacs is much lower than Macbooks, so they're more likely to be able to keep up with supply.

All product lines are not always updated in perfect synchrony.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NT1440 Avatar
39 months ago

A friend of mine wants to replace her MacBook Air from 2013 and I told her she should wait until the new models will be released in October. What should I tell her now?
Tell her any machine she gets now is going to be night and day a drastically more powerful and fluid machine than her 2013.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
snak-atak Avatar
39 months ago
Glad I got my 15” MBA when it first came out. No sense waiting for new tech with no eta. You’ll be waiting forever!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)