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
Related Forums: MacBook Pro, MacBook Air

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Announces Launch of U.S. Passport Feature in iPhone's Wallet App

Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport. To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need: An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on An Apple Account ...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 2

Wednesday November 12, 2025 3:29 pm PST by
Apple today provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26.2, which adds a few new features worth knowing about. Measure App Apple's Measure app now features a Liquid Glass design for the level, with two Liquid Glass bubbles instead of white circles. Games App There's now an option to sort games in the Games app Library by size, in addition to Name and Recent. CarPlay The...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
apple intelligence erroneous support list

Apple Intelligence Apparently Too Smart for M1 Macs After Listing Error

Wednesday November 12, 2025 2:49 am PST by
Update: It took a day, but Apple has now corrected its Apple Intelligence device compatibility list to show support for the earliest Apple silicon Macs. The original article follows. Apple's website is causing some confusion among Mac owners, and for good reason – its device compatibility listing for Apple Intelligence appears to have dropped support for M1 Macs. The U.S. version...

Top Rated Comments

VisceralRealist Avatar
29 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
29 months ago
Duh. Said everyone with a brain for the last year.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
29 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)
neilw Avatar
29 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)
snak-atak Avatar
29 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)
NT1440 Avatar
29 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)