Multiple sources have indicated that Apple had planned to launch the upcoming 15-inch MacBook Air in a number of variants, the base model having an M2 chip, and a top-end model with an M3 one.
However, a leaker with a reasonable track record says that Apple has now abandoned plans for the M3 version …
The 15-inch MacBook Air
Reports of a 15-inch MacBook Air date back over a year now. We’d previously called for a 16-inch version, and I noted at the time that a 15-inch model could be the perfect Mac for many users.
One report indicated it could be arriving this month, while others have suggested that WWDC seems a more likely bet.
M3 version abandoned, says leaker
Both our own sources, and those of Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, indicated that while the base model will have an M2 chip, Apple was also working on an M3 version.
However, while leaker yeux1122 agrees that this was the case, he says that Apple has now decided not to proceed with the M3 model for the launch of the machine.
This is Taiwan supply chain source: The new MacBook Air 15-inch model will be equipped with an M2 chip, not an M3, as originally planned.
This is not only the issue of TSMC’s mass production, but also Apple was not in a hurry due to a combination of factors such as market conditions and inventory adjustment.
They say that the manufacturing schedule remains unchanged, and that the machine is set to launch “around June.”
Yeux1122 has a pretty good track record, correctly stating that the price of the base model iPhone 14 would be kept at the same $799 level as the iPhone 13, and not increased by $100 as others were suggesting. They also got most details right on the iPhone SE 3 (a $30 price difference aside).
9to5Mac’s Take
We were always expecting the base model 15-inch MacBook Air to have an M2 chip, so the only question was whether there would also be a top-end model with a new M3 chip.
Our own sources had indicated this was the plan, and yeux1122 echoes this, saying only that the company has now decided against including that model at launch. It’s certainly credible that Apple has decided to keep things simple for now, and that an M3 variant will launch at a later date.
Either way, the machine is going to prove hugely popular, and it’s a safe bet that most buyers would have opted for an M2 model in any case – the primary appeal of the upcoming machine is a large screen in a cheaper and lighter form than the MacBook Pro.
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