Kuo details M3 chip timeline, says 15-inch MacBook Air will us the M2

In his latest report, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo gives a few tidbits regarding the upcoming 15-inch MacBook Air. According to him, this machine will offer two processor spec options, but they will be similar to what Apple already offers with the 13-inch MacBook Air.

That said, users expecting a spec bump to the 15-inch MacBook Air will find the same machine as the last year’s redesigned MacBook Air with an M2 processor. The M2 Pro will continue being exclusive to the high-end MacBook Pro and the Mac mini.

In addition, Kuo corroborates with past reports that this 15-inch MacBook that Apple is producing will be named Macbook Air, as the company doesn’t plan to reintroduce a simple “MacBook” line again or give a 15-inch option to the entry-level MacBook Pro.

That said, the analyst says the shipment estimation for the 15-inch Macbook Air in 2023 is 5-6 million units. The peak shipments for EMS and components are expected during late 3Q23 and early 3123, respectively.

What’s interesting in this report is that Kuo details Apple’s schedule for the M3 chips. According to him, the mass production of the M3 chip is anticipated to begin in the second half of 2023, slightly ahead of M3 Pro and M3 Max. Previous stories said Apple is readying the M3 Pro and M3 Max processors for the high-end MacBook Pro models that should land in stores in early 2024.

With that in mind, it’s interesting to think that Apple will release a 15-inch MacBook Air with a year-old processor while it plans to release the first batch of M3 processors before the end of the year.

When this happens, the company is expected to unveil a new 13-inch MacBook Air, a 13-inch MacBook Pro, and the long-rumored 24-inch iMac with the M3 chip. The M3 should be a 3nm chip, making it faster and more power efficient than the changes we had from the M1 to the M2 chips.