We should be seeing the new M3-equipped Apple Macbook Air and iPads early next year, according to Mark Gruman from Bloomberg. This new launch is said to try and reverse declining Mac and iPad sales that Apple saw in 2023.
The models expected to see the processor update will be the iPad Air, iPad Pro and Macbook Air. The Macbook Pro recently saw the upgrade to the new M3 chips so they will be off the table at least for the next 12 months.
Bloomberg also reported that the new iPad Air will be available in two different sizes for the first time and that the iPad Pro will get OLED screens too. While all three devices are expected to feature the M3 chips, the Macbook Air will also feature the speedier M3 chips.
Based on Mark’s report, we should see a 12.9-inch iPad Air alongside the standard 10.9-inch when it is launched next year.
If this report comes to fruition, almost the whole Mac ecosystem will be using the same processor family (the M3 is reported to be a hybrid of the A16 Bionic and the A17 Pro, according to Notebookcheck.net). The only systems without the M3 chips will be the Mac Studio and Mac Pro lineup.
The biggest problem with the M3 on the new devices will be thermal management, as the iPads and Macbook Air are all fanless designs. Of course, apple may just include a fan for the first time on the Macbook Air for the 2024 model.
The reveal of the new model is expected to happen sometime in the first quarter of 2024, with end of March being the most likely date for the launch.
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