Want an M3 Max MacBook Pro? There’s a lengthy wait ahead

Apple’s high-end MacBook Pro with M3 Pro and M3 Max chips might not launch until mid-2024, with the M3 Mac mini facing an even longer delay. Here’s why.

Jul 24, 2023 - 21:04

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Want an M3 Max MacBook Pro? There’s a lengthy wait ahead

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If you’ve been holding out for a super-powered MacBook Pro with a high-end M3 Pro or M3 Max chip, you could have a lengthy wait on your hands. That’s because, despite Apple’s plans to launch new Macs later this year, several are reportedly going to miss the cut.

That’s according to journalist Mark Gurman, who claims in a new report that Apple’s flagship 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pro models are unlikely to launch until the middle of 2024. Worse, the M3 Mac mini might not see the light of day until late 2024 at the earliest.

An Apple MacBook Pro 14 sits open on a table.

Apple MacBook Pro 14 Mark Coppock/Digital Trends

The news isn’t entirely surprising when it comes to the MacBook Pro. After all, Apple only launched the M2 Pro and M2 Max editions of this device in January 2023 (a date that was reportedly pushed back due to supply chain delays). It would be unusual for Apple to launch two versions of the same laptop in a single year, so the 2024 date makes sense in that regard.

But the news will still likely disappoint users who have been eagerly awaiting the M3 generation of Apple silicon chips, who will have to decide whether to wait to upgrade their Mac or go ahead and buy one now. M3 chips are expected to be a radical improvement over the M2 series thanks to an upgraded manufacturing process, which should result in more performance and better efficiency. The M3 Pro and M3 Max could therefore result in a massive uptick for the MacBook Pro.

A lengthy wait

Someone editing photos on the M2 Mac Mini.

Apple

The wait for the M3 Mac mini could be a lengthy one, with the potential for it to continue well into 2025. The M3 chip could be almost two years old by that point, which will stretch the patience of anyone waiting for the generational improvement offered by that chip in the Mac mini.

After the M1 Mac mini was released, Apple waited over two years to bring out the M2 version. That suggests the company does not feel the device needs to be updated every year, unlike more popular products like the MacBook Pro.

Still, Gurman explains that “it’s a sure thing that an M3 version of the Mac mini is eventually coming.” Yet he warns that its development is in the early stages, so there could be a considerable wait until it is ready for prime time.

Despite the delays in the high-end MacBook Pro and the Mac mini, M3-equipped Macs are on the way. Last week Gurman claimed that models of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, 13-inch MacBook Air, and 24-inch iMac — all bearing the entry-level M3 chip — could launch as soon as October 2023. The wait for high-end chips, meanwhile, goes on.

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