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Apple’s new M3 Macs could launch any day now, leak claims

We’ve heard for months that Apple’s brand-new Macs with M3 chips will be launching in the fall, but a fresh leak suggests their release could be just around the corner. If you’ve been waiting to upgrade, your moment may have almost arrived.

The information comes from the news site MacRumors, which cites “a verified source” in its report. According to the outlet, Apple is about to change the list of Macs available to be traded in at the company’s stores.

A MacBook Pro running macOS Sonoma at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2023.
Apple

Why is that important? Well, in the past it has been an indication that new Macs are coming. For example, Apple added the Mac Studio, 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro, and 13-inch M2 MacBook Air to the list of Macs you could trade in just before the 15-inch MacBook Air launched in June 2023.

Interestingly, Apple did that on the very same day that it hosted its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote event, where the 15-inch MacBook Air (and plenty more) was announced. If a similar thing is in play now, it might suggest new Macs could launch any day now.

Launching in October?

Man using a 24-inch M1 iMac.
Digital Trends

This will be exciting news for Mac fans due to the chip that’s expected to be fitted inside the next slate of Macs. According to the rumor mill, the M3 chip could be the most impressive Mac chip in years.

That’s because it’s going to be made using a 3-nanometer process (the same used by the A17 Pro chip found inside the iPhone 15 Pro Max). That process is anticipated to increase the M3’s performance and efficiency dramatically compared to Apple’s previous efforts, thus giving Macs a sizeable boost in output.

We’ve been hearing for months that Apple could launch new Macs in October, with consumer devices like the 13-inch MacBook Pro, 13-inch MacBook Air, and the 24-inch iMac leading the charge. High-end products like the 16-inch and 14-inch MacBook Pros are slated to arrive in 2024. An event doesn’t seem to be in the cards (no one has heard anything about invites), so a launch via press release seems likely at this stage.

There’s a slight wrinkle in that Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has claimed that M3 MacBooks won’t launch until 2024. That still leaves the door open for the 24-inch iMac, however, which could be what MacRumors’ source is hinting at. If this latest rumor is correct, we may potentially be just a few days away from seeing Apple’s latest efforts make a long-awaited appearance.

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