New 14, 16-inch Apple M2 MacBooks Coming Within The Next Few Weeks, Says Analyst

Apple will have its new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks with its next-generation M2 processors head to mass production in the coming weeks, a respected Apple analyst said.

Ming Chi-Kuo tweeted that the new M2 laptops will enter mass production in the fourth quarter this year. He further said in his tweet that with key chip supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC) guidance that the three-nanometer chip technology will contribute to company revenue beginning the first half of next year, the processors in the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBooks will still adopt the five-nanometer advanced node. He however failed to mention if he was referring to the calendar fourth quarter, which TSMC follows, that ends in December or Apple's fiscal fourth quarter, which ends in September.

Benefits of M2 Over M1 Chips

Apple adopting TSMC's five-nanometer process would result in faster performance and enhanced power efficiency for newer Macs and iPhones, while contributing to longer battery life. The high-end Mac mini and the Mac Pro tower are the only current Apple products that have not transitioned to Apple silicon chips. The M2 processor, which TSMC manufactures for Apple, is 18 percent speedier than its predecessor M1 chip, even as it doesn't affect battery power, with a huge boost in memory, which is now up to 24GB, from 16GB.

Apple has released 13-inch MacBook Pro and MacBook Air with the M2 chip but has not provided any details on when it will roll out the larger versions of the laptop with the newest chip. Previous reports hinted that Apple will unveil its new M2 laptops in the fall this year or spring next year.

Apple's next grand launch event is slated on September 7, which is the date the company is expected to unveil the iPhone 14, the new iPads, and Apple Watches, among other products, which may include the larger MacBooks with the M2 chip.

TSMC to Start Mass Producing 3-nm Chips Later This Year, Says Report

A separate report from a Taiwanese news outlet claims that TSMC is set to mass produce the 3-nm M2 chip beginning in September.

Citing reliable industry sources, the report says the M2 Pro chip could be the first to use TSMC's advanced 3nm process. Popular Bloomberg Apple columnist Mark Gurman stated that Apple sees using the M2 Pro chip in its upcoming 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models and a higher end Mac mini that are expected to be unveiled later this year or in the first half of next year.

Apple's forthcoming three-nanometer based A17 Bionic chip that will be made for next year's iPhone 15 Pro models and the next-generation M3 processor, swhich will run future MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro models, will also be manufactured based on TSMC's 3nm process, which TSMC said will begin contributing to its revenue by the first half of next year.

TSMC was also reported to begin mass production of the 3-nm chips, including the M2 Pro chips, for the Cupertino, California tech giant in the second half of 2022.