With the surprise release of the M2 Mac Mini and 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops, what can we expect from Apple for the rest of 2023 and into 2024? In this article, we share what we can learn from reliable sources about what Apple plans for future computer product releases.

Mac Pro - Expected March to June 2023

As we explored in our article Apple Mac Pro 2023 - Is It Already Dead In The Water? the Mac Pro is the last Mac computer, still powered by an Intel processor with separate RAM and graphics processors, enabling it to be the most powerful and most expandable Mac in the Apple range. But it would seem the Apple Silicon powered replacement will not be very expandable.

Because of the System on a Chip (SoC) architecture, any Apple Silicon-powered computer cannot have user-expandable memory or graphics cards, leaving just storage expansion with the 2 SSD slots.

The other benefit being suggested for going with a Mac Pro is the improved cooling, meaning if you do push the SoC to its limits, it will be able to perform better for longer, as the improved cooling will keep the key components cooler, and so continue to work at maximum performance.

We also know that the 2023 Mac Pro will have the same design as the 2019 model and so will have the same PCIe slots, which should please anyone needing to use dedicated DSP processing like Avid’s HDX or UAD’s cards.

However, Apple has canned the M2 Extreme, which was to be two M2 Ultra chips put together, giving the equivalent power of four M2 Max SoCs. This will limit the maximum amount of unified memory to 192GB instead of 384GB, which could have come with the cancelled M2 Extreme SoC.

As to when we can expect the Apple Silicon-powered 2023 Mac Pro to be released, we understand it will need macOS 13.3, which is expected to be released in March, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the 2023 Mac Pro will be released in March, just that it is unlikely to be released until macOS 13.3 is released. It could be that Apple waits until WWDC 2023 in June to announce the 2023 Mac Pro.

UPDATED 21st February 2023 - A Future Apple Silicon Mac Pro Might Have Support For External GPUs

Four Apple patents have come to light, which suggests that Apple is exploring the option of being able to add additional third-party GPU capacity to future Apple Silicon computers and, most likely, a future Mac Pro model.

However, to achieve this, Apple would have to solve the following…

• Include space for GPU cards (easy in the Mac Pro) or add connectors for external GPUs

• Determine which tasks would be handled better by another GPU

• How to root that data to the other GPU

• Handle how data gets back from the other GPU

The first point can be easily accommodated in a future Mac Pro model as it is still expandable with PCIe slots.

Everything else is taken care of by one or more of the four new patent applications from Apple.

1. Logical Slot To Hardware Slot Mapping For Graphics Processors

2. Kickslot Manager Circuitry For Graphics Processors

3. Affinity-Based Graphics Scheduling

4. Software Control Techniques For Graphics Hardware That Supports Logical Slots

UPDATED 22nd February 2023 - What About a New Intel-Based Mac Pro?

Perhaps it’s not as crazy as it seems. In June 2020, when Apple announced Apple Silicon during their WWDC 2020 keynote address, they said that they were planning to continue to support and release new versions of the macOS for Intel-based Mac computers for “years to come” and that they have some new Intel-based Macs “in the pipeline”.

However, there has only been one new Mac released since WWDC 2020, and that was the 27-inch iMac in August 2020. This means that since the release of the first Apple silicon Mac computers in November 2020, there haven’t been any new Intel Macs, exciting or not, produced by Apple.

There have been occasional rumours that Apple would produce an Intel Mac Pro during their transition to Apple silicon, but as of today, that hasn’t materialised.

There have also been reports that Apple developed an M1 Mac Pro, but that never made it into production.

Now with the significant restrictions imposed by the use of Apple’s SoC architecture, it may be that Apple could consider producing one more old-school computer with separate CPUs, RAM, and GPUs based on an Intel processor on the grounds that a significant number of Mac Pro customers would value the expandability of such a machine over the benefits that come with Apple Silicon.

Macworld’s Jason Cross has undertaken some research on which current Intel chips Apple could use…

“Apple would be more likely to use the W-2400 chips that top out at 24 cores due to thermals. (The highest-end Intel CPU in the Mac Pro has a thermal design power of 205 watts. The W-2400 series ranges from 120W to 225W while the W-3400 goes from 270W to 350W.) Apple prioritizes power efficiency with its M-series chips, so it would be unlikely to use a chip with such a high power draw.”

Although Macworld makes some good points, I find it unlikely that Apple would spend valuable research and development dollars, developing a machine that uses old-school power-hungry architecture for a segment of the market that, in Apple’s terms, would be minute. After all, Apple has already chosen to cancel the M2 Extreme SoC as being too expensive for a small market share to expect to get a return on their investment.

UPDATED 23rd February 2023 - Apple Are Planning A ‘ComputeModule’ Device?

9to5mac has found a new “ComputeModule” device class in Apple’s iOS 16.4 developer disk image in the Xcode 16.4 beta release, and there is speculation this could be another way Apple could add more expandability back into the new Apple Silicon Mac Pro. Or it could be a processor box for Apple’s upcoming Reality Pro headset.

What 9to5mac know for sure from delving into the iOS code is…

1. The Compute Module exists.

2. The Compute Module is a brand-new device class that runs iOS or a variant.

3. Apple has at least two separate Compute Modules that are far along in development, the ComputeModule13,1 and ComputeModule13,3.

With regard to the Mac Pro, there is speculation that the Mac Pro could support multiple Compute Modules in a similar way to how Intel supports two MPX GPU modules bonded together via its Infinity Fabric Link technology.

Because these Compute Modules have been found in iOS code, it would seem strange that they would refer to a Mac Pro-based solution. It would make much more sense that it would relate to the upcoming Apple Reality Pro headset, expected to be announced at WWDC 2023, which will feature technology including ultra-high-resolution displays and advanced hand and eye tracking, using more than a dozen cameras and sensors built into the headset.

Mac Studio - Expected Sometime In 2024

The Mac Studio was a little bit of a surprise when it was announced back in March 2022, but it is proving to be a very capable studio computer. It currently comes in 2 variants, one with an M1 Max SoC and up to 64GB of unified memory and the other with the M1 Ultra, which is effectively two M2 Max chips strapped together, offering up to 128GB of unified memory.

But what about an M2 upgrade? Typically, Apple tends to wait between 12 and 18 months before upgrading each model, which means that, in theory, we could expect M2 versions of the Mac Studio any time from next month. However, we had heard very little from reliable sources about when the M2 Mac Studio models would be released until the February 5th 2023 PowerOn newsletter from Bloomberg in which Mark Gurman reported…

“I wouldn’t anticipate the introduction of a Mac Studio in the near future. The upcoming Mac Pro is very similar in functionality to the Mac Studio — and adds the M2 Ultra chip rather than the M1 Ultra. So it wouldn’t make sense for Apple to offer an M2 Ultra Mac Studio and M2 Ultra Mac Pro at the same time. It’s more likely that Apple either never updates the Mac Studio or holds off until the M3 or M4 generation. At that point, the company may be able to better differentiate the Mac Studio from the Mac Pro”

So it looks like Apple doesn’t want an upgraded Mac Studio to trash the sales of the Mac Pro and plans to fix it by holding back on upgrading the Mac Studio.

M3 System On A Chip

Before we move on to the other Apple models, we need to break off and look at what we know about Apple’s plans for the next generation of Apple silicon chips - The M3.

In a paywalled preview of a report in DigiTimes, a daily newspaper for semiconductor, electronics, computer and communications industries in Taiwan and the Greater China region, they said…

“Backend firms are upbeat about demand for the upcoming MacBook chips, which will be built using TSMC's 3nm process technology, with production set to kick off later this year, according to industry sources”.

However, according to DigiTimes, it was not expected that TSMC will generate substantial revenue from 3nm chip production overall until at least the first quarter of 2023.

This was further reinforced by a report in an edition of Taiwan's Commercial Times, which said TSMC would begin production of 3nm chips for Apple by the end of 2022.

All of this proved too late for the M2 Pro and M2 Max powered MacBook Pro machines, released in January 2023, using 5nm technology. Analyst Ming-chi Kuo, from TF International Securities, a financial services group in the Asia-Pacific region, gathers intelligence from his contacts in Apple's Asian supply chain. He then translates the information he gleans into research notes that often provide a solid look at Apple's future plans. While he is not always correct, he is one of the most reliable sources for Apple rumours, and again, on this one, he proved to be correct at a time when a lot of others were still suggesting the M2 MacBook Pro laptops would have 3nm chips. Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted back in August 2022…

“New 14" and 16" MacBook Pro with new processors will enter mass production in 4Q22. Given TSMC's guidance that the 3nm will contribute revenue starting in 1H23, processors of 14" and 16" MacBook Pro models may still adopt the 5nm advanced node”

Then the day after Apple announced the new M2 Pro and M2 Max 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops using 5nm technology, Ming-chi Kuo was already suggesting that there would be M3-powered MacBook Pro laptops released in 2024 using TSMC's 3-nanometer process.

“I expect the next new MacBook Pro models, which will adopt M3 Pro/M3 Max processors made by 3nm (likely TSMC's N3P or N3S), will go to mass production in 1H24.”

Why Does This Matter?

Simply put, chips manufactured using a 3nm process versus those produced using a 5nm process use less power and run faster. For example, Samsung say…

“Compared to the 5nm process, the first-generation 3nm process can reduce power consumption by up to 45%, improve performance by 23% and reduce the area by 16% compared to 5nm.”

Coming back to Apple and their own Apple Silicon designs, we understand that Apple is planning a "much bigger leap" with its third-generation SoC chips, some of which will have up to four dies (as opposed to two dies in the 5nm designs, which is expected to translate into Apple silicon SoCs potentially having up to 40 CPU cores.

For comparison, the M1 and M2 chips have an 8-core CPU, and the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips have 10-core CPUs; the M2 Pro and M2 Max chips have 12-core CPUs. So a jump up from 10 or 12 cores to up to 40 cores confirms the "much bigger leap".

This also matters because, for some models, like the iMac, Apple is planning to skip the M2 range and go straight to the M3 range.

Finally, in late December 2022, we learned that Apple’s chip supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) started mass production of the 3nm chips that will be used in the next generations of Apple Silicon powered computers.

UPDATED 23rd February 2023 - Apple Orders Entire Output Of TSMC’s 3nm Chip Production

According to a report by DigiTimes, which is behind a paywall, Apple has booked 100% of TSMC’s 3nm output even though the product is more expensive and has a lower untilisation rate. These 3nm SoCs are apparently destined for Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro and the new M3 Macs.

So with that, let’s go back to the rest of Apple's range and what we can expect in 2023 and beyond.

MacBook Air - Expected April to June 2023

Apple only updated the MacBook Air with a new design and an M2 SoC in June 2022, but interestingly there has already been a lot of talk about new MacBook Air models being released during 2023.

Just a couple weeks after Apple announced the first M2-powered Mac computers, including the MacBook Air, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman was already reporting on the next generation of the MacBook Air laptop.

“Apple is also already at work on the M2’s successor, the M3, and the company is planning to use that chip as early as next year with updates to the 13-inch MacBook Air code-named J513, a 15-inch MacBook Air known as J515, a new iMac code-named J433 and possibly a 12-inch laptop that’s still in early development.”

Mark did not commit to a time frame for these machines to come to market. However, the Taiwanese publication DigiTimes suggested that we will see a new MacBook Air with an M3 SoC in the second half of this year…

"The supply chain is more focused on the more affordable MacBook Air, which is expected to be updated in the second half of 2023 and may be equipped with a 3nm processor."

Mark Gurman referred not only to a 13-inch MacBook Air but also to a 15-inch MacBook Air too. This would be the largest ‌MacBook Air‌ to date and, in terms of size, would sit between the 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.

It is being reported that the 15-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ is expected to have the same basic design as the 2022 13-inch ‌MacBook Air‌ with flat edges, a Force Touch trackpad, a MagSafe charging port, an upgraded speaker system, and a 1080p camera.

According to Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, in a tweet to his subscribers, the 15.5-inch MacBook Air could be announced as soon as Spring 2023. We understand that his track record with information like this is pretty accurate because he bases his reports on what is happening in the manufacturing supply chain.

According to Ross Young’s sources, the 15.5” display panels destined for the new MacBook Air have just entered production, which based on the production schedules for previous Apple laptops, would point to a release in early April 2023.

Ross has also reported that in addition to Apple producing a 15.5 Inch MacBook Air, Apple also plans to add OLED screens to the 13-inch MacBook Air model in 2024. (More about OLED screens in the MacBook Pro section below).

There is some debate as to whether the 15.5” MacBook Air will come with M2 or M3 SoCs. Some think that an April release would be too early to have M3 chips, and others suggest that the release may be delayed until later so as to have M3 chips.

We shall have to wait and see.

MacBook Pro - Expected 2024

Apple had no sooner announced the M2 versions of the 14 and 16-inch Macbook Pro laptops than Analyst Ming-chi Kuo was suggesting that there would be M3-powered MacBook Pro laptops released in 2024 using TSMC's 3-nanometer process. He tweeted…

“I expect the next new MacBook Pro models, which will adopt M3 Pro/M3 Max processors made by 3nm (likely TSMC's N3P or N3S), will go to mass production in 1H24.”

Roll forward to last month, and according to Korean ET News, Apple has ordered four different sizes of OLED displays, with the largest two destined for Apple’s 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops.

“This is the first time that Apple has applied OLED to iPad and MacBook instead of LCD. Small and medium-sized OLED market that centered on smartphones will grow a new momentum with the expansion of OLED installation from Apple, a company with a great influence on the world.”

Then in the 22nd January 2023 edition of his PowerOn Newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported…

“I see the M2 as a stopgap chip ahead of a better-performing M3 series coming late this year or early next year. It will be based on the more advanced, 3-nanometer production process. Apple is already working on M3 versions of the iMac and MacBook Air. And it’s developing a MacBook Pro revamp for 2025 with OLED screens and long-awaited touch support.”

So it looks like we can expect M3 powered 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops in 2024 and an update in 2025 with OLED screens.

Why OLED Screens Matter

But why is OLED technology so important? Currently, all the Apple MacBook laptops use LCD panels, with the latest 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops using mini-LED backlights behind the LCD panels and ProMotion technology.

OLED displays do not require backlighting, as LEDs in the panel produce their own light, which gives devices an even better contrast ratio and longer battery life.

In January 2023, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted…

“Compared to mini-LED, laptops that use OLEDs have the advantage of being thinner and lighter and offering more diverse form factor design options, like folding, so it has caused Apple to plan to ship the OLED MacBook by the end of 2024 at the earliest.”

Display analyst Ross Young has said that all of the devices fitted with OLED screens will adopt LTPO display technology that provides a variable refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz, which is what Apple calls ProMotion. This would mean that ProMotion would be new to the MacBook Air.

iMac - Expected Late 2023 Or Early 2024

Apple last updated the iMac in 2021 when it released an M1 Apple Silicon iMac, but that is it; no M2 iMacs have been announced. This means if you are looking for a new iMac, you may need to wait much longer.

In addition, Apple discontinued the iMac Pro back in 2021. Then it discontinued the 27-inch Intel-based version of the ‌iMac‌ in March 2022, leaving the 24-inch ‌iMac‌ with the M1 chip as the only remaining ‌iMac‌ model. The consensus seems to be that Apple has effectively replaced the 27-inch ‌iMac‌ with the Mac Studio and its matching Studio Display, with some sources suggesting that Apple has suspended high-end iMac development.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman is not one of them. In his PowerOn newsletter, he has outlined that Apple has been working on at least two ‌iMac‌ models and choosing to skip the M2 chip and go to the, as yet unreleased, M3 series of chips. He suggested that Apple will likely launch an updated 24-inch ‌iMac‌ featuring the standard M3 chip in late 2023 and that they are continuing the development of a high-end ‌iMac‌…

“I also still believe that Apple is working on a larger-screened iMac aimed at the professional market. I'd imagine this will use a variation of the M3 chip, likely an M3 Pro and M3 Max. That would match the chips inside of the MacBook Pro. I don't think the combination of a Mac Studio or Mac mini plus an Apple Studio Display cuts it for many pro users who want more screen real estate.”

Mark Gurman is not alone in his view that Apple will release a new iMac this year. As far back as March 2022, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted…

Predictions for Apple's new desktop products:

1. 2022: More powerful Mac mini and more affordable external display (27-inch without mini-LED).

2. 2023: Mac Pro and iMac Pro.

In his PowerOn newsletter dated February 12th 2023, Mark Gurman confirmed his expectation that Apple will skip updating the iMac with the M2 chip and instead wait to release an iMac with the M3 chip.

“I haven't seen anything to indicate there will be a new iMac until the M3 chip generation, which won't arrive until the tail end of this year at the earliest or next year. So if you want to stick with the iMac, you'll just have to sit tight.”

But Mark Gurman remained silent on whether a larger iMac would return and when that might be.

So it seems that it is unlikely that we will see a new iMac model until late 2023 or perhaps early 2024.

Mac Mini - Expected 2024

With the new M2-equipped Mac mini models announced in January this year, it is not expected that we will see a new Mac mini model until 2024. On the same day that Apple announced the M2 and M2 Pro Mac mini models, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted that the next Mac mini models would have the same form factor, which is the one used in the previous M1 and Intel models.

“My new prediction for next new Mac mini is similar to the one I made about ten months ago. I think the new Mac mini in 2024 will likely remain the similar form factor design.”

The rumours about the Mac mini having a redesign including a plexiglass top seem to have not proven to be accurate. It may have been that Apple explored the redesign and then dropped it, which in itself is not that unusual.

UPDATED 22nd February 2023 - 27 Inch Display - Expected June to September 2023

Early in 2022, Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, had expected Apple to announce a new 27-inch display using mini-LED backlight technology at WWDC in June 2022. However, in May, he revised his prediction for the display’s release to October 2022 because of design delays. It then turned out Apple could not meet the October target either, and the release date has been revised to the first quarter of 2023. However, yesterday Ross reported that he has not seen any indications of the display being manufactured, which means it is not going to be released anytime soon, and because there is no evidence of the displays being produced, he is unable to suggest when they might be released.

As to the design, Ross says that the new display will feature ProMotion technology for refresh rates up to 120Hz. He does not expect it to be a direct replacement for the Pro Display XDR, which offers a considerably larger 6K display at a $4,999 price point. Instead, he understands that the is likely to be closer to the Apple Studio display but with the addition of mini-LED and ProMotion technology.