M2 Pro and M2 Max processors in upcoming MacBook Pros may be 5nm rather than 3nm

Updated 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros will enter production this year, though they might still use 5nm chips instead of 3nm chips, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

From his tweet: 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.

Updates of the pro laptops are expected later this year. Released in October 2021, current models sport 5nm M1 Pro and M1 Max processors. Upcoming models will almost certainly pack M2 Pro and M2 Max chips, which some reports have said will be the first 3nm Apple Silicon processors. 

In fact, a report today from DigiTimes (a subscription is required to read the article) claims that Apple supplier TSMC will begin volume production of 3nm chips later this year for use in upcoming MacBook models and other products.

3nm processors will purportedly offer up to 23% performance increases and be more than 40% more power efficient. They’re about 16% smaller than 5nm chips.