New MacBook Pros, iPad Pros still on target for release this year

Apple manufacturing partners will start mass production of new 14-inch MacBook Pro, 16-inch MacBook Pro, and iPad Pro models in the fourth quarter of the year, and all of the devices will likely remain equipped with 5nm chips, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says in a pair of tweets.

The Sellers Research Group (that’s me) expects all the devices to go on sale in mid-to-late October. 

From an earlier tweet Kuo said: 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.

The next gen of the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro are expected to be offered with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. No major design change is anticipated. 

As for the next gen iPad Pro, it’s likely to pack an M2 processor, MagSafe charging, the A14 Bionic chip, and 5G. Other rumors about the update:

° It will get a notch akin to that of the iPhone 13 models.

° It will sport an M2 processor.

° It will have a bigger battery.

° It will have an OLED display.